Delafield Brewhaus, 3832 Hillside Drive, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week. The brewpub is hosting a variety of events in honor of the occasion. More information can be found at https://www.delafieldbrewhaus.com/events-2/.
Delafield Brewhaus Head Brewer Bill Weishapple trims home-grown hops to use in his brewing. Weishapple creates a variety of beer for the brewpub at 3832 Hillside Drive, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week.
A flight of beer is positioned in front of the floor-to-ceiling brewing system at Delafield Brewhaus, 3832 Hillside Drive. The brewpub’s layout was designed in part by late Brewmaster John Harrison, who embraced the concept of “brewing in your face” and situated the equipment in the center of the dining area.
Delafield Brewhaus, 3832 Hillside Drive, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week. The brewpub is hosting a variety of events in honor of the occasion. More information can be found at https://www.delafieldbrewhaus.com/events-2/.
Delafield Brewhaus Head Brewer Bill Weishapple trims home-grown hops to use in his brewing. Weishapple creates a variety of beer for the brewpub at 3832 Hillside Drive, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week.
A flight of beer is positioned in front of the floor-to-ceiling brewing system at Delafield Brewhaus, 3832 Hillside Drive. The brewpub’s layout was designed in part by late Brewmaster John Harrison, who embraced the concept of “brewing in your face” and situated the equipment in the center of the dining area.
DELAFIELD — In 1999, Tiger Woods won his first PGA championship, the European Union introduced the Euro as a new form of currency, and Delafield Brewhaus became Lake Country’s first brewpub. Now, Delafield Brewhaus, 3832 Hillside Drive, is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and General Manager Eric Knutson says the restaurant and microbrewery’s origins stem from, of course, a love of beer.
“The original owners just had a passion for beer,” Knutson explained. “In their travels, they would come across other facilities or other pubs, and that’s what inspired them to have [a brewpub] in their own backyard.”
Managing Investor and President Bob Flemming said he and his wife bounced from coast to coast and across the pond visiting breweries. And after retiring from a decadeslong career in the electronics and aerospace industry, he told her he was going to open his own brewery.
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As Flemming explains it, his wife told him it was a “crazy” idea. His response: “Good, I’m gonna do it.”
Delafield Brewhaus itself is adorned with beer-related collectibles amassed by Flemming. Called “breweriana,” Flemming estimates that 95% of his collection is housed at the restaurant and microbrewery. Some items date back to the pre-Prohibition era.
But the pièce de résistance isn’t an item of memorabilia. It’s the floor-to-ceiling brewing system smack in the middle of the dining area.
The brainchild of Delafield Brewhaus’s late Brewmaster John Harrison, the business’s equipment takes center stage. The concept, current Head Brewer Bill Weishapple says, is called “brewing in your face.”
In the 1990s, Delafield Brewhaus’s contemporaries tucked their brewing systems in kitchens or behind glass. But Harrison wanted the brewpub’s patrons to see brewing at work. This idea was so revolutionary, Weishapple says upon inspecting the setup, an agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was completely mystified.
“It was so ahead of its time that the guy from the government didn’t know what to do,” the head brewer explained. “…We were ahead of the curve.”
Beyond the brewpub’s layout, Delafield Brewhaus is a trailblazer in other areas, like the actual beer it makes. So far, the microbrewery has won over 20 awards for its creations.
Weishapple says he always keeps an eye out for industry trends by scrolling on Untappd — a social media app designed for users to share the beer they’re drinking and the places that make it. Seeing the funky brews beer lovers are trying has allowed the head brewer to experiment.
For example, blending beers is something Delafield Brewhaus has dabbled in, and Weishapple created a truffle- like beverage by blending a raspberry ale with the chocolate and coffee notes of a stout. Weishapple also developed a peanut butter porter, and when sipped alongside a beer with strawberry flavors – in separate glasses, the head brewer emphasized – it tastes like a PB&J.
But not every customer wants a totally out-of-the box brew, and Weishapple respects that. So that’s why Delafield Brewhaus keeps a handful of signature beers on tap.
Knutson notes that there are a few reliable favorites on the food menu as well, and recipes for items like the asiago artichoke dip have had the same recipe for 25 years. Delafield Brewhaus also maintains a reputation for its hearty sandwiches, fresh salads, and cheesy wood-fired pizza.
Whether it’s for the food, the beer, or the ambiance, Delafield Brewhaus says you’re bound to return thanks to its commitment to quality and to its customers.
“We’re very consistent,” Knutson said. “We’re proud of what we do, and I think we’re pretty doggone good at it.”
After all, the brewpub has been around for a quarter of a century.
For more information about Delafield Brewhaus, along with a list of events for its 25th anniversary, visit https://www.delafieldbrewhaus.com/events-2/.
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