What's Brewing? The Rise of Microbreweries in Northcentral Wisconsin
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Updated: 2:21 PM Mar 23, 2009
What's Brewing? The Rise of Microbreweries in Northcentral Wisconsin
The craft beer industry continues to boom here in Central Wisconsin, and two local brewers are tapping into its potential.
Posted: 7:15 PM Mar 19, 2009
Reporter: John DesRivieres

What's Brewing: The Rise of Microbreweries in NorthCentral Wisconsin
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Large breweries like Budweiser and Miller make up the majority of beer sales in the United States. But there's a growing segment of breweries out there that are taking a chunk out of their sales.

The craft beer industry continues to expand, and beer drinkers in Central Wisconsin are tasting the benefits.

Just a few beers are brewed exclusively at Oso Brewery in Plover. Marc Buttera and his brewer Mike Smith are the model for modern microbreweries.

"Hopefully the consumer is looking for something exciting and different and innovative, and that's what we offer," says Buttera.

Craft beer, made in smaller batches with creative recipes, continues to grow in market share. Buttera says it took up almost 7 percent of U.S. beer sales last year. That growth is allowing breweries like Oso to flourish.

"Last year we produced 350 barrels. This year we jumped to 1,200 barrels. Beer is one of those things that's recession proof. We continue to grow leaps and bounds," says Buttera.

While Buttera and his team at Oso are just beginning to tap their potential, another local brewer is building on its reputation under a new name. The Blue Heron Brew Pub is located at Historical Parkin Place on Ninth Street in Marshfield. Head Brewer Craig Ziolkowski produces the beer that the brew pub has become known for. While the staple flavors are still there, Ziolkowski always has the creative juices flowing. "We're doing recipes that haven't been done for a long time. Pre-prohibition and some stuff on the cutting edge that we've never seen before."

Both brewers agree that innovation is what craft beer is all about. They say that here in Central Wisconsin, we're at the forefront.


Latest Comments

Posted by: Bob Stempski Location: Shantytown on Mar 25, 2009 at 08:43 AM

I've tried O'so beer. It's great! It fills you with pride knowing that people in our area take their time to get it right. Truly, magic in a bottle.
Posted by: KATINA Location: PLOVER on Mar 21, 2009 at 09:30 AM

WHERE IS THE VIDEO FROM THE MICRO BREWERY SEGEMENT, SPECIFICALLY THE O'SO VIDEO. ITS THE ONLY VIDEO FROM THE WEEK THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE.
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