Robin Shepard
Hoya Hop House beer cans.
Hoya Hop House beers are sold in Madison in four-packs.
Don’t confuse Hoya Hop House Brewing of Waupun with Hop Haus Brewing Company of Verona and Fitchburg. Hoya Hop House Brewing opened about a year and a half ago and quickly found a niche.
Jarrett Mack, his mother, father, sister and brother-in-law are all partners in Hoya. They all helped renovate the near century-old building in downtown Waupun that is home to the brewery and all do their part to keep it going, taking shifts behind the bar or in the kitchen, or doing whatever else needs attention. Mack handles the brewing.
Hoya’s beers are gaining a following here in Madison, too, with about a half dozen varieties that range from sours to IPAs (four-pack prices are $12-$18).
Standouts include Pier Pressure, a 6.8% ABV West Coast IPA with assertive piney bitterness. Its bigger brother, the strong triple IPA called Flora Flux, comes in at 10% ABV and is loaded with juicy Citra, Mosaic and Superdelic hops. On the sour side is Soft Core, a 10% ABV purple-colored pastry sour with fruity sharp blueberry notes, vanilla sweetness, and subtle hint of cheesecake. A unique Hoya beer is Obake, a 5.4% ABV lager made with jasmine rice and Sorachi Ace hops. The rice adds soft sweetness that’s complemented with the lemony accents from the hops. This well balanced beer showcases Mack’s talents as a lager brewer.
Mack and his family were inspired by the breweries in Milwaukee and his goal became recreating the kind of brewery experience more common in larger cities.
They found a home for their brewery at 514 East Main St. in a structure built as an auto dealership in the 1930s; more recently it served as offices for a law firm. Mack and his family worked on renovations alongside contractors for most of 2024.
Today, it boasts an open design and seats about 150 in the main dining room and bar. Large windows behind the bar show off the brewhouse. The brewpub was recently given a Wisconsin Main Street Award from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for its renovations and economic impact on the community. The brewery’s name reflects the owners’ fascination with Hoya plants, found throughout the decor.
A must try in the taproom is the Downer Avenue Amber, a 5.5% ABV, medium-bodied, malt-forward ale. The Machine Head is a very light lager at 3.6%. On the bigger side, Under the Canopy is a full-bodied pastry stout. Hoya Hop House also serves cocktails and mocktails. The kitchen specializes in flatbreads.
