What do you do when it is still February and chilly out?! Go on a brewery crawl of course! Nathan and I set out on a half day journey going to breweries in Madison Wi and getting our drink on in February- excited to try some of the best breweries in the Madison area. This was a beertastic excursion and something fun to do if you are getting a little stir crazy in the winter- but these breweries would also be fun to visit in the Summer!
Now when you are planning a brewery crawl- it might be good to ask locals where the best breweries are but seeing that Nathan went to school in Madison (the big UW-Madison,) he was the best tour guide on this trip. We did use google maps and google to help us decipher what breweries we wanted to go to- but sometimes it’s fun just driving around the city to find some.
Continue reading to find out what breweries we went to and how we rate each one!
Brewery #1: Next Door Brewing Company
This brewery had very chill vibes. It has a very open seating area and offers a full food menu. This might be a good first stop if you are just starting out and want to eat lunch before consuming more beer. When sitting in the bar area you can see the brewing facilities- which is pretty intriguing if you are into that type of thing. The seating area also had dim lighting- for those folks who might like more of a brighter lighting atmosphere.
At this brewery we decided to get a flight to share. Four beers to try- as we knew we were going to be drinking quite a bit throughout this process. Below you will find the names and our ratings.
Beer we Drank-
- Bubbler- Blonde Ale- This was a very clean blonde ale. It just had a very crisp and clean taste- nothing too adventurous. (Loralei’s favorite)
- Jetpack Turtle- IPA- Not an overwhelming strong IPA- a little more subtle. If you don’t like IPA’s as much but are trying to get more into that crowd of beer drinkers, I would recommend this beer! (Nathan’s favorite)
- Pith Pour Citrus Gose- Sour Wheat Ale- Tasted a bit like apple cider. I typically like sours but this one was not my favorite. If you like apple cider- this is a must try!
- Dunkel Weizen- Dark Wheat- Tasted more like a porter than a wheat. Pretty straight forward.
Overall, this was a great brewery! I was enjoying the vibes while I was there- and the server was very friendly. I would recommend this brewery if you are looking for a nice place to have lunch and have a beer to wash it down.
Brewery #2: Karben4
Karben4 has a really fun atmosphere. It is a very upbeat brewery that is very modern and quirky. There were fun ice igloos outside that you could book to sit in- which I thought would be a fun option if you are looking for some outside vibes while also staying warm. There were fun paintings around the sitting area to look at- I am a huge advocate for the arts so I LOVED this aspect. Also, if you are looking for some merchandise to purchase, you are in luck because this brewery had a huge area to buy it.
We also shared a flight at this brewery. They had a lot of fun options to choose from- some style of beers or drinks that you would not normally see at your hometown brewery. We decided to just choose a few off the list blindly- which I would recommend looking at all of them and selecting them on your preference. Below you will find the beers and the ratings.
Beer we Drank-
- Joey Jo-Jo Jr Shabadoo- Peach Mango Kettle Sour- Not only is this a fun name but it was also a great drink! If you are not as into sours but like to dabble in them a bit, this is the sour for you. It was not as sour as your typical sour and had plenty of flavor and a great after taste. (Loralei’s favorite)
- Priest Prophet & King- Barrel-Aged Barley Wine- It’s the whole package. This drink really punches you in the mouth with a strong taste- you can really taste the barrel-aged barley. If you are into this type of drink- this is the perfect drink for you. Unfortunately, Nathan and I could not get it down- although we tried.
- Deep Winter- Coffee Stout- Tastes like Folgers in your cup. This beer had a very strong coffee flavor- which is great if you are a straight black coffee lover! (Nathan’s favorite)
- Fantasy factory- IPA- This is just a straight IPA. There was nothing too special to it- but I am sure if you are an IPA drinker you would probably taste a difference between other IPA’s.
Overall, this was a fantastic brewery. I loved the vibes it gave. The only thing I did not like was that the parking was a little confusing, but we found our way. Once we did find parking, we were able to find awesome murals outside as well- which I really enjoyed seeing. If you are looking for a fun atmosphere to try some funky drinks at- this is your place.
Brewery #3: Delta Beer Lab
This brewery was very modern. It had open space with unique seating arrangements. It looks just as you would expect for a brewery called the Delta Beer Lab. It had science tables with Bunsen burners, and other places it had graduated cylinders, Erlenmeyer flasks and other fun science decorations. I loved the style of this brewery.
At this brewery we had to get separate drinks because due to COVID they were not doing flights. So below you will find details about what drinks we got.
Beer we Drank-
- PTR 02- Coconut Chai Stout- This had a very interesting taste. A very strong coconut chai flavor. It had a very creamy flavor as well- very thick. I was not as much of a fan of this beer- but if you like chai and coconut this would be perfect for you!
- GLD 01- Golden Ale- This was a very pure beer. Light and crisp. This was Nathan’s pick and I wish I had gone with something more like this.
Overall, this is a unique brewery! The only downside was that we were not able to get flights and we had to purchase food in order to get beer. Those restrictions should go away with time.
Rating: And the winner is…..
All of these breweries were very good. I would have to rate them as the following-
#1- Karben4- Karben4 was such a fun environment, and I would love to go back in the Summer. With the wide array of drink options, I would defiantly go back and try more.
#2- Next Door Brewing Company- Next Door Brewing Company was nothing too spectacular but it was a fun atmosphere. I would take my family there for dinner and drinks.
#3- Delta Beer Lab- Delta Beer Lab was a little too quiet for me and there was not as fun of an atmosphere when I was there. I would go back for a second shot at what the atmosphere might look like on a weekend, but overall was a little underwhelmed.
All together this was a fun voyage through the world of beer. I would highly recommend checking out all three of these brewery’s and letting us know what your top ratings would be! Thanks for reading and we cannot wait for you to continue following our blog for more fun posts like this one.
For more adventures check out our blog post about a weekend getaway in Eau Claire, WI
