Photo by Darwensi Majette
Lake Louie Isn’t Really a Lake
I’ve been hearing good things about Lake Louie Brewery. Tom Porter’s creation is located on “Lake Louie” (which is apparently actually a pond) in the thriving metropolis of Arena (20 or so miles west of Madison). Tom and his staff have been turning out some really tasty stuff for just over a decade now.
Lake Louie is really what the craft beer business is all about. Guy quits engineering job, guy brews beer, guy eventually sells beer. The American Dream, barley style.
There are so many things to like about Lake Louie – the seemingly likable and quirky owner (six-pack boxes refer to Tom as “Owner/Delivery Boy), the bare bones (decidedly non-corporate) website, and the tasty product of course.
The Arena Pale Ale and Coon Rock Cream Ale are both very good, but the Louie’s Reserve Scotch Ale is outstanding (see below).
The Wisconsin State Journal ran a good story last year about Tom and other area craft brewers. It’s worth a visit.
Check out a video of the affable owner explaining Lake Louie.
Beer? There’s an App for That
The Beer Expert Android app tells you pertinent information (ABV, reviews, description) about most beers in your liquor store’s cooler. All you have to do to obtain this valuable knowledge is to use your phone to take a picture of the beer’s UPC code, or type or say the name of the beer. Imagine how much easier it will be to tame Discount Liquor’s massive aisle of beer with the power of barley technology in your hand.
Quick Taps
“The best way to die is sit under a tree, eat lots of bologna and salami, drink a case of beer, then blow up,” Art Donovan. (From the book, The Quotable Drunkard, one of the best Christmas presents I’ve ever received.)
I’m intrigued by the whole sour beer thing.
The guy who invented beer cheese soup was a genius.
Barley Pop of the Week
Tom Porter at Lake Louie knows what he’s doing. The Louie’s Reserve Scotch Ale is slightly sweet, smooth and not at all bashful. It’s fairly pricy at around $10 a six-pack, but it’s worth splurging for. Lake Louie would be harder to root for if they didn’t make such good stuff.
Events Brewing
Beer and cheese. Isn’t that really all you need for a fun Saturday? The aptly named Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest takes place at the Alliant Energy Center (1919 Alliant Energy Center Way) in Madison on Jan. 21 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $40 and $75 for VIP. Sampling cheese from more than a dozen cheese makers and washing it down with beer from nearly 30 breweries is such a good idea. Oh yeah, Nueske’s will be there too. Beer, cheese, and bacon = Nirvana.
