First Coaches: AYLA GUZZARDO, Head Coach McNeese Cowgirl Basketball Team and BILL ARMSTRONG, Head Coach McNeese Cowboy Basketball Team
August 2025
Opportunities for Young Professionals are Abundant
August 2025
by Andrea Guthmann
Wisconsin is paradise for beer enthusiasts, boasting a rich brewing heritage and thriving craft beer scene. Whether touring the iconic Miller facility, or sampling small-batch IPAs in a cozy rural taproom, Wisconsin’s breweries blend craftsmanship with Midwestern hospitality.
Milwaukee
Known as Brew City and home to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, no trip to Milwaukee is complete without tasting its beer heritage. With dozens of breweries, there are tours for every palette, from micro to macro and fruit beers to pale ales.
The 80-minute Miller Brewery Tour covers 170 years of brewing history, from Fredrick Miller’s arrival in Milwaukee to the high-speed production lines used today. You even get to step inside historic caves, all while sampling beer along the way. Lakefront and Sprecher Breweries and the Milwaukee Brewing Company also offer popular tours.
A good dining choice is the historic Third Ward’s Cafe Benelux with its vast selection of Belgian beers. Lodging in Milwaukee is an easy choice for beer lovers. A former Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery has been converted into the Brewhouse Inn, preserving many of the brewery’s original features, including the iconic copper beer kettles.
New Glarus
Known as America’s Little Switzerland, this is a must-visit destination for beer enthusiasts, who drive from far and wide to enjoy New Glarus Brewing Company’s Spotted Cow beer, sold only in Wisconsin. Take the free tour, then sample a tasting flight and you’ll get a token to cash in for a New Glarus beer at any restaurant in town.
Spend it at Puempel’s Olde Tavern, where historic murals adorn the walls alongside vintage photos of patrons who’ve been coming here for more than a century. You can also taste the town’s heritage at Chalet Landhaus, a Swiss-themed hotel with an Old World-style restaurant featuring traditional cheese fondue, schnitzel and other Swiss specialties.
Eau Claire
Nestled in scenic Chippewa Valley, 90 minutes from Minnesota’s Twin Cities, this college town sits at the confluence of two major rivers, providing plenty of outdoor opportunities from fishing to kayaking and tubing, and biking.
Eau Claire’s a hotspot for craft brewing, from historic breweries to innovative taprooms. Order up a flight of bold beer flavors in an industrial-chic loft with river views at the Brewing Projekt. One of Wisconsin’s most adventurous breweries, their colorful cans hold fruity IPAs, hazy pale ales and experimental small batches.
Across the street, Lazy Monk Brewing resembles your classic German beer hall. They keep it old-school with lederhosen and dirndls adorning the walls alongside cuckoo clocks. Long heavy wooden tables, comfortable furnishings and murals of the old country add to the ambience. Inspired by Czech and German brewing techniques, this cozy spot serves up crisp lagers, rich dunkels and smooth pilsners. The outdoor beer garden is perfect for a warm afternoon.
Want to expand your beer horizons and try something new, without committing to a whole pint? Sample the widest variety of local beers at the Phoenix Taproom, the largest self-pour taproom in the Midwest. Their lively outdoor riverfront patio has plush seating, live music and bean bag toss games.
Wisconsin Dells
Traveling with kids in tow? While the Wisconsin Dells may be the waterpark capital of the world, that doesn’t mean adults can’t brew up something special for themselves as well. Nebraska-based Pals Brewery offers a dozen beers on tap, live music and an outdoor area with cornhole games. Northwoods-themed Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Company is the best choice for those with kids. They can don their paper antlers and head down to the massive basement arcade while adults check out the microbrewery upstairs, with 12 microbrews on tap plus an assortment of bottles and cans, all available only on site.
