Robin Shepard
A platic cup of beer on a weathered table at the Capital bier garten.
The aptly-named Sommertag is perfect for a summer day.
There are definitely signs of summer in the Capital Brewery bier garten. Brewmaster Tanner Brethorst has brewed an old school Bavarian hefeweizen ($6/glass) called Sommertag, which translates in German to “summer day.” It has traditional accents of banana, clove and bubblegum. Brethorst has tweaked the previous recipe for 2023, to bring out more of those yeasty qualities. It’s effervescent and light-bodied at 4.3% ABV. Sommertag is destined to be one of the most quaffable beers of summer.
Among other warm weather session beers, look for Working Draft’s Witty Banter ($6.50 pint in taproom, $17/four-pack). Brewmaster Clint Lohman makes this easy-drinking Belgian witbier with wild rice that adds a light nutty background alongside notes of coriander and chamomile. It finishes at 5.5% ABV. Orange peel and fruity African Queen hops (in light amounts) lend sharp, crisp, fruity bitterness.
Young Blood Beer Company of Madison and Third Space Brewing of Milwaukee get a lot of attention on their own, so when the two team up there’s more than a little buzz. Together they created “What’s Your Myspace,” a hazy IPA ($15/four-pack). The beer is double dry-hopped with Wisconsin-grown Copper hops known for black currant, grape and raisin sweetness. Copper hops, when added alongside the beer’s other hops, Mackinac and Cascade, result in a juicy, tropical, fruity punch of flavor. It is flavorful yet a modest 6.2% ABV. Both breweries took part in a joint brew day back in April in Young Blood’s Madison brewhouse.
The two breweries have garnered a large following for their hoppy and hazy beers. “Right now there’s hardly a day that goes by that I don’t get asked by someone about what I specifically have from Young Blood,” says Adam Casey, a longtime employee at Star Liquor on Williamson Street.
Young Blood got its start at 112 King St. in 2020, opened its production brewery on Madison’s east side in 2021, and just last year opened a second taproom at 557 North St. in the Northstreet complex along with Bloom Bake Shop and Cafe Domestique. Third Space has been rapidly growing since opening in Milwaukee in 2016. It made over 12,000 barrels of beer in 2021, which placed it in the top 10 of Wisconsin’s craft breweries.
Another collaboration beer that just hit local shelves calls attention to Pride Month. Madison’s Delta Beer Lab and Giant Jones Brewing Company released a bold double IPA with distinct hoppiness that finishes at 8.5% ABV. Delta Beer owner Tim (Pio) Piotrowski describes it as a bigger beer than his brewery would normally make, but it’s relatively small among Giant Jones’ portfolio of strong beers. “This was a great way to combine the things that both breweries do well, meet the seasonality of the moment and call attention to Pride Month,” says Piotrowski. The beer showcases Galena hops, which give it citrus aroma and flavor, balanced against a warm, rich malty backbone. It is fermented with a Norwegian strain of yeast called kveik, known for imparting hints of mango, melon and pineapple. The beer was made at Delta and debuted during that brewery’s Pride Party on June 2. Both breweries are now offering it in four-packs ($18).
And a big shout-out to gluten-free brewery Alt Brew, which received a bronze medal for its Ripped Jeans and Wolf Shirts in the 2023 World Beer Cup in May. The prestigious international competition is often described as the Olympics of beer awards. The IPA is double dry-hopped with Columbus, Centennial, Citra and Simcoe. The recognition shows that Alt Brew makes great beer overall, and that it happens to be gluten-free. It is the second World Beer Cup award for the brewery. Its Copperhead, a copper-colored ale, captured bronze in 2020.
Robin Shepard
A glass and a bottle of millet wine on the Alt Brew bar.
This barleywine-style brew from Alt Brew features millet to make it gluten-free.
Alt Brew’s Trevor Easton and brewer John Puchalski’s latest release is a gluten-free take on the barleywine. Rather than barley, it features millet, and thus it goes by “millet wine” ($18/bomber). With a deep bronze color, it is medium-bodied with soft sweet fruity notes of plum and cherry and finishes at 9% ABV. Its name, “Quit Asking Rick,” is a nod to taproom customer Rick, who has been asking for a barleywine-style ale for a long time, says Easton.
