Beers Across America: Wisconsin

Wisconsin. America's Dairyland. Home of the "cheesehead." Second in the nation in butter production, and second up in the BAA series.

The Review - Leinenkugel's Hoppin Helles: Founded by Jacob Leinenkugel back in 1867, the company's affectionately shortened "Leinies" are truly beloved by its Wisconsin locals. In 2007, they introduced their Summer Shandy, a combination of lager and lemonade. Due to its wild popularity, they have since rolled out an Orange Shandy as well as a Lemon Berry Shandy. Today, I'll be reviewing another brand new addition to their line, Hoppin' Helles.

Appearance - The pour came with a surprisingly resilient head that stuck around for a few minutes. Lacing was weak and scattered. The hue was a substantial dandelion yellow, which was nice to see from a fairly mass-produced brew.
Smell - There was not much of interest to the nose. I mostly got the standard American light lager smell, with just a hint of hops.
Taste - I was greeted with a sweet hit on the tip of the tongue right out of the gate, followed by a bit of malt. But again, there was more 'light lager' influence than I was hoping for.
Mouthfeel - The bitterness of the advertised 'five American hops' is present, but not as much so as I would like. The mouthfeel, while not thin, was light, and generally unremarkable. With several sips under my belt, my instinct was to temper expectations by comparing this beer favorably to the likes of a Coors Light, but that obviously isn't fair to the review, nor the beer. It stands on its own, but pales in comparison to some other heavyweights in the Helles style.
Overall - A forgettable beer that goes down easily in the stands at a Packers game, but should probably be passed by in favor of better options. 5.5 out of 10.

Titletown Brewing

My Experience: Having visited Green Bay a few months ago, I had the opportunity to enjoy a few local specialties. Titletown Brewery, located in Green Bay, WI, has an impressive 11 offerings on tap. I was lucky enough to catch at least a sip of each one of them. My top 3 favorites were Green 19 IPA (affectionately named after Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers' pre-snap bellow), Railyard Alt (an Altbier-style that combines elements of ale and lager) and '400' Honey Ale (an easy drinker, and a rare lighter beer that I enjoy). Also worth noting, many others around me enjoyed the quirky Berliner Weisse. With such a marked sour profile that the bartenders make sure you know what you're in for, it can be served with your choice of homemade woodruff or raspberry syrup, but their brewmaster recommends drinking it as is. On our visit to Kroll's West, I had a Kroll's Special Ale (brewed by the aforementioned Leinenkugel Brewing) which I found palatable, but not particularly exciting. Carly had a bottle of New Glarus Brewing Spotted Cow, which was very good. Spotted Cow would have been the review subject if only they shipped anywhere outside of Wisconsin.

Hot Spot: Tucked away in the small town of Superior, you'll find Thirsty Pagan Brewing. Housed in a converted creamery building (what else would you expect in America's Dairyland?), the brewery affords the owners, Susan and Steve Knauss, an opportunity to combine their two passions. Says Steve, "We recognize our potential in focusing on just two things, pizza and beer. Do those two things correctly, and the world will come to us." The pub features a wall-sized mural of Miller Brewing's "Girl in the Moon," salvaged from an old local dive bar. Combined with vintage neon signs and hardwood booths, the space offers an easy-going, authentic Midwest experience.

Goodness. Sign me up.

Thirsty Pagan features nine beers at any given time including their five all-season offerings, three seasonals, and one hand pump. As you'd expect, they're gearing up for the Fall season with both an Octoberfest ale and an Octoberfest pizza. I would be keen to try the Burntwood Black, utilizing seven different varieties of barley. I would be keener still to try the hand pump variation - Coffee Vanilla Burntwood Black. Combine that with 'The Jordan,' a bacon cheeseburger-style pan pizza with authentic Wisconsin cheese, and you would have a very satisfied Brian.

Curio: Alcohol has long been part of Wisconsin's culture, and the raw data certainly backs that up. Wisconsin ranks number one in America in percentage of drinkers in the population and most taverns per capita. The state is also home of the only alcohol-related professional sports team name, the Milwaukee Brewers. From the 1940's, when the team was still in the minor leagues, and for the first seven years of the team's major league play, the Brewers' logo was Beer Barrel Man. Appropriately, he had a beer barrel for a torso, and a tap for his nose. In 1973, Bernie Brewer became the team's mascot, celebrating a home run by descending down a slide into a giant foamy mug of beer up until 2001. When the team moved to Miller Field (naming rights paid by Milwaukee's long-standing beer behemoth, Miller Brewing), many fans started a petition to bring back the tradition. In 2007, the club made headlines, by choosing not to follow other MLB teams' lead in banning beer from the team clubhouse. This year, Leinenkugel Brewing developed "Bernie's Barrelman Ale," a nod to the two Brewers mascots, and sold exclusively at Miller Field. If only it didn't cost $7.50 for a 20 ounce pour...

Next Up: Once again, my summer travels lead the way for BAA. A recent trip to Cape Cod means Massachusetts will be our next visit.