Madison, Wisconsin is all the time an amazing ingesting city. However for 2 days in August, it rivals Munich throughout Oktoberfest.
That’s when the Nice Style of the Midwest, America’s second-longest operating craft beer pageant, takes over swaths of the town earlier than the autumn belongs to Badger video games. Technically, that’s restricted to a five-hour stretch at Olin-Turville Park, a beautiful area with a transparent view of downtown from a southwestern shore of Lake Mendota. However the occasion, thrown by the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild, additionally stretches into the Friday earlier than, occupying faucets throughout the isthmus with hard-to-find beers.
It’s unimaginable.
As a veteran of many beer fests, I can plainly state no different matches the scope and breadth of the Nice Style of the Midwest. 2024 alone provided roughly 1,400 beers from breweries throughout the nation, together with standouts like 4 Arms, New Glarus, Revolution, Bells, Lagunitas and extra. It additionally got here with a hand-held information too massive to suit into any of the pockets on my shorts and an app whose beer record it took roughly 30 seconds to scroll all through.
This yr’s fest was, per typical, the gold normal of craft beer all-you-can-drink festivals. And thus, I invite you on a journey with me to determine what precisely my notes stated after 5 hours of sampling and five-star scores that will or could not labored on a sliding scale because the day wore on.
Whereas acknowledging there was merely an excessive amount of provided to attempt even 10 p.c of the choices, these are the perfect issues I drank on the Nice Style of the Midwest.
Marzens are my favourite sort of beer and we’re proper in the beginning of malt season, so that is my component. I had loads of nice Oktoberfests on the Nice Style — Karben4, Bells and Huge Grove, unsurprisingly, all got here by in spades. My favourite, nevertheless, was this particular version, extra-effort-to-pour variation from an enormous Minnesota brewery arguably finest recognized for its pale ales.
Right here’s what I wrote within the Nice Style app after sampling it:
It’s wealthy, however nonetheless gentle. There’s restricted carbonation however it stays very a lot on par with nice old skool German marzens. It delivers loads of low key malty taste, ending dry sufficient to maintain me coming again — I may get by a two-liter boot of this, no drawback.
through Untappd
That is successfully a placeholder for every little thing Eagle Park poured to Madison. The Milwaukee-based brewer crushed it with their lineup, together with a tough seltzer that invoked nostalgic tones of Ghostbuster-themed juice containers. For me, nevertheless, the spotlight was Tiki Dave’s complete deal. From my notes:
It’s candy and really tasty. The fruit comes by in large, tropical waves. Add a bit blended ice and also you’d be capable of persuade your self you’re getting a correct seaside cocktail. There’s little or no sense there’s alcohol right here, even at six p.c ABV.
through thirdspacebrewing.com
It is a little bit of a cheat, Third House has been round for some time and I went actual primary at their stand. Pleased Place is offered on faucet lists throughout Wisconsin. However perhaps I’d missed it, as a result of I all the time knew it as an “OK” beer, however wound up very impressed with the batch I attempted on the Nice Style.
Pleased Place is hoppy, however not bitter. It’s a fireworks present of fruit — citrus, cherries, and so forth — in opposition to the backdrop of mellow malt and and clean hops. Right here’s what I wrote about it Saturday:
My goodness, that is nearly good. It’s received tons of taste, creates smooth sips with nothing bitter. It’s clear and dense on the identical time, delivering heaps of various juicy flavors throughout the pale ale panorama.
through untappd.com
Hefeweizens sit on a fine-tipped edge. Too smooth they usually style like a stale gentle beer. Too heavy and there’s an nearly sweaty really feel to it. However the perfect ones hit you with gentle banana notes and clove taste in a refreshing package deal. That’s the place Duesterbeck’s lands, even including a bit honey to sweeten the pot and create a memorable, re-drinkable beer.
From my notes:
Nice banana clove taste. It’s an ideal change of tempo beer. Refreshing and straightforward to drink, with sufficient distinct tastes weaved into one another to create a lovely braid [Editor’s note: This was, uh, probably later in the day after several samples. Still, it was good].
through hopbutcher.com
A lot about this appears like nonsense. Beginning with the brewery’s title or the concept a Chicago brewer is taking up a quintessential Wisconsin cocktail. However I like an excellent brandy quaint — thanks, 14 years of dwelling in Madison! — and we had one seltzer-heavy member of our group who sought this out. It was instantly worthwhile and, at 10 p.c ABV, barely troubling. Not that you would inform from every sip.
Right here’s what I wrote in my Nice Style app:
Oh, [expletive], that is harmful. It’s candy and bubbly and a bit like soda water regardless of being 20 proof. It’s not fairly pretty much as good because the cocktail that impressed it, however it’s shut — and it takes a fraction of the hassle. For the drinker, no less than.
through untappd.com
Man, I like an excellent zwickel — an underrepresented crisp German fashion lager that’s a flagship providing from St. Louis’ City Chestnut Brewing. It’s no shock New Glarus, which is sweet at every little thing, excels with this newest foray outdoors its consolation zone. Actually, you possibly can throw a dart at New Glarus’ faucet record and discover a five-star beer regardless of the place it lands — and this fall means it’s Staghorn season.
Anyway, listed below are my Zwickel notes:
Oh, scorching rattling. That is crisp and malty. It’s every little thing I need from a German beer. Flavors are explosive however fleeting, snapping off with every sip and making a scrumptious, crushable beer.
