Falls Brewery is located in Oconto Falls which is 30 miles or so north of Green Bay.
Their contribution to keeping Tovarich Palmer warm is their Kool Komrade, a traditional Russian Imperial Stout. I love Imperial Stouts! About 10 years ago, the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild had a stout tasting at the Italian Men's Club over on Regent Street. Needless to say, I was in heaven as I got a chance to sample a plethora of thick, dark brews. I shall have to seek some of this stuff out!
While the Sand Creek Brewing Company doesn't have a winter seasonal listed at their site, I'm thinking Oscar's brew can do the trick.
Oscar's Chocolate Oatmeal Stout just sounds incredible and a meal in and of itself. You've got oatmeal for the main course and chocolate for dessert. Mmmm…chocolate…
Moving up in size, there's the City Brewery in La Crosse.
Tis the season for their Winter Porter. As with a couple brews yesterday, I'm ashamed to admit that I've never had it. But it has 22 bitterness units of taste so it has to be good, right?
Following the Mississippi River north from La Crosse, one comes to Maiden Rock, WI, the home of the Rush River Brewing Company.
Although it will likely be difficult to find, they do have their Winter Ale. It's a variation of a Scotch ale with a rather high alcohol content (6.5%) so you'll soon forget all about the cold outside. As of whenever the last time their webpage was updated, we Madisonians can only find their brews at the Maduro Cigar Bar on Main Street, just off of the Capitol Square. However, the page does say that they want to start bottling before the end of the year. Not sure if they managed to attain this goal or not. Unfortunately, Maduro's drink list (PDF) does not list any of Rush River's products.
Lastly, we have a brew from the venerable Leinenkugel's.
Keep an eye out for Leine's Big Butt Doppelbock. Despite having been bought out by Miller, Leine's does make some quality brews and this is one of them. I recall first seeing the stuff when it came out in 1996 at Pinkus McBride's, a small local grocery store and immediately snatching a sixer. It is some tasty stuff indeed.
In addition to the beers I've described, there are many brewpubs scattered throughout the state that sell their beer on premises only. If you're traveling around Wisconsin, check ahead of time for a brewpub at your destination.
While I certainly have nothing against the fine beers that are brewed abroad, I would argue that the freshness of the suds coming across The Pond can often be in question. Contrariwise, it seems more likely that beer brewed here in Wisconsin would be fresher. Beer is meant to be served immediately once it is ready and not aged like wine. In addition, by buying beer brewed here in Wisconsin, you support the state's economy. I personally would recommend the beers of many microbreweries in the state but can't argue too much if you buy some stuff from Miller or one of the regional breweries. Microbrews are brewed in smaller quantities, are usually of higher quality, and are made by folks who brew because it's their craft and they love doing it. However, if you're the kinda person who only drinks the rather flavorless American lagers made by mega-brewers, then by all means drink Miller. Personally, I think it tastes better than Bud and buying it helps support the union workers in Milwaukee instead of sending your money directly to Missouri or Colorado.
Of course, much of the info I've just laid out will be out of date shortly. Mnay new beers are introduced in January. Plus there's the spring seasonals to look forward to!
Prost!
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