Robin Shepard
Brewmaster Kinart plans to nerd it up.
Is Capital Brewery catering to beer hunters with its new taproom and brewing system expansion?
Well, in part. The Middleton brewery will add a seven-barrel brewing system this spring. Brewmaster Ashley Kinart acknowledges that beer hunting is a growing trend, with beer lovers going to great lengths to drink new and novel beers, fringe styles and one-offs. The new smaller system is designed to give Kinart the flexibility to meet those tastes. She’s looking forward to being turned loose to experiment: “This will be my little system to play with. I plan to be beer-nerdy and make fun stuff.”
Many of Kinart’s small-batch beers will be showcased at the brewery; some will make their way to other Madison taphouses and show up at festivals. Some may be sold in 22-ounce bomber bottles.
Capital’s current brewing system makes 30-to-35 barrel batches at a time. Limited-release brews are hard to justify at that scale. “The new smaller system means we will be able to have more beers on tap, and new beers every month,” says Capital’s general manager, Kevin Bagstad.
Kinart is also excited about bringing back former favorites like Kloster Weizen and Island Wheat, to mention a few. She’s interested in brewing “some throwback beers, even vintage historical beers that we’ve not seen in a long time,” she says.
The doubling of the taproom is also intended to create more space for group meetings, parties and beer education events. Double doors will connect the current bier stube to a new area to be called “The Grain Room,” in a former storage room for malt and other brewing supplies.
In 2013 Capital announced it wanted to build a new $11 million production brewery near Sauk City. However the project stalled in the wake of growth in the Wisconsin craft beer business. “With all the new entries into the market, it didn’t make a lot of sense,” says Bagstad. “Instead we’re re-investing in Middleton.”
Capital has been focused on improving the distribution and marketing of its core brands like Wisconsin Amber, Supper Club, Special Pilsner, Munich Dark and Mutiny IPA. The brewery’s annual production in 2017 was around 17,000 barrels. Capital’s current 35-barrel brewing system will remain in place to produce these main brands. The new system is being built by Sprinkman Corporation of Waukesha and is expected to be operational in May, with the first brews coming out by June. Expansion of the bier stube is already under way and should be finished in April.
