Robin Shepard
Full Mile Beer Co. & Kitchen owners C.J. Hall (top) and Nathan Kinderman (middle) with head brewer Skyler Kottwitz.
The newest addition to Dane County’s growing craft beer scene, Full Mile Beer Co. & Kitchen, opened its doors and taps to the public on Dec. 18.
Skyler Kottwitz manages the brewhouse. He’s previously worked at New Glarus Brewing Company and Octopi Brewing of Waunakee. “I’m a traditionalist when it comes to beer,” says Kottwitz. Even so, he pledges to “keep it interesting with different beers and a lot of different flavors.”
Full Mile opens with six house beers and three collaboration brews. The first brews to come through Full Mile’s 10-barrel system are: Cromulent!, a cream ale; Countermoves, a zwickel pilsner; Jackson’s High Five., a New England IPA; Awesome Sound, a double IPA; Buoyant Regards, a saison; and Earth & Engine, an oatmeal stout.
Kottwitz collaborated with local brewers and other area businesses to add to the taps on opening day. Lazy Bones, a coffee cream ale, is made with Kenya Lenana beans from Rusty Dog Coffee of Madison. The Hills & Prairie is a medium-bodied amber ale brewed with Hillsboro Brewing Co. And Collusion, a bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout, is a three-way collaboration made with Lucky’s 1313 and G5 Brewing. (Review below.)
Among the early favorites from the brewpub’s soft open is Cromulent!, a zwickel pilsner that is turbid and hazy — unexpected to fans of the usually crystal-clear American pilsner. It’s a delicacy with crisp herbal hoppiness from hops grown in Dane County. “The zwickel is a difficult style to make, and we really try hard to get it right,” says Kottwitz.
Buoyant Regards saison offers subtle notes of pear and spicy cloves, with a touch of bubblegum sweetness. Among future releases to watch for from Kottwitz will be his house IPA, a Vienna Lager, a unique recipe he calls a Schwartzbock that combines a dark German lager (Schwartzbier), and a smooth malty German bock.
Full Mile Beer Co. & Kitchen
132 Market St., Sun Prairie; Open 11 a.m.-midnight Tues.-Thurs.,
11 a.m.-1 a.m. Fri.-Sat., and 11 am-11 p.m. Sun.
