What could be better in the dead of winter than a festival dedicated to beer and cheese?
I had a great time at the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival on Saturday. Because Mike and I haven't missed a Great Taste of the Midwest in years, and plan vacations around visiting brewpubs, you might think we would have tried every beer there is.
You would be wrong, Hops-and-barley breath! Yes, I did have a chance to re-sample some old favorites. And I did find some new tasty treats.
I even discovered a couple of new brewpubs. St. Francis Brewery is located in the southern Milwaukee suburb of St. Francis. How it managed to open in the spring of 2009 without me knowing it is beyond me. I tried the Lust Weissbier, which I really enjoyed, even though I usually don't like wheat beers. According to their website they use a special strain of yeast that results in wonderful banana and clove flavors, and they didn't lie. And I was glad it was not too yeasty.
The Woodman Brewery is located in Woodman, WI, between Boscobel and Potosi. I tried the pilsener, which was a light (but not "lite") tasting, drinkable brew. A quick check of their website shows they also offer more choices include a honey raspberry beer which sounds interesting, and a chocolate porter coming soon.
Other ones that I circled in my beer menu were the Scottish Porter from Brewery Creek in Mineral Point (Mike also raved about the Frankenshandy), the Bitter Blonde from South Shore Brewery in Ashland (it wasn't bitter), and the root beer from the Potosi Brewing Company.
Oh--there was cheese too. I loved the Apple Smoked Cheddar from Carr Valley Cheese in Middleton, and Mike kept going back for the Buttermille Blue from Emmi Roth USA in Verona.
Organizers of the festival say it was a big success, and they're planning another for next year. I suggest you attend.
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