7 Breweries, One Central Wisconsin Adventure

Central Wisconsin knows craft beer, and you won’t have to look far to find standout breweries throughout the region. Whether you’re mapping out a quick day outing or a full weekend of tasting, these seven unique stops are close enough to make your craft beer adventure feel effortless.

Wausau Area Breweries

Red Eye Brewing

The food at Red Eye Brewery is as tremendous as the beer, so if you are making the rounds, you might want to pair this stop during mealtime for you and your hungry crew. Grab a table, sit at the bar or nab the lounge seating right in front of the brewhouse windows. Celebrating the area’s popular biking culture, you’ll notice several hanging bicycles that will catch the eye of any avid rider. The carefully crafted house brews feature some light and golden pours as well as hoppy options, and in winter you can expect a darker brew, such as Sweater Weather Porter. The food menu is upscale pub fare, and the kitchen features a proper brick oven imported from Italy.

Bull Falls Brewing Co. 

Known for their biergarten in warmer seasons, the taproom at Bull Falls Brewing Company is a must-stop to taste some truly German-style brews, plus cocktails, wines, seltzers and tap root beer. Summertime also means enjoying delicious craft beer while listening to great music at the biergarten. New ownership is expanding the beer lineup into English ales and other styles. Find a wood spool table with your crew and enjoy.

Mosinee Brewery

Mosinee Brewing Co.

Just 20 minutes south from downtown Wausau, Mosinee Brewing Co.’s taproom is decked out with reclaimed wood and features 16 ever-changing taps covering a variety of beer styles. The drink list also includes some hard seltzers, gluten-free and nonalcoholic options, and food is also available. Expect some seasonal cocktails around the holidays, as well as occasional music entertainment and weekly trivia – a true craft brewery experience.

Merrill Area Brewery 

Sawmill Brewing

Once a garage for the Department of Natural Resources, the stone-walled, high-ceilinged taproom at Sawmill Brewing is decorated with artifacts from the city of Merrill’s logging days, sure to inspire all lumberjacks and jills. Share a charcuterie board with your tablemates and work your way through sample flights of the house brews. Other libations include sodas, kombucha and even nitro coffee. Relaxing amongst the pines doesn't get much better than this.

Stevens Point Area Breweries

District 1 Brewing Company 

This is as much a game room as a taproom. Take over a communal table at District 1 Brewing with your peeps and hit up the arcade games, pinball machines, giant Connect Four or foosball table while snacking on great pizza and sipping some housemade brews. For a nostalgic experience, they even offer tabletop board games.

Stevens Point Brewery 

Founded in 1857, the Stevens Point Brewery is the fifth longest continuously operating brewery in the US. Tours through the production brewery are scheduled daily except for Sundays (check for special requirements such as proper footwear). Afterward, sample the wares in the taproom, which runs 36 taps that include their Ciderboys Hard Ciders, Tea Runner Hard Iced Teas, and a selection of special edition craft beers from their Whole Hog series. Those in your group who are not drinking alcohol can choose from the complete lineup of Point sodas. Before heading out, get a group selfie in front of the cone-headed Point Beer Man mural on the front of the building.

Plover Area Brewery

O'so Brewing Co. 

O’so Brewing  has a strong mission of giving back to the community and supporting veterans. Their beers range from hoppy IPAs such as Haze Positive to creative kettle-sours, as their low-ABV Infectious Groove, and everything in between. Or, if you’re looking for something more robust, don’t miss their Night Rain Porter. If your crew gets hungry during your visit, their kitchen, Amore, serves up some sandwiches and a wide variety of pizzas, including build-your-own and gluten-free crust options.  While the snow flies outside, you can play cornhole, listen to live music, or depending on the day of your visit, participate in a special event hosted by the brewery.