Though Brickhouse BBQ may not highlight any of our Friday night drunken pregame debates about where to go get wasted, the spot is undeniably great in the right context. I probably won’t make too many friends over at Alcoholics Anonymous for this suggestion, but the restaurant is arguably the perfect day-drinking spot.
Whether trying to cure the pulsating headache from last night’s “I’m only going to have like maybe two beers” bar crawl, pounding a few pints during the football game, or maybe just enjoying one of the last amazing summer days on their rooftop patio, Brickhouse won’t disappoint with their extensive selection of great brews.
Glancing over the list of 40 taps, you’ll immediately notice two facts. First, there are no cheap beers (sorry Miller and Budweiser, they don’t serve 4% alcohol corn-water here). And second, there are a lot of really cheap beers!
Now before you reread that sentence 10 times in utter confusion, let me clarify: Brickhouse features an impressive list of craft beer at pretty damn reasonable prices. Their brews range as low as $3.50-$4 per glass, and don’t really get any higher than six to seven bucks. Though the tap list doesn’t currently feature any exotic or rare ales, it’s enormity can be intimidating to those who don’t know what to look for. Fortunately I’m here to help with some recommendations:
IPAs and Pale Ales: These beers are going to be bright, citrusy, earthy and bitter (think grapefruit and pine). I would suggest ordering a Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, or Ale Asylum Bedlam. Two Hearted is simply one of the best IPAs in the Midwest and defies need for description. Bedlam is a Belgian-style IPA, so you will notice lots of yeast, spice and big floral notes along with your standard hop bitterness.
Barleywines and Strong Ales: Brickhouse features quite a few big, bold and palate-bruising beers that can range as high as 10 percent alcohol by volume, thus justifying the notably higher pricing. Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot barleywine represents a standard for the style with lots of caramel, dark fruit, pepper and grassy hops. Or try Lagunitas Undercover Investigation for a spicy, tart and funky take on a hop-forward strong ale.
Seasonal Beers: If there’s one thing that comes to mind when I think of fall and alcohol, it’s pumpkin beer. Southern Tier’s Imperial Pumking is a 9 percent ABV beer that tastes pretty much exactly like pumpkin pie and is featured on tap for a limited time.
Stouts: I’ll be honest, Leinenkugel’s makes some pretty below-average beer. For that reason they have never achieved the level of respect in the craft beer community as many other Wisconsin breweries. However, that all changed with the introduction of their ambitious Big Eddy line of beers. The Big Eddy Stout is a surprisingly awesome Russian Imperial, with a dominating profile of powdery chocolate, coffee, dry walnuts and a rich oat finish.
Belgian Ales: Another one of those styles that seems to appeal nicely to both introductory beer fans as well as long-time beer snobs, the Belgian ale is an often-spicy, fruity and yeasty beer that doesn’t shy away from high alcohol levels. Though Brickhouse BBQ doesn’t feature as many really good Belgian offerings as I would like, the New Belgium Super Cru clocks in at 10 percent ABV with notes of pear, tropical fruit, spice and yeast.
Overall, in terms of what I look for in a craft-beer bar, Brickhouse is really solid in every category. Still, it’s not perfect and there are few shortcomings worth noting. First, their bottle list is embarrassingly weak, which is so odd considering their proximity to Riley’s Wines of the World. It would be very cool if they kept their own selection of cellared and rare bottled offerings. Secondly, though the tap list is large, it fails to provide much adventure for those of us who know craft beer well, and have tried most of these beers already. However, it’s worth noting that the restaurant has had some rare beer tastings in the past, including Founders KBS. Combine these special events with a large and affordable tap list and the result is one of the better beer bars on campus.
Have questions or comments? Email Niko at ivanovic@wisc.edu.
