Take a tour of Wisconsin microbreweries

At the New Glarus Brewery, near the bottom of a picturesque farm valley in south-central Wisconsin, there's something you don't often see in brewhouses: a crucifix. It's hanging on the wall over giant copper brewing kettles, not as some cheeky declaration that beermaking is divine work -- although New Glarus certainly makes a strong case for this.

The cross simply is what it is, a holy symbol put there by the Wisconsin couple who founded the small-town brewery in 1993 and feel blessed by its success.

An hour away in the not-quite-suburban town of Lake Mills, one of the brewers at the Tyranena Brewery draws cackles when he tells a tour group what the company does with its leftover mash (sludge filtered off the bottom of the kettles).

"We give it out to local farmers to feed to their livestock," said Benji Orcutt, wearing the beard and ball cap seemingly required of Midwest beermakers.

"There are a lot of happy cows around here," he added, no-duh-like.

Big breweries such as Miller in Milwaukee are impressive to visit for their size and voluminous output, but not for their flavor -- and I don't just mean the beers' flavor.

Microbrew beer is one of the few industries on the rise in America right now; 2008 revenues are up 10.5 percent, according to the U.S. Brewers Association. There's an equally growing demand among American beer lovers to visit the source of their favorite brands.

Like wine connoisseurs touring Tuscany or Napa Valley, beer nuts want to see firsthand what makes their favorite brands special. And again, I'm not just talking flavor. I mean that holy cross and those happy cows.

Wisconsin is dotted with excellent small breweries and a rich beermaking tradition that's built on the backs (or bellies?) of German immigrants.

The location: The brewery takes its name from the historic town that bore it, a postcard-cute Swiss settlement about 45 minutes southwest of Madison that dates to 1845. Swiss flags and cheese shops line downtown New Glarus, which is just across Hwy. 69 from the brewery. It's Wisconsin's answer to New Ulm, Minn., if Herman the German and August Schell had been Swiss.

The tour: Self-guided on prerecorded headsets, like a big museum tour. But it still feels personable, starting with the colorful story of founders Dan and Deb Carey, the latter of whom raised the capital and has been called the country's first female brewery owner. A larger facility opened on the outskirts of town last year, but the original site still brews and hosts tours. Cost is $3.50 and includes three samples of whatever's fresh.

The beer: Swiss in name only, the beer is very German. The flagship brand is Spotted Cow, a cloudy, but light farmhouse ale. Other favorites include Uff-Da bock, Fat Squirrel nut brown ale and Wisconsin Belgian Red, a cherry beer that was a favorite of the late beer expert Michael Jackson. New Glarus does not distribute outside of Wisconsin (it doesn't need to!), so there's extra incentive for Minnesotans to visit. Beers are sold in the gift shop.

Nearby attractions: Options galore. There's a historic village, a few quaint chalet-style hotels, a scenic bike path and ample shops along with several bars and restaurants with Swiss or German flavor. We stopped in at the 100-year-old Glarner Stube and gorged on fondue while sampling the local brews.

The location: Lake Mills is a midsize farm town 20 minutes east of Madison that was the site of an American Indian tribe whose 1000 A.D.-era icehouse structures still line Rock Lake at the heart of town. The tribe's name for the lake was Tyranena.

The tour: There's not much physical ground to cover at the plant, which opened in 1999 in a rather generic warehouse. But the guides are often the actual brewhouse workers, who'll go into great detail if you want. You might even get with founder Rob Larson, whose cantankerous reputation is part of the brewery's lore. Free tours are offered only about every other Saturday and don't come with samples, but pints can always be bought in the tasting room and beer garden, which operate as a regular bar that's open Wednesday through Sunday.

The beer: Tyranena has proven its adventurous streak with its Brewers Gone Wild! brands, including the Hop Whore Imperial IPA and the Devil Made Me Do It oatmeal stout. Year-round brands with names tied to local American Indian lore include Bitter Woman IPA, Chief Blackhawk Porter and Headless Man Alt.

Nearby attractions: Aztalan State Park, an American Indian archaeological site. Rock Lake has a couple sandy beaches and boat launches, and there are a few shops to stroll among. But mostly the brewery is the destination. Tyranena regularly puts on events, such as its popular Oktoberfest Bike Ride. The finish line is the brewery, featuring live music under a big tent and a sea of beer-stretched Spandex bike shorts.

The location: Out in the strip mall-lined and wholly forgettable suburb of Middleton, about 10 minutes from downtown Madison.

The tour: Sort of Madison's answer to St. Paul's Summit Brewery, Capital dates back to the first wave of modern microbreweries in 1984. Its building (a former egg-processing plant) isn't much, but its large-scale, micro-minded production line makes for an interesting visit. Tours are on Fridays and Saturdays ($3), but the Bier Stube and Garten are open Wednesday through Saturday nights.

The beer: Capital's range is what's most impressive, from the Wisconsin Amber and Bavarian Lager to the Munich Dark and Winter Skal. But many of the brews themselves also impress, especially seasonal brands such as the Oktoberfest and Maibock.

Nearby attractions: Along with all its other attractions (the State Capitol, museums and -- my favorite -- the Otis Redding crash memorial), Madison is a great beer town, home to the renowned Great Dane brew pubs and colorful beer halls such as the Malt House and the Come Back In.

The location: Actually on the river -- not the lakefront -- in downtown Milwaukee, this 22-year-old brewery is symbolically housed in a former coal plant that used to power the nearby big breweries (Pabst and Schlitz are gone; only Miller remains).

The tour: Fun, fun, fun. The guides generally go for humor over detail, to great effect. It's also the one tour that includes a beer-sampling stop along the way. The barrelhouse tasting room is like a year-round Oktoberfest hall and hosts a mean fish fry on Friday nights. Daily tours are $6, but come with four samples (!) and a souvenir pint glass.

The beer: Lakefront's E.S.B. is a pioneer and star in the fledgling organic beer market. Other award-winning brands include the Eastside Dark dunkel, Cream City pale ale and New Grist ale, the latter of which is (somehow) gluten-free.

Nearby attractions: The brewery helped revitalize the Brewer's Hill neighborhood, now lined with hip restaurants, shops and pubs. We visited when the Twins played the Brewers at the awe-inspiring -- and microbrew-stocked -- Miller Park.

The location: Who could forget Leinie's in Chippewa Falls, just north of Eau Claire, the fictitious hometown of Annie Hall? With all the signs and logos in the historic downtown, there's no doubt one of the country's oldest family-owned breweries is located there.

The tour: Genuinely one of the best brewery tours around. The farmlike grounds are picturesque, the 142-year history comes alive and the gift shop doubles as a museum and is loaded with cool merchandise. The daily tours (free with two samples) will make you believe the company line that Leinie's remains a family-run business despite its 1988 purchase agreement with Miller.

The beer: Minnesotans well know the top brands, including the original lager, Honey Weiss and Sunset Wheat. Sample the less-available Berry Weiss, Creamy Dark or new Classic Amber.

Nearby attractions: Another quaint downtown worth strolling through, it boasts the tubing-friendly Chippewa River and Bresina's, a great fried-chicken shack just up the street from the brewery. Bicyclists will also enjoy the riverside Old Abe Trail. As if the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology doesn't sound fascinating enough, it houses one of the Leinenkugel kids' vast collection of steins and memorabilia.

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658