Photo courtesy of Ale Asylum
We all love local beer, but many of us wish that the pesky little border (that we hardly consider to be anything more than a dotted line on some silly map), would just let more beer from our Wisconsin locals flow freely into our glasses. In fact, for 2018 I'm thinking about proposing a new state of Minnesconsin just to establish fair trade of Spotted Cow that won't get anyone arrested.
Until then, I can get a little excited when something good from the neighbors gets thrown over the fence. Welcome to town, Ale Asylum.
In case you haven't visited the glorious food and drink town that Madison has become, you might not know that Ale Asylum brews have been heavily denting that beer-drinking scene since 2006. And perhaps you didn't know that they have worked their way to become the third-largest craft brewery in the state with a 45,000-square foot brewery (which is saying something in the Mitten that Miller built ... hush, Michigan).
Head brewer and co-owner Dean Coffey started home brewing in the late '80s as a punk rock musician, when he was too poor to afford the kind of beer he wanted to drink. After some time in Colorado, he moved to Wisconsin to brew for Angelic Brewing, which is where he met now-partner Otto Dilba. "We decided we could do something on our own, committed to the way we wanted to make beer," Dilba told me. "Our number one priority has always been quality and consistency. When you believe in that first, you can push yourselves in other areas. It all kinda flows from Dean's punk rock life in the '80s, we are very hardcore about the system that we have, and we apply it across the board. It's all about being ourselves and showing integrity, from the way that we aggressively flavor our beers, to our adherence to the German Purity laws." Those German Reinheitsgebot laws mean that they only use water, malt, hops, and yeast in their production (with no additives or preservatives, it also makes it vegan).
When I was in Milwaukee recently, I tried the Hopalicious, which had beautiful citrusy aromas and a balanced flavor without too much bitterness. I'm excited to try the seasonal Dr. Vennum IPA which they are making available locally for an extended time. The other beers you'll find in town include Velveteen Habit IPA, Madtown Nutbrown Brown Ale, and Ambergeddon Amber Ale.
Their cans are already in some local stores (like Haskell's and Elevated Wine & Spirits), which would make a great gift for your home-for-the-holidays Badger. But you can extend a neighborly hand and join them this Friday at their FREE official launch party at Republic Seven Corners. Sample all five locally-available beers, along with two rare barrel-aged beauties, plus the patio will be open with heating lamps and a bonfire. The first 50 drinkers to buy a pint will get a souvenir glass to take home.
The Ale Asylum guys will also be around town this week, Wednesday at Ox Cart Ale House from 6–9 p.m., and Thursday at The Happy Gnome from 4–7 p.m.
