Category: Beer
The craft brewing scene has grown tremendously on the peninsula in recent years. Door County breweries have popped up in Egg Harbor, Sturgeon Bay, Baileys Harbor, and Ellison Bay, with two more just across the border in Kewaunee County.
Whether you love IPAs, Belgian saisons, ciders, or lagers, one of these Door County breweries will quench your thirst.
Door County Breweries
Door County Brewing Company
2434 Cty F
Baileys Harbor, WI 54202
(920) 839-1515
www.doorcountybrewingco.com
Founded in 2012, Door County Brewing Company is a family owned craft brewery. Owned and run by the McMahon family, Door County Brewing Company is located in Baileys Harbor and uses as many ingredients for their beer from Door County as possible. Their tap room features Wisconsin cheese boards and curds, live music, and they frequently bring in food trucks.
Island Orchard Cider
12040 Garrett Bay Rd
Ellison Bay, WI 54210
(920) 854-3344
www.islandorchardcider.com
Located on the northern tip of the peninsula, Island Orchard Cider makes its home in Ellison Bay. Island Orchard Cider owns an orchard on Washington Island where they grow the apples for their ciders. Their tasting room and cider pub offer customers an opportunity to see the cider making process.
Shipwrecked Brew Pub
7791 Hwy 42
Egg Harbor, WI 54209
(920) 868-2767
www.shipwreckedmicrobrew.com
Shipwrecked Brew Pub was the first microbrewery in Door County, opened in 1997. Housed in a historic building in the center of Egg Harbor that dates to 1882, the brewery and restaurant is open year ’round. Brewmaster Rich Zielke is in charge of brewing the hand-crafted Door County beers. Shipwrecked offers an extensive menu in their restaurant and also operates an inn.
Shipwrecked burned in a fire in August of 2017. Its owners hope to rebuild in time for the 2018 summer season.
Starboard Brewing Company
151 N. 3rd Ave
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
(920) 818-1062
www.starboardbrewing.com
Located in downtown Sturgeon Bay, Starboard Brewing Company is Door County’s first nano-brewery. Their tap room offers their in-house brewed craft beers, Wisconsin cheeses, smoked salmon, and more.
Kewaunee County Breweries
Ahnapee Brewery
202 Clark St.
Algoma, WI 54201
(920) 785-0822
www.ahnapeebrewery.com
Ahnapee Brewing stretches back as far as 1868 and is an integral part of beer-making in Wisconsin. This tap room offers flatbread pizza, snacks, small-batch beers and tasting events.
Thumb Knuckle Brewing Company
E0208 Hwy 54
Luxemburg, WI 54217
www.thumbknuckle.beer
Newly opened in 2017, Thumb Knuckle Brewing Company is located in Luxemburg, Wis. The brewery has three beers available with a fourth in the works. The tap room also offers its own soda and growlers.
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Enjoy Egg Harbor’s fall colors while sampling some of the best craft beer the peninsula has to offer when five area breweries come together for the second annual Peninsula Brewery Battle. Ahnapee, Bridge Up, Door County Brewing, One Barrel and Starboard will showcase their finest products Sept. 25, 12-4 pm, and donate all proceeds to […]
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COVID-19’s Impact on Craft Breweries
During the early stage of the pandemic, probably around May or June of last year, I remember hearing on the radio that retail alcohol sales were up significantly across the country. That wasn’t very surprising to me, considering that nearly everyone was spending almost all their time at home. And, as someone who has thus […]
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Beer Fest Foodie Fare is Top-notch
The 2021 Door County Beer Fest will bring together 40-plus breweries and 900 beer-loving festivalgoers this weekend to sample the Midwest’s best brews. Great beer needs great food to go with it, and this year the festival will feature four foodie favorites serving up fair food that’s anything but. This year’s beer festival is being […]
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Suds With Sophie: Countdown to Beer Fest
I recently talked to Kait Shanks about the Door County Beer Festival, to be held June 19 in Baileys Harbor. She works with a team from the Peninsula Pacers to put on the event, and her responsibilities include selecting, coordinating and organizing the many breweries that will showcase their beers. But Shanks takes the role […]
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Beer Fest is sold out, but you can still get in The Door County Beer Festival is sold out, but you can still join the tasting and fun by filling a volunteer shift. Shifts run 11 am – 1:30 pm and 1:30-4 pm. When you fill a shift, you’ll get a pass to hang out and […]
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Suds with Sophie: What Do You Mean by “Hoppiness”?
When talking about beer, one of the most common questions I get is about the “hoppiness” – or bitterness – of a beer. This question comes both from hop heads who are looking for a bitter blast and from hop avoiders who want to focus on other flavors. Wherever you stand on the hoppiness issue, there’s one […]
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Bits & Bites: Cherry Hut Gives Nod to Nostalgia, Grasse’s New Vibe & MAX Opens Updated Bar
MAX Is Gearing Up for a Food Frenzy MAX at Maxwelton Braes opened recently with a refreshed bar and outdoor space, and this summer, it will host numerous local chefs and dining opportunities. Expect a weekly fish fry by the Sister Bay Bowl; food-truck visits from Lumberjack’s Taco Shack, Wally’s Weenie Wagon and Great Lakes […]
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Suds with Sophie: A Beer for Every Dish
St. Patrick’s Day beer pairings When looking at pairing beer with food, there are a few simple rules to follow: location, intensity, compare and contrast. For St. Patrick’s Day food in particular, we should keep a few points in mind. First, although Irish food is distinctive, it does have a lot in common with English […]
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In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, I want to talk about some of the heroes and historical icons of beer: women. For thousands of years – from its discovery until relatively recently – brewing has been women’s responsibility. This first “woman of beer” was a goddess worshipped by the ancient Sumerians of […]
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If you’ve read any of my past articles, it’s probably become quite clear how much I love the sour revolution that’s taking place in today’s craft beer world. Sour beers – for those who are unfamiliar with the style – are made by introducing some sort of brewing bacterium into the beer to create tart […]
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SUDS WITH SOPHIE: A Rare Treat: Dark Sour Beers
If you’ve read any of my past articles, it’s probably become quite clear how much I love the sour revolution that’s taking place in today’s craft beer world. Sour beers – for those who are unfamiliar with the style – are made by introducing some sort of brewing bacterium into the beer to create tart […]
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Suds with Sophie: Giving the Gift of Beer
If you’re struggling to find a holiday gift for the craft-beer lover in your life, don’t fret! I have a few ideas that just might work out perfectly. Purchasing beer for a friend can be difficult because of the large number of styles – and interpretations within those styles – that are available. Unless you’re familiar with […]
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Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder is not really how the third-century-B.C. Greek proverb was written, but in the age of craft beer and Instagram, it has become the mantra of brewery owners who are keen on turning beer browsers into beer buyers. By the end of this year, the Brewers Association […]