Madison’s craft beer scene rotates fast. The IPA you had two weeks ago is gone. The pilsner that just landed yesterday will be the talk of the city by next Tuesday. A blog post saying “these are the best Madison beers right now” goes stale before it ranks.
So instead of a list that will be wrong by the time you read it, here is the actually-useful version: how to know what is pouring in Madison this week, every week.
Three Ways to Track What’s Pouring
1. Follow Madison breweries directly
Production breweries announce small-batch releases on Instagram more reliably than they announce them anywhere else. Most also publish their own pre-order and release schedules — sign up directly for release notifications. The Madison-area breweries worth tracking:
- Working Draft Beer Company
- Giant Jones Brewing
- ALT Brew
- One Barrel Brewing
- Vintage Brewing Company
And from elsewhere in Wisconsin, worth following for taproom and small-batch heads-ups:
- Noble Roots Brewing (Green Bay)
- Third Space Brewing (Milwaukee)
- Untitled Art (Waunakee)
- Hinterland Brewery (Green Bay)
2. Follow Madison-area beer media
A handful of local accounts cover the Madison craft beer scene with more nuance than any algorithm. Worth a follow:
- @drinkswithdarrin — Madison beer coverage, tasting notes, event spotlights. Worth your follow.
3. Email Garth
Garth reviews every pre-order list of every craft beer release in Madison. Genuinely. If you want to know what’s coming next month — any brewery, any release — email heythere@garthsbrewbar.com with the question. He’ll tell you what’s worth chasing and what’s worth skipping.
The Fastest Move: Ask a Beertender
Online tools work. A trained beertender works faster.
Walk into Garth’s Brew Bar — 1726 Monroe St. Sixteen rotating American craft taps. Ninety-five-plus craft cans and bottles in the cooler. The beertenders are studying for or hold the Cicerone Beer Server certification, which means they have to know the tap list cold to pass the exam.
Ask:
- “What just landed?” — gets you whatever taps rotated in this week.
- “What from a Madison brewery is on right now?” — gets you the Madison-first cut.
- “What’s in the cooler that I couldn’t get back home?” — gets you the limited-release answers.
- “What’s the best beer you’ve poured this week?” — gets you the honest pick, brewery-agnostic.
Most of the time, the question that gets you to the most interesting beer is some version of the last one.
What is Always True About Madison Craft Beer (Even When Specifics Change)
- Madison breweries pour first at selection-hierarchy-driven bars like ours. If you want to drink what the city is making, lead with the Madison ask.
- Late spring through summer is pilsner season. Wisconsin’s craft brewers do German-style lagers and pilsners exceptionally well. The warm-weather rotation favors them.
- Late fall through winter is brown-and-stout season. Wisconsin-grown malt shows up best in the Brown Ales, Märzens, and stouts that hit the rotation between October and March.
FAQ
Is there a Madison beer release calendar?
Not centrally, no. Most breweries publish their own release schedules. Madison-area beer media folks like @drinkswithdarrin post about events as they happen. Email Garth at heythere@garthsbrewbar.com if you want a curated heads-up about what’s actually coming this month — he reviews the pre-order lists of basically everything available in the city.
Where can I see what’s on at Garth’s right now?
Come into the bar and ask a beertender. They know what just landed, what’s pouring, and what’s worth your half-pour. That’s the live list, kept by the people doing the pouring. Check out the menu page, too.
What if I’m visiting this week — what should I drink?
Walk into a Cicerone-led bar (Garth’s qualifies) and ask the beertender what is on tap from a Madison brewery this week that you couldn’t get back home. Order a half-pour of whatever they suggest. If you like it, ask for the full pour. If you want to take some home, the cooler version is usually available.
How often does the Garth’s tap list change?
Constantly. Sixteen rotating taps means at minimum a handful of changes per week. New beers come in as kegs blow.
What is a “tap takeover” and should I plan around them?
A tap takeover is when a craft bar dedicates several taps (or sometimes all of them) to a single brewery for a night or weekend. Working Draft, Giant Jones, and other Madison breweries do takeovers periodically. The brewery often sends a rep to talk through the beers. Follow the bar and brewery social accounts for announcements.