Brews
Sister Golden Ale - Kölsch
Modelled after the famous namesake beer of Cologne, Germany, our light-bodied and refreshing Kölsch features a mild malty flavor and low bitterness. A suggestion of fruit and malt in the aroma and just a kiss of noble German hops for balance make for a very refreshing and easy-drinking pint. In a world gone mad stretching the limits of beer flavor and bitterness and strength... behold- a beautifully crisp and light golden blonde ale!
1.045 OG 20 IBUs 4.8% abv
Why the Name? ...there's a classic rock group called America, and they have this song...
Woodshed - Oaked India Pale Ale
Woodshed is a unique IPA experience- something of a hybrid British IPA/ American IPA, brewed with 2 types of oak chips for a truly distinctive flavor. English First Gold and Fugles hops lend fruity and woodsy notes to the aroma, as well as a restrained bitterness, and an unmistakeable yet subdued oaky essence winds its way throughout this beer's character. Imagine a hearty, heavily-hopped ale riding in an oak barrel on a tallship to India 150 years ago.
1.062 OG 65 IBUs 6.5% abv
Why the Name? The term "woodshed" has several meanings. In the world of music and the arts, to "woodshed" means to practice intensively in private, to hone your skills and perfect your style before taking your talent into the public spotlight.
On the other hand, to be "taken to the woodshed" means, well, another thing entirely...
Scaredy Cat - Oatmeal Stout
Dark beer lovers rejoice! Our pitch black stout is packed with the rich malt flavors of chocolate, caramel, molasses and espresso and is brewed with a large portion of rolled oats for a well-rounded, "chewy" mouthfeel. Hearty and robust, Scaredy Cat is no scrawny little kitty. Scaredy Cat is great with our beer-battered fish and chips or our rich and delicious brownie sundae!
1.066 OG 35 IBUs 6.6% abv
Named "Best of the Midwest" Regional Champion- stout category! USBTC winter 2010/ 2011 judging. For details, see www.usbtc.com
Daytripper - English-style Summer Ale
Our zesty and refreshing English Summer Ale lives in a place between pilsner and English pale ale in the spectrum of world beers. Lightbodied, crisp, and pleasantly hoppy like a Bohemian Pils, but made with the best English hops and barley- it's a lovely day for a day trip.
1.050 OG 34 IBUs 5.5% abv
Hibiscus Saison - Belgian-style Farmhouse Ale
Inspired by the spice markets of Egypt, our version of this traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale was brewed with hibiscus petals. Light, floral and pink, our Hibiscus Saison has a crisp, dry finish with a champagne quality- Perfect for summertime sipping!
1.050 OG 24 IBU's 6.1% abv
Bee's Knees - Honey Cream Ale
The humble cream ale has a history intertwined with the American working-class. We give ours a rural twist by brewing with oats, flaked maize, and Wisconsin clover honey. Mildly sweet, light and refreshing, and with a touch of honey in the finish- the perfect way to toast a busy day!
1.049 OG 16 IBUs 5.0% abv
Weiss-Blau - Bavarian-style Weissbier
Our take on a classic, this is a Bavarian-style unfiltered wheat beer. Light golden in color, hazy and with a snow white crown of foam, our Weissbier ("white beer" in German) has an inviting fruity/ spicy aroma reminiscent of banana, citrus and clove. Brewed with generous amounts of wheat and imported Munich malt, the flavor is sweet and rounded yet refreshing and highly drinkable. 5.4% alcohol by volume.
Why the Name? The colors of the Bavarian flag are checkered white and blue, or "weiss und blau" in German.
Velouria - Peachy Belgian Wheat Ale
Our deliciously peachy Belgian wheat ale is the perfect antidote to the summer doldrums, with a tempting fresh fruit aroma and juicy sweet flavor, tempered by a mild peppery spice character via fermentation with authentic abbey ale yeast. Cheers to summer!
1.058 OG 19 IBUs 5.8% abv
Square Pig - Hop-heavy Golden Rye Ale
How do you fit a square peg into a round hole? Our hop-heavy golden rye ale thumbs its piggy nose at style guidelines. It boasts a lavish Pacific Northwest hop
bouquet of nectarine, grapefruit and wood, and a lopsided bitterness accented by spicy, rustic rye malts. Dry, crisp and unabashedly hoppy, who wouldn't love a Square Pig?
1.054 OG 64 IBUs 5.9% abv
Whippoorwill - Belgian-style Wit
Our breezy, thirst-quenching Belgian-style Witbier is made with portions of wheat and oats, and lightly infused with real orange peel and spice, for a taste as soft as fluffy clouds on a summer day! 1.044 OG 11 IBUs 4.7% abv
Grätzer Ale - Oak-Smoked Polish-style Wheat Ale
Brewed regionally since the Middle Ages, but nearly forgotten today, this oak-smoked wheat ale, named for the town of Grodzisk (aka "Grätz") in western Poland, is a smoky, hoppy, full flavored yet light bodied ale. We brewed with 100% oak-smoked wheat and called on the experts at Gorst Valley Hops to help re-create the character of archaeic Polish hops. Na zdrowie!
1.041 OG 38 IBUs 4.5% abv
Our Grätzer recieved a nice review by Robin Shepard in the Isthmus Daily Page.
Schwarzfahren - Schwarzbier
Things our brewmaster learned while a student in Germany: Bier trinken, Schwarzfahren.
Modelled after the dark "Schwarzbier" lagers of eastern Germany, this old-world beer offers subtle roasty malt flavors and medium hop bitterness. Better than a free ride to Dresden.
1.051 OG 29 IBUs 5.2% abv
Crooked Grain, Crooked Grain - Rye India Brown Ale
The nutty, chocolatey, toffee-like malt sweetness of a brown ale meets the assertive hopping of an American Rye IPA in our style bending Rye India Brown Ale. Simultaneously malty and hoppy with a satisfying, lingering IPA-like finish...wowee, zowee!
1.063 OG 67 IBUs 6.4% abv
Bourbon-Barrel Aged Max Stout - Russian Imperial Stout
"Maximilian Stout" is our massively flavorful Russian Imperial stout. This version was aged over 7 months in bourbon-style whiskey barrels from Madison's own Yahara Bay Distillers. ~11% abv
Brolly Roger - UK-style Extra Pale Ale
In jolly old England, a "brolly" is an umbrella, and an "IPA" is a mellow, malt-driven, modestly hoppy ale with a pleasant bitter bite. First brewed in a rainy, moody Spring that recalled British weather, this balanced UK-style Extra Pale Ale brings good cheer and comfort whatever the weather. 1.056 OG 50 IBUs 5.9% abv
Attaboy Amber - American Amber Ale
Hip Hip Hooray, our popular American amber ale is back on tap! Brewed with generous portions of caramel and toasted barley and just a kiss of local Chinook hops from Gorst Valley Hops, Attaboy is mildly sweet and exceptionally drinkable. 1.051 OG 18 IBUs 5.8% abv
Dedication - Abbey Dubbel
In the tradition of the Trappist brewing monks of Belgium, our abbey dubbel features aromas of stone fruit, ginger, anise and raisins and a bold complex depth of malt character. Imminently drinkable.
1.082 OG 18 IBUs 8.5% abv
Common Thread - Biere de Garde
Our annual collaboration brew project is made using all Wisconsin ingredients & released during Madison Craft Beer Week. This year Vintage teamed up with nine additional breweries to bring you a French-style Biere de Garde, richly malty in both aroma & flavor, with subtle nuances of honey, fresh fruit & toffee. We work together to raise a toast to you- the fans and supporters of local craft beer.
1.065 OG 27 IBUs 6.6% abv
Cask-conditioned real ale - Always two on tap with new selections rotating in frequently
The modern industrial age has brought many improvements to our modern lives, including some that have altered our perception of beer and what it could and should be. Ice-cold refrigeration and unnatural forced carbonation have helped to promote flavorless fizzy (yet indefinitely stable) beers worldwide. But what of the time-honored methods of yesteryear? Unpasteurized, unfiltered and all-natural real ales hearken back to the advent of brewing and civilization itself. Regardless of style, these beers undergo a second fermentation in the cask, resulting in natural carbonation, and are served hand-pulled through "beer engines" at traditional cellar temperature (50-60F). The enhanced aroma and flavor will make a believer out of you, too!
Purists will tell you, this is the only way to experience "real ale"...alive and on cask!
