Robin Shepard
A perennial player in Wisconsin saisons is Milwaukee’s 1840 Brewing Company. “Saisons are just so drinkable. Their dryness and the expression of the yeast makes them really interesting and popular,” says brewery owner Kyle Vetter. 1840’s current offering is Convince the Cat of That with all the dominant yeastiness that one looks for in a saison, with a subtle background of dry orange and a pepper-like spice in the finish.
Despite what’s been floating around social media, the brewery’s distinctive 500 mL medicine bottles are not going away. The brewery installed a new canning line for its IPAs and fruited sours, but Vetter has no intention of switching to cans completely; the distinctive bottles are a signature of the brewery.
Starkweather Brewing has a saison called Becky on tap. It’s among brewmaster Peter Schroder’s best — what every saison aspires to be: clear, effervescent, with a pillowy head that leaves lacing on the glass. And it has undeniable Belgian yeast character. Becky is bright golden and slightly sweet with a hint of bubblegum from its saison yeast. It finishes modestly strong at 6.8% ABV.
Also look for Young Blood Beer Company’s Giving Up Loans for Lent. Head brewer Kyle Gregorash dry-hopped this saison with a blend of three hops (Southern Passion, Vista and Lemondrop) for a background of tangerine, orange, grape and melon that combines with the earthy mustiness of the yeast for a distinctive juicy saison.
Mexican lagers
Cinco de Mayo is always a good time to consider a Mexican lager. These light lagers are fairly common and not just for the yearly celebration of Mexico’s victory over the French in 1862. The style is very similar to a pilsner, with a pale golden color and low hoppiness. They are light-bodied beers that pair easily with most meals. Sunshine Brewing Company in Lake Mills offers a solid choice with Uno Mas, with its soft sweet pilsner malt and flake maize. It is hopped lightly with Hallertau, but is far from a hoppy beer. Just clean and very drinkable at 4.5% ABV ($5/glass at brewery). Uno Mass is currently Sunshine’s best-selling beer and owner Lane Smith expects that to continue for the warmer months.
Another option is Milwaukee’s Eagle Park Brewing and its Ritmo Mexican lager ($10/six-pack). It is light, clean and crisp, just 4.4% ABV, with a touch more sweetness than Sunshine’s in the aroma and finish.
Other hits
Brewmaster Tanner Brethorst is adding a new beer to Capital Brewery’s year-round lineup, a honey blonde ale called Sticky Paw. Brethorst has been working on the recipe for the past year. The surprise is it’s made with additions of white clover honey. The beer remains light- to medium-bodied with a bready, malty backbone with the subtle floral sweetness of honey in the flavor and aroma. It’s currently available in bottles ($10/six-pack) with 12-packs of cans expected by summer.
Delta Beer Lab’s Haze Against Hunger IPA is still available ($8/pint and $17/four-pack). The beer was created in collaboration with Madison area Food Fight Restaurant Group as an April fundraiser for the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. It is a hazy bright golden orange color with a dense white head. A combination of Amarillo Cryo, Citra and Galaxy hops gives it loads of tangerine, orange and pineapple qualities, and in the finish, light hints of lime zest.
Tim Dillard, Bally Sports Wisconsin’s TV analyst for the Milwaukee Brewers, has again teamed up with Broken Bat Brewery on a beer. His latest is called Captain Cliché, a New England style hazy IPA ($16/four-pack). Dillard turned out for the beer’s release party at Broken Bat with beer coasters that he had signed with sayings that viewers may have heard him say on air, like, “Birds out and the sun is chirping” and “Out there kissing hands and shaking babies.” Dillard is a fan’s fan when it comes to craft beer. This is his third collaboration with Broken Bat and has become my tailgate beer of choice for Brewers games. It is juicy, crisp and approachable at 6.8% ABV.
