Brew Potosi Brewing Co. - Potosi, WI
Jan 29, 2013 After our lunch at Breitbach's Country Dining, we headed back down to Dubuque and crossed the bridge into Wisconsin. We were on our way to Potosi Brewing Co. in Potosi, WI. While having a beverage at 'The Lounge' in Dubuque the night before, we met a nice fellow that told us about the great beer museum they have there, AND gave us two free passes. So we were excited to check it out.
The history of Potosi Brewing Co. goes way back. It was founded in 1852 and at it's heydey was the fifth largest brewery in Wisconsin, which is really saying something if you think of all the breweries in WI. But in 1972 the brewery ceased operations and closed it's doors.
The restoration of the brewery began in 1995, and the Potosi Foundation was formed in 2000. Then, in 2004, the Potosi Foundation was selected by the American Breweriana Association to be the home of it's national museum. The National Brewery Museum is truly a world class facility - it is chockful of artifacts and memorabilia of many of America's breweries.
Of course, there are lots of fun displays for Potosi Brewery, like this one, featuring their popular Holiday beer.
This old delivery truck display was pretty neat.
And I'm not kidding when I say this place is full of memorabilia. There are 3 floors jam packed with old neon, bottles and cans of every variety, marketing materials, and more. It's really cool.
There's lots of old equipment, too, like this six spout bottle filler. You could spend hours in this museum.
Some of the old beer advertising just wouldn't go over today, I'm thinking.
We were amazed at all of the breweries we hadn't heard of - beer is a wonderful thing.
I thought this 'Hamm's Bear for President' display was awesome - finally, a candidate I can really support!
A lot of the old advertisements showed off the big improvements in brewing - like flat-top cans when they were introduced.
It's truly one of the best museums we've been to - definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
Once we finished wandering through the museum, we headed into the restaurant/pub. Our museum passes included one taste each of the Potosi beer. Lots of choices to pick from, too!
These tappers are pretty fun, aren't they? Little cans of beer!
I'm kind of picky about craft-type beer, so I played it safe and tried 'Good Old Potosi,' a golden ale brewed to taste like a lager. It's for us weinies in the world that still like 'light' beers.
Grant went for one of their specialty beers, Templeton Slugger. It's an oatmeal stout that has been cave and barrel aged in a Templeton Rye barrel. Lots of whiskey notes in this one and a higher alcohol content.
Both beers were great and we each had another at the beautiful bar.
By this time, it was getting late in the day, and with the snow still falling, we decided it was time to head back toward Dubuque. A quick stop in the gift shop to pick up a 6 pack of a variety of Potosi beer and we were on our way.
With a long and windy Main Street, we are looking forward to spending more time in Potosi, WI. There were several taverns we missed, lots of fun shops, too. Thanks to Jim Massey for the passes to the great National Brewery Museum!
Be sure to stop by Potosi on your next trip over to the Mississippi!
Potosi Brewing Co. (National Brewery Museum)
209 South Main Street
Potosi, WI 53820
608.763.4002
Hours vary seasonally for the museum and restaurant/pub.
More information at www.potosibrewery.com
road trips, wisconsin beer
Reader Comments (2)
I always appreciate the mentions you guys give me on Iowa Foodie. You really should have stuck around to have some food at the Potosi tap room, but I also understand how the weather can get nasty very quick in that neck of the woods in the winter. We ate there on our visit to the museum (http://roadtips.typepad.com/a_salesguys_guide_to_the_/2011/08/the-potosi-brewing-company-potosi-wi.html) and it was very good. Next time you make it up that way - preferably when the weather is a little nicer - you need to have a meal there.
Hey Roadtips! We actually had already had lunch (a BIG lunch) at Breitbach's, but we did look at the menu at the brewery and we agreed lunch there next time would be a priority. Glad to know the food got your approval, we depend on your reviews! Keep up the good work. Thanks for stopping by.