Type: BrewPub

Muskie Capital Brewery at the Old Hayward Eatery

Overall: Awesome!    Score: 83.3 / 100

15546 Highway B

Hayward, WI 54843

United States

(715) 934-2337

Listed Since: March 2005

Last Updated: January 2008

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Beer Guide for Hayward, WI
Beer Guide for Wisconsin

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Next was the 'Berkie Brew'. Very well done ale with a hint of maple. Easily the best so far. Assertive hops and a clean finish. After that, the 'Belgian Style Saison'. A very challenging style, but pretty well done here. Very nice nose with well rounded spice notes. Finally we come to the 'Irish Stout'. According to their tip sheet, it is brewed to emulate Guinness. Um...no. This is almost sickeningly sweet. The malt is almost overpowering and zero hops. If it was a little lighter in here, I could judge the color.

I had to have another Birkie Brew, and in a pint glass, it's much easier to judge the color, even in a dim room. Lovely caramel color and Belgian lace.

One last word of warning. The music seems to be all 1950s all the time. Very good beers, nondescript pub, smoky, excellent service, terrible music.

Anyway, the "Berkie Brew" is a nice ale with a touch of maple. Easily the best so far. A good pale ale with assertive hops. Next was the "Belgian Style Saison". A challenging style, but well done. Very nice nose. Well rounded spice flavors. Last was an "Irish Stout". According to the tip sheet, it is brewed to emulate Guinness. Um, no. This is almost sickeningly sweet. The malt is almost overpowering. I had another Berkie Brew and it didn't disappoint. In a pint glass, it is much easier to judge the color. Good carmel color and Belgian lace.

Negatives include serious smoking in the bar. Also, 50s music is not my favorite. Ugh.

Positives include a friendly staff and a good hockey game on TV. Any TV featuring Bemidji sports is OK by me. All in all, a nice place to try out some good brews while doing a little bar hopping.

Nice enough place with a suitably casual yet tasteful Northwoodsy ambiance. Though this is a heavy tourist town, there was a good deal of locals in the pub on a Saturday afternoon; I suppose the Badgers football game drew quite a bit of them in while the cold October temperatures kept the weekenders & tourists away (except me).

Beer ranged from average to competent to great. The cream ale and red lager were OK while the porter, nut brown and pale ale were all good, solid examples of their respective styles. The standout was a fall seasonal called Harvest Ale. Brewed with maple syrup as a fermentable sugar, it had a lovely autumnal essence with maple sweetness and a touch of nutmeg spice. Very well-done; get some while you have a chance.

The bartendress was attentive and friendly, though she didn't seem to know much about the house beers. That always annoys me in a brewpub. That minor niggle was more than offset by the fact that the owner and brewmaster (who also happens to serve both functions for the South Shore brewery up in Ashland WI) was very generous with his time, chatting for a while about numerous Wisconsin breweries and beer in general. He was also very gracious about receiving candid answers when he asked for opinions about his beers.

All in all this place is a class act from top to bottom. Even though it probably draws most of its business from tourists and weekenders, it has a very homey vibe that makes you feel like you've stumbled onto a local secret. If I make my way back to Hayward any time soon, this place will be one of the reasons.

Keith 715.865.6565