Hello midwesterners! Probably the only part of the country I have not visited (from Philly area) is the midwest and I will be making a trip up next weekend for my brother in law's wedding. I'll be travelling from Philadelphia area to Sandusky, OH for a stop overnight and then to Brookfield, WI for 3 days, back to Sandusky and then back home. I don't think I'm going to be able to go too far out of my way but I'm looking for recommendations on bottle shops and/or breweries. I'll be going into Milwaukee to check it out one or two days so I'm hoping I can find a nice bottle shop to bring some gifts home that I can't get in PA. Any advice?
What day will you be going through OH, and what route through OH are you taking? Northern through Cleveland or 70 through Columbus?
When you are going thru northern Indiana on I-80/90 the must-visit place is Three Floyds in Munster, Indiana. After leaving Sandusky in the morning a stop in Munster would be about lunchtime. The pub is only 4-5 miles off the interstate.
I will be leaving Sandusky, OH to go to Wisconsin Friday morning. Will be leaving Wisconsin to head back to Ohio on Monday morning. I had zero idea 3F was that close - I am now officially pumped. It looks like they have a good selection of cans at the brewpub too. Is it really only $40.00 per case? Apparently we're close to Biloba in WI as well? Any feedback on that or other recommendations? Does Toppling Goliath distribute anywhere in the area?
Sorry i misread your jest post and did not realize you were stopping in Sandusky. I was going to advise you swinging through Athens for the jackie Os release of their side project collaboration, but that would be a big detour based on the route you are taking. Yes, TG distributes to wisconsin. Milwaukee and Madison for sure. Have not followed all of the various Wisconsin posts beyond that to know, but others will chime in.
I second (or third or whatever) stopping at 3 Floyds. In the Milwaukee area, check out Three Cellars (Franklin and Menominee Falls). Great bottle shops with beer also on tap, and crowlers. I know for sure they get TG bombers and some draft only offerings. Other spots to check out would be any Discount Liquors or Whole Foods. And get anything New Glarus you want to try.
Biloba's new taproom is pretty cool, and they make good beer, just don't plan on bottles to go. They are pretty much all draft. As for bottle shops, the best ones in the area are 1) Discount Liquor 2) Ray's 3) Total Wine, probably in that order. Of those, Total Wine will be closest to you. Otto's is pretty close to you as well, but can be sort of hit or miss. If you have a chance, go on the Lakefront Brewery tour, I've been on it dozens of times and never regretted it. Black Husky tap room is always a good time as well, both of those are ~30 minutes from Brookfield.
Yes, the 3 floyd's beers are $40/case, but everything I have seen is bottled, not canned. The kiosk opens at 11 central time. If you want Zombie Dust I would stop Friday. Very possible it is not available on Monday.
I really appreciate all the input! I'm definitely going to be checking out 3F on my way to Brookfield Friday, then hit up those bottle shops in Milwaukee on Saturday/Sunday and see if I can convince the wife to eat at Small City on Monday. Biloba is apparently in Brookfield so depending on the agenda during the weekend I'm hoping I can stop in as well..
Lots of good stops in the Cleveland area. Suggest you consult the directory and decide for yourself since you will get lots of "Go there...no, they suck, go here..." etc from BAs.
If you want to know ahead of time what beers are available to-go at FFF, here's the link from their website. The info is updated daily. https://www.3floyds.com/beers-to-go/?age_verification=29f4955eff Regardless of whether a beer that you might want to buy is or is not on the to-go list, it's worth a stop there just for the experience. I have not been there for a couple of years, but the last time I went was for the Zombie Dust and had to stand in line for 45 minutes to purchase my allotted two cases.
Staying in Brookfield, WI puts you in a great spot to get Toppling Goliath bombers at either Discount Liquor (Milwaukee or Waukesha locations), and at Ray's Wine & Spirits. The best advice for you is to follow the S.E. Wisconsin thread for what is out and worth getting: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/se-wisconsin-bottle-hunt.434156/
Champps in Brookfield always has one of the top five taplists in Milwaukee. There should be at least one Toppling Goliath beer on tap and usually at least two available in bombers. They also will have plenty to choose from for imperial stouts and harder to find tap offerings and is certainly worth a stop. If you eat there, the portions are huge and will go a long way to soaking up all the beer.
I live in Cleveland and have a friend who lives in Brookfield. Made the trip a few times. After going to 3 Floyds, head to 18th Street Brewing. About 20 minutes north of 3 floyds. It is tough to find, but worth it!! I would also go to Raised Grain. About 10 minutes away from Brookfield. Discount Liquors is a must. Load up on New Glarus and Central Waters!! Enjoy!!
