Potential move to central WI

I don't think I saw Lakefront mentioned. Not sure if a Cali guy would appreciate their excellent lagers, but their hoppy is also quite good. Their My Turn Series is always fun and some have been excellent (shout out to My Turn: Josh!) and their recent brandy barrel beers have been spectacular (shout out to Brandy Barrel Aged Cherry Lager!), they were all over 13% this year. mmmmmmmm.

3Sheeps, Tyranena, Karben4, MKE, Ale Asylum, One Barrel, Central Waters, Next Door, Lake Louie, and O'so all have very good beers, even if not every single one is great. O'So does super fun sours and Brett beers lately. Tyranena does drinkable/affordable blended barrel aged beers, they released a ton of them this past year, and some were quite good. Central Waters is the premier barrel aging brewery in the area. Their Brewer's Reserve line is pretty affordable and quite excellent (just check out their scores on here!) They also do some bombers of great beers (I personally love De Klein Dood.)

New Glarus, though, is king. Almost everything they do is great for it's style. They aren't into super big high alcohol stout or hop bombs, but if you look up their schedule this year, there are a few gems, beyond the great reliable sessionable ales and lagers. Black Top, which is hop forward black IPA is one of my favorite beers ever and I will be getting cases of it later this year after going three years without it. Enigma comes out very soon, and is a fantastic Oud Bruin with cherries. They have something called their "Wild Fruit Cave" and do world class Belgian Style Sours. "Strawberry Rhubarb" is coming back in the more affordable 4 packs this year, and all the sour fans around here are drooling for it. And their Staghorn Oktoberfest every year is a massive hit and sells out fast.

Enjoy!

 

Riley's was always popular when our son was attending UW

 

Bottle Shop: Steve's Junction Rd.
Bar: Brasserie V
Tap Room: Karben4

None of these are close to each other though, unfortunately.

 

I grew up in the area, if you have any recommendations feel free to reach out

 

I agree 100%. Steve's on University I know has gotten some things that Junction hasn't but overall I think both of those Steve's are great. Haven't made it down to the southwest one yet.

 

There's a job in Spring Green worth moving from California for?!?! My wife's mom lives just outside of Spring Green in Arena. Personally, I couldn't even fathom living there. If I where you, I'd look in western Madison/Middleton. It's really only adding 10 miles to the commute. If you're looking for something lower key and lower cost of living, Cross Plains would be a good option. Only 10-15 minutes from everything Madison has to offer. Just my two cents.

 

Welcome to Wisconsin! Be prepared for some terrible winter months, but spring/summer/fall are beautiful. Wisconsin is a pretty cool state, especially if you like being outdoors, eating good food (and cheese) and drinking good beer.

Pretty much all of the best beers in Wisconsin have been mentioned above. Two of my current favorite WI beers are Black Husky Spruce and Ale Asylum Bedlam. Take a Saturday trip and do the Lakefront Brewery tour, it is the best tour in the state, IMO. The best craft beer selection in the state is probably Ray's Wine and Spirits in Wauwatosa.

Cheers! Oh, and be prepared for a Culvers butter burger...

 

Don't forget Discount Liquor they have a great store.

Get cheese curds w that burger !

 

Half Acre confirmed consistent but limited Wisconsin distribution today. You'll have to check their site to see exactly where.

 

I'm curious as to what all they'll be bringing in. I actually wasn't the biggest Daisy Cutter fan but I'm still excited to try their other stuff.

 

My guess would be just the core year-round cans to start: Daisy Cutter, Pony, LeadFeather, Akari, GoneAway and (hopefully) Navaja. Even in Chicago, the bottled stuff is a pretty limited distro in my experience. They also just started canning Space, their house IPA, so maybe that'll find its way to WI as well.

 

Steve's Junction is your best bet on the west side. Great selection, friendly staff, and they have a great singles selection (every shop in town does mixed 6ers, but Steve's is one of the few that does singles of limited\premium stuff, which I appreciate).
I would the reccomend the Old Fashioned as a good bar to visit for someone new to town; it's at the very center of downtown, so a pain to get to, but they have a huge local tap list and pretty good food too.

 

Don't do it!