DAY-TRIP BREWERIES

V1 NIGHT OUT 2022

BAR GUIDE

45TH PARALLEL DISTILLERY

BREWERIES, WINERIES & DISTILLERIES WORTH THE ROAD TRIP

Looking for an excuse for a road trip? Wisconsin (and its neighbors) offer plenty of options when it comes to visiting places that produce potent potables. Here are a few day-trip worthy destinations for enjoying adult beverages and meeting the folks who craft them.

MILWAUKEE BREWING COMPANY A massive 17,000 square foot brewery newly opened in a former Pabst Brewing Co. building. The Forty Two will also feature a tasting room, a rooftop bar with downtown views, and an event venue. Learn more at mkebrewing.com. O’SO BREWING COMPANY of Plover will break ground in the spring of 2018 on a 35,000-square-foot facility in nearby Stevens Point. The bigger, better brewery – which is expected to open in November 2018 – will include a taproom, a barrel aging cellar, event space, an outdoor beer garden, and eventually a disc golf course, a kickball diamond, and walking paths through a hops fi eld and fruit orchard. Until the new place opens, you’ll be able to sample 40 Wisconsin craft beers (at least 20 of them made at O’so) at the current tap house, 3028 Village Park Drive, Plover. Learn more at osobrewing.com. SURLY BREWING has a huge “destination brewery” in the Prospect Park area of Minneapolis where you can whet your whistle with one (or two or three) of the 24 Surly beers on tap, dine on upscale bar eats, and enjoy the hip urban vibe. They also offer tours and have a shop full of specialty Surly merch. Surly is a modern legend in the craft brewing scene, having been named Best Brewery in American by BeerAdvocate magazine in 2007 just 16 months after selling its fi rst keg. Check out surlybrewing.com to learn what’s brewing. WOLLERSHEIM WINERY in Prairie du Sac has a rich, storied history that dates back more than 150 years. Agoston Haraszthy, a Hungarian nobleman, fi rst planted the property with vines in the 1840s; the current winery was founded in the early 1970s. The winery – known for much loved varieties such as Prairie Fumé – is now also a distillery, and it’s open daily for tours and tastings. The winery is a National Historic Site, and the original hillside wine cave is now a museum highlighting the winery’s history. Visit wollersheim.com to fi nd out more. 45TH PARALLEL DISTILLERY was one of only 50 craft distilleries in the United States when it opened a decade ago in New Richmond, about 70 miles west of Eau Claire. Now there are more than 1,000 craft distilleries, but 45th Parallel still stands out for its slowcrafted vodka and other spirits, including gin, whiskey (bourbon, rye, and wheat), and limoncello. The distillery offers tours and tastings of its creations, which are made from grain grown on a farm just 8 miles away. Learn more at 45thparalleldistillery.com. there’s much to love. They also boast a dance floor where a DJ plays every Friday and Saturday, and a separate pool room. They also have darts and leagues. H EAU CLAIRE ALE HOUSE 120 N. Clairemont

Ave., Eau Claire • (715) 514-3801 • facebook. com/ECAleHouse • The Eau Claire Ale House offers an American casual bar and grill experience. The full-service bar features 22 taps. Happy Hour runs 4-6pm and 9-11pm Tuesday through Friday, and on Sundays they offer half-price appetizers and specials on BLT and Ultimate Bloody Marys. H FAMOUS DAVE’S 2911 Mall Dr., Eau Claire • (715) 835-2227 • famousdaves.com/eauclaire • Known for its ribs, this lively BBQ place gets the salivary glands going. Try the Devil Spit Bloody Mary, made with one of the spicier BBQ sauces. The bar (which seats 14) boasts 18 specialty beers along with seven on tap. Happy hour is 2-6pm every day. Party room seats 40. H Q FUJI SUSHI & STEAK HOUSE 4864 Keystone

Crossing, Eau Claire • (715) 832-3388 • fujieauclaire.com • Fuji’s full sake menu will not disappoint. Three beers are served on tap, and several imported beers are also available. Happy hour is 4-6pm Tuesday through Thursday, where house-made drinks are $3.25 and tap beers are 99 cents. Check out their martini/sushi special on Tuesday nights: Customers can create their own martini and sushi dinner combo for a discount. H GENO’S PIZZA 5110 Fairview Drive, Eau Claire • (715) 835-2000 • eauclairesbestpizza.com • Geno’s boasts it has “Eau Claire’s best pizza,” but it’s got a full bar, too. Wash down your favorite Italian pie with a wide selection of craft and domestic brews on tap. If you’re of drinking age and are looking for something sweet, order up a Not Your Father’s Root Beer Float. GRIZZLY’S WOOD-FIRED GRILL & STEAKS

4890 Golf Rd., Eau Claire • (715) 8326481 • grizzlysgrill.com • This “outdoorsy” bar and grill chain is known for its food and nightly specials (including the famous old fashioned and bloody marys). Grizzly’s also has happy hour 3-6pm weekdays, provides free popcorn, and offers 24 taps, including rotating craft beers. H S THE GROWLER GUYS 2832 London Road, Eau Claire • (715) 514-5140 • thegrowlerguys. com • Grab your growler (or pick up a new one there) and fill it up with one of over 60 on tap libations including ales, Belgians, doppelbocks, pilsners, IPAs, porters, stouts, ciders, and more. Events throughout the week like bingo, poker, sample nights, rare beer releases, and more. They also serve scratch pizza and sandwiches until close. Selling carry-out until the stroke of midnight and delivery available. O Q INFINITY BEVERAGES WINERY & DISTILLERY

3460 Mall Drive, Eau Claire • (715) 2550802 • infi nitybeverages.com • A winery and distillery producing a wide range of innovative and unique wines and spirits. Check out their Tasting Lounge for wine flights, spirit tastings, wine by the glass, and specialty cocktails including the two-time “Best of the Chippewa Valley” winning cocktail the Summer Heat. Stop by on just the right day and you may even have an opportunity to taste-test products currently in development. Mezzanine available to rent for parties. H O Q

H = HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS • F = SERVES FOOD (OTHER THAN PIZZA) • O = OUTDOOR PATIO • S = FREE SNACKS • Q = WINNER, 2022 BEST OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY 23