Welcome to Now go have a beer!

Aside from the obvious command implied by my title for this beer education site (okay, twist my arm; make me have a beer :-) ), "Now go have a beer" means at least three things:

Education about beer heritage

Understanding of beer styles

Support of small local brewers

Education about craft beer, of course, is also fun, and I hope you'll find information here that enhances your ability to enjoy the hands-on/palates-on learning experience. I know that there are dozens of good beer sites on the web (and, unfortunately, many more not-so-good ones) that do a more comprehensive job than I will ever do on this site. I'll even point you to some of them. As a craft beer enthusiast who is also a beer judge, beer writer, beer festival organiser, and even a sometime-homebrewer, however, I hope to share some my experience and perspective on the great beers of Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes regions of the United States, as well as about beer more generally.

Wisconsin is the Beer Capital of the Midwest

We have about 70 small breweries, brewpubs, and regional breweries producing a wide variety of tasty ales and lagers to satisfy all palates. Some of Wisconsin's breweries are repeat winners at the Great American Beer Festival/World Beer Cup and other competitions, and others are just good, satisfying beers. Read about them and lots more in Great Lakes Brewing News, the paper providing the BEST beer coverage in the Great Lakes region. (You can now read the original uncut version of my state column on this site; go to "Wisconsin News.") But don't just read about them; visit the state and try them!

If Wisconsin is the Beer Capital of the Midwest, then Madison is not only the governmental capital but also the Beer Capital of Wisconsin. This city of 200,000 boasts of three brewpubs within the city limits and several other packaging breweries and brewpubs in the immediate area. Madison is also home to one of North America's oldest and most respected beer festivals, the Great Taste of the Midwest, brought to you by the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild. Explore and enjoy!

Now go have a beer,

Bob Paolino, Beer Geek

What's New: Minor redesign because #%!#$! M$ Internet Explorer 5.5 failed to render the old tables properly

Brewery closings :-(