Rich Joseph’s own hops go into his Hop Garden beers, now on tap in the old Paoli Mill.
Hoppin’ in Paoli
The Hop Garden has opened a taproom in the Paoli Mill at 6818 Canal St. The building dates back to the 1800s and was once used to grind flour, using the Sugar River as its power source. Outdoors, as part of Paoli Mill Terrace Park, picnic tables are set on patios behind the mill and down to the river, where visitors are welcome to sit and sip.
The Hop Garden’s beers showcase locally grown hops from the Belleville farm of Rich Joseph and are made in collaboration with House of Brews. Joseph plans to offer about six beers on tap most of the time, of which three or four will be his and the rest guest beers that feature Wisconsin hops. “We intend to have a selection of beers that people can’t find anywhere else because they aren’t going through a distributor,” says Joseph.
Paoli, long a road bicyclist’s destination, now has the Badger State Trail running through just east of town. Joseph hopes to cater to the bicycling crowd this summer with water and snacks as well.
Hop Garden regularly brews an American pale ale, two IPAs, an imperial amber ale and a session ale. The adjacent Paoli Bread and Brathaus provides carry-in options for food. The Hop Garden’s taproom is currently open 3-6 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 1-7 p.m. Fri., noon-7 p.m. Sat., and noon-4 p.m. Sun. A grand opening celebration is slated for May 2, during Madison Craft Beer Week.
It came from Fort
Bent Kettle Brewing plans to introduce its beer to Madison in early May. The company, with offices in Fort Atkinson, is the latest beer maker to announce plans to serve southern Wisconsin. Mark Cook of Marshall and Jim Jorgenson of Fort Atkinson are working with Madison’s House of Brews to launch in time for Madison Craft Beer Week, May 1-10.
Cook, 52, and Jorgenson, 55, have been working on plans for their company for about two years. Among their first beers will be an amber ale called Go Faster and a double IPA called Insolence. They’re also working on recipes for a vanilla bean porter, chocolate imperial stout and a barleywine.
Cook says he hopes Bent Kettle will be known for some creative license. “We plan on making traditional beers with nontraditional ingredients for a bent, irreverent and defiant take on things,” says Cook. Bent Kettle plans to start with draft releases followed by 12- and 16-ounce cans.
And in fair Verona...
Construction on the Hop Haus in Verona continues. Renovations to 231 S. Main St. are progressing, says brewpub owner Phil Hoechst. “We’d like to be open by Memorial Day weekend.”
Hoechst received his federal brewer’s permit in mid-March and expects his three-barrel brewing system to be delivered in the next couple of weeks. It’s similar to the one used by Madison’s Next Door Brewing. Hoechst hopes to have a least a half-dozen beers ready by the time Hop Haus opens. An official grand opening party is planned for mid-June.
For a report on MobCraft’s plans to open a brewery and taproom in Milwaukee, see Isthmus.com/food-drink/beer.
