Madison Craft Beer Week

Sunday wrapped up Craft Beer Week in Madison. I was able to make it to several events and learn about many new breweries, most from this neck of the woods. The whole 10-day 'week' kicked off on Friday the 3rd with several Fish Fries around town. The Friday evening Fish Fry is a tradition in Wisconsin. I'm embarrassed to say that we haven't really made it to one of these since we got here. We chose to head a bit out of town and try Quivey's, a great beer restaurant housed in some old barn buildings about 5 miles outside Madison. We still haven't been to a WI fish fry. By 5:30 the wait was estimated around 45 min and with hungry toddler at the end of the day we opted to head home.

On Saturday I made plans to join recently knighted friend Dr. Andrew Stuhl (the leading candidate to start up the MadCityBeerClub with me if he weren't leaving) at One Barrel Brewing Company for an early opening and free pint glass+2 beer deal before 4PM. We made it around 3, but they were out of pint glasses. We enjoyed some of their small batch beers, had good conversation, watched the fake Kentucky Derby, and learned to shoot dollar bills into the ceiling.

I took a few nights off before heading out to Harmony Bar for rare beer night. I was using it as an excuse to check out the neighborhood we were thinking of moving to. But the bar was hosting a couple interesting breweries as well, including gypsy brewers Evil Twin and Stillwater. Bridgeport was also there, as the relative old timer of the craft beer game, along with two local new comers Hophothesis and St. Francis. A good variety. The bar has a great reputation as a classic family/bar atmosphere (very WI), and we are moving basically across the street. If (when) you come visit we'll go there for sure.

On Thursday the family made it to a happy hour at the Old Fashioned on the Square to celebrate the previously mentioned Dr. Stuhl's successful defense. The event coincided with a beer event by another WI newcomer, 3 Sheeps Brewing from Sheboygan. They have a small beer lineup at the moment, but it is filled with great and interesting session beers, like the Baad Boy Black Wheat Ale. The brewery's founder told me that this is exactly what they were going for with these first releases.

All in all the week was a success I would say. It got me out to places I would not have otherwise gone, and had me trying beers I would not have otherwise tried. Someone complained to me recently that they said it had become too popular and every event now is packed. Indeed, we had to pass on a fish fry because it was too well-attended and lost out on a pint glass because of high demand. If hops don't kill the craft beer movement (I could see the changing climate's impact on hop production playing a role), maybe it will be crushed by its own popularity.