Althouse: At the Beer Factory....

May 23, 2011

At the Beer Factory....

... it's a little early for that sort of thing.

(Enlarge.)

47 comments:

Phil 314 said...: Can't read the brand. What is it and is their Bock any good?; 5/23/11, 10:19 AM
Ann Althouse said...: The brand is Huber. This is the oldest brewery in the midwest... not that building, obviously.

Click through for enlargements. The giant beer can embedded in the corner of the building is really cool.; 5/23/11, 10:20 AM
AllenS said...: It's never too early for beer.; 5/23/11, 10:23 AM
Fred4Pres said...: It is never too early.

AllenS beat me too it, which shows he enjoys the breakfast of champions!; 5/23/11, 10:24 AM
AllenS said...: Fred,

I'm retired now, but when I was working, I worked all three shifts. It was nothing for 20-30 of us when we got off for the weekend on Friday morning at 7 to head for the bar. There used to be a bar in Somerset, WI, that had strippers that started at 7 am, and the bar also served breakfast. Tits, eggs and beer. Can't beat it.; 5/23/11, 10:33 AM
edutcher said...: I don't see Laverne and Shirley.

Guess they're retired by now.; 5/23/11, 10:36 AM
Calypso Facto said...: Those Monroe area "Southerners" make some fine beer and cheese.

AllenS: as a friend of mine said after a recent trip to a Risque Cafe, "I like breakfast, and I like strippers, but I don't like strippers with my breakfast." And I think I'd have to agree...; 5/23/11, 10:40 AM
Phil 314 said...: Oh, Huber beer. Had some of that in college on the recommendation of an acquaintance in the dorm from Wisconsin. He also introduced me to Leinenkugel and Point beer.

I clued him into Matt's beer and Genesee Cream Ale from my neck of the woods. Of note, the Matt's brewery in Utica, New York was a common site for Junior High Field trips. (Saranac beer is a newer brand. I grew up with Matt's beer and Utica Club.); 5/23/11, 10:43 AM
Superdad said...: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOm7yzGD4SI; 5/23/11, 10:44 AM
Patrick said...: AllenS, I believe you are referring to the Loch Ness,which has recently re-opened as a non-stripper establishment.; 5/23/11, 10:44 AM
kjbe said...: Home of some awesome orange cream soda, too.; 5/23/11, 11:10 AM
KCFleming said...: I hope Althouse asked for a tour of the brewery.; 5/23/11, 11:10 AM
ndspinelli said...: You're obviously not a cheesehead. They believe it's never to early for an "oat soda."; 5/23/11, 11:14 AM
AllenS said...: Patrick,

No, I'm talking about Ben's Bar. The Loch Ness is out of town and about half the way to Stillwater, MN. The Loch Ness never served food.; 5/23/11, 11:16 AM
Patrick said...: AllenS, Ben's was before my time in Somerset. I'd never been there until I met the woman who is now my wife. Her family is from there, although she grew up in the East.; 5/23/11, 11:20 AM
Bart said...: Huber Bock was some of the worst beer I ever drank. I went to Marquette and drank all kinds of cheap beer and this was the worst.

The bar I used to go to after 3rd shift was the National Liquor Bar on 27th and National. I think it is closed now, a shot and a beer for a $1.30.

wv= brewe how appropriate.; 5/23/11, 11:21 AM
ndspinelli said...: Phil 3:14,

Genny made a beer back in the early 1970's called Maximus Super. It wasn't available in my college town[Wilkes-Barre] but sold in my home state of Ct. Whenever I went home I stocked up on this Maximus. It had double the alcohol content of regular beer. I would sell it by the can..it was like crack!; 5/23/11, 11:25 AM
Original Mike said...: "it's a little early for that sort of thing."

It's always beer:30 somewhere.; 5/23/11, 11:29 AM
Joaquin said...: ndspinelli
I'm pretty sure that Maximus Super was brewed by Utica Club. Brown can golden circle logo?
I drank tons of it.; 5/23/11, 11:40 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Did Wisconsin win the patent for crappy beer? Meade you need to come back to Indiana where we make Good beer and leftists are scarce.; 5/23/11, 11:47 AM
Phil 314 said...: Maximus Super was an FX Matt brewed malt liquor.

Definitely meant for the "lets get sh*t-faced fast" crowd. Our local Colt 45.; 5/23/11, 11:47 AM
ricpic said...: Aren't factories supposed to have chimneys?; 5/23/11, 11:50 AM
Phil 314 said...: Not trying to hijack a post about Wisconsin beer, but this should bring back fond memories of those who enjoyed a full stein of Utica Club.

"We drink all we can. The rest we sell."; 5/23/11, 11:51 AM
Christopher said...: Huber is the second oldest in the US, only beaten by Yuengling.

As a Pennsylvanian I much prefer the latter.; 5/23/11, 11:55 AM
Hazy Dave said...: Anytime before dark is a bit early for anything from the Minhas brewery.; 5/23/11, 12:02 PM
Leland said...: Next time your in Austin, ask for a Shiner.

And no, it's not too early. In fact, it was about 5pm in Germany when you posted that. What better time to drink a Bock?; 5/23/11, 12:03 PM
Anonymous said...: OT:

Will your man wear a 'murban'? How Lagerfeld is trying to push the male 'urban turban'

Positively fetching, maybe an earth tone one for when Meade putters around the yard.

Or not.; 5/23/11, 12:07 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Bart,

53 reviewers rate Huber Bock B- overall, here. Can you be more specific than to say it is the worst beer you've ever had? That is a serious charge. What made it worst of all?

Let's look at the one guy who rated it F, drpimento, here's what he said, and he had better be good at writing a bad review to run contrarian to everyone else:

Yack! I've had this lots over the years, but this time it got a major problem with butterscotch. I'll try to get around it, but it ain't easy. Served with a medium sized, off-white head and some lace. Color is a nice, not quite clear brown with dark red highlights. Aroma smacks me down wth that butterscotch - ugh. But, somewhere in there is some malt and a little chocolate, good malt. Flavor is BUTTERSCOTCH - BLAAAHH. Can't finish it. Draft lines are clean here too. No more, pleeeeze (tap)

Okay, so he objects to butterscotch three times, everything else is fine. He is the only person who mentions butterscotch.

Here's another guy, RushLimbmalt, who rated it D. Here's what he said:

Probably by far the best of the cheap bocks, but not anywhere near great. It pours a dark, but transparent color that resembles a flat cola with it's minimal carbonation and no head. It definitely smells malty, but not of sweet malts like most bocks, but of a dark roasted malt. The flavor is malty, but it has a bit too much hopping for a bock. That and it's thin, watery body make it a odd beer that I did not much care for at all, but it is cheap and will do in a pinch if Milwaukee's beast is the only other alternative. (bottle)

The remark about carbonation contradicts what other reviewers noted, and his from a bottle. There are a few C ratings, but most people enjoyed the beer enough to give it a high rating. I imagine that people who bother to rate a beer would know by experience what they're talking about. Altogether, the reviews caused me to want to try it myself even though the photo of the building is depressing, like Coors building is depressing except Huber is much smaller.

This is how I imagine a brewery should look, Tivoli building, Denver, now on the Auraria campus and changed to something else less interesting.; 5/23/11, 12:07 PM
Joaquin said...: Phil 3:14
YEP, that's it!
3 cans and you were buzzzed.; 5/23/11, 12:27 PM
Titus said...: I had sex in the bathroom at Ready Randy's.; 5/23/11, 12:30 PM
Phil 314 said...: I had sex in the bathroom at Ready Randy's.

After 3 cans of Maximus Super?; 5/23/11, 12:41 PM
Hagar said...: Priceless!

Obama's SUV high-centered and got stuck on the embassy driveway exit in Dublin.; 5/23/11, 12:43 PM
Toad Trend said...: My 87 year old aunt swears by her daily beer, and who am I to quibble with her?

She was quoted as saying "Beer is everything!"

We adopted her saying and had it silk screened on the backs of our jerseys that we wear to the pond hockey tourney in Eagle River each February.

We are always met by willing consumers after games to discuss our jerseys and the source of the quote.

Beer is indeed everything!

For those of you counting at home, my current favorites are Southern Tier IPA and Dogfish Head 60.

Can't wait til tonite already.; 5/23/11, 12:48 PM
Phil 314 said...: I had sex in the bathroom at Ready Randy's.

Or maybe somehow related to this beer; 5/23/11, 12:48 PM
Original Mike said...: "Obama's SUV high-centered and got stuck on the embassy driveway exit in Dublin."

Maybe The One needs to cut back on the waffles.; 5/23/11, 12:49 PM
Original Mike said...: I tried to unravel the light bulb links further down the page, but could not. Is there news on the the bulb-ban front?; 5/23/11, 1:09 PM
chickelit said...: The brand is Huber.

Huber Beer used to sponsor a TV show on Saturday mornings in Madison called "Outdoors Calling."

Stan was a large man with an enormous heart and apparently, also an appetite for beer. Each week he's regale his audience with tales of local hunting and fishing and outdoor adventures. His show was very low budget (he even did the commercials for Huber). I don't recall that he ever talked politics on air, but I get the feeling looking back that he stood for some sort of people and values as Sarah Palin does today.; 5/23/11, 1:10 PM
chickelit said...: P.S. That was back when Madison still had a real diversity of people and opinions - at least people on radio and TV.; 5/23/11, 1:11 PM
Patrick said...: Huber may be the second oldest brewery in the US, but Schell's, in New Ulm, MN is the second oldest continuously operated in the US. Schells has been owned and operated by the same family since it began in 1860. Excellent beer, and fun tours.; 5/23/11, 1:28 PM
Hagar said...: Dumbest headline of the week:

"Obama delves into his Irish roots."; 5/23/11, 1:32 PM
Shawn Levasseur said...: Too early for that sort of thing?

In rebuttal, I give you Epic Meal Time: Breakfast of Booze

http://youtu.be/wZDv9pgHp8Q; 5/23/11, 1:48 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: It always five o clock somewhere.; 5/23/11, 1:54 PM
Bart said...: Chip,
I am sorry I was not more specific in my critique, but it has been 20+ years since I drank some.

Looking at the reviews you quote, Rush Limbmalt seems to be how I remember it.

Overly roasted malt flavor, maybe even burnt, surprisingly thin for a bock with low carbonation.

We knew we were getting cheap beer, but expected a little more than what we got.; 5/23/11, 2:00 PM
ndspinelli said...: Joaquin,

You are indeed correct..it was Utica Club that made Maximus. It was the honky version of Old English!

Phil 3:14, thanks for the link to Maximus..nostalgic.; 5/23/11, 3:20 PM
Wally Kalbacken said...: That Huber building is ancient, even if the facade is relatively new. I lived in Monroe for a short spell about a decade ago. What a town. Some of the houses had lawn jockeys. The cheese, the cheese, the cheese. Baumgartner's.; 5/23/11, 3:57 PM
Bill said...: So many great, great breweries in Wisconsin, and you chose THIS one? You live in Madison, Althouse...go photograph Ale Asylum. Easily the best brewery in the state.; 5/23/11, 4:55 PM
reformed trucker said...: Too early? Why do you think they call it Breakfast Stout? It's never too early for a barley pop (on non-driving days, of course).; 5/23/11, 10:28 PM