Visitors to Green Bay are encouraged to “ex-beer-ience” a thriving brewing community, which offers brews, views, and places suitable for any beer lover’s must-do list.
Beer and football are celebrated in Green Bay, and it is easy to find a pilsner near the stadium. (Photo: Michael C. Upton for TravelMag)
Beer production started in Green Bay in 1851, with names like Blesch, Rahr, and Hochgreve emerging to pioneer the drink locally. The city itself was incorporated in 1854, and today dozens of breweries call the Green Bay metropolitan area home. And hence, the city’s craft beer scene has flourished.
With the challenging task of highlighting the best in brew, below we list five breweries that serve great beer in Green Bay. We visited them all. These breweries also offer a selection of products to their guests and, based on the ratings on various popular beer websites, appeal to both locals and people passing through.
Hinterland Brewery embraces tradition and innovation to create world-class beers. (Photo: Michael C. Upton for TravelMag)
Hinterland Brewery
Bill Tressler opened Hinterland Brewing Company in 1995 and ushered a new wave of brewing into the city at the dawn of the craft brewing movement. The experience shows in a beer lineup of diverse flavors, from Door County Cherry Wheat made with local, tart Montmorency cherries to flagship varieties like Packerland Pilsner and the India Pale Ale simply named IPA. The operation moved from Downtown Green Bay in 2017 to a state-of-the-art facility serving as an anchor restaurant for Titletown, an active community development across the street from famed Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. Outdoor brews offer views of the iconic stadium and active, bustling crowds.
1001 Lombardi Ave
Badger State Brewing
Making their home in a repurposed warehouse in Green Bay’s stadium district, Badger State Brewing Company offers another walkable brew spot for Packers fans in town for a game. Badger State appeals to the masses with own-brewed ciders and seltzers tapped alongside a lineup of 19 beer options. Badger State also produces Hoppy Water, an alcohol-free alternative. In 2013, cousins Sam Yanda and Mike Servi turned a passion for homebrewing into a destination brewery, tap room, beer garden, and industrial event hall to “bring people together.” The brewery ranks highest (3.8) with Untappd users, based on Green Bay breweries with more than 500 likes.
990 Tony Canadeo Run
Gnarly Cedar offers a beautiful setting inside a winery past the Green Bay city limits. (Photo: Michael C. Upton for TravelMag)
Gnarly Cedar Brewery
Katrina and Adam Magnuson found a beautiful patch of land on the edge of the prehistoric Niagara Escarpment in Wisconsin. This geologic formation is great for cold-hardy grapes for their winery. And, in 2019, the couple started brewing to highlight beer’s connection to agriculture. The result is amazing farmhouse ales, well-honed traditional styles, and creative specialty brews. Gnarly Cedar beers are made and served exclusively at Ledgestone Vineyards. The brewery is 14 miles from Downtown Green Bay by car or bicycle. The property abuts the 25-mile Fox River Trail, which runs from downtown, past Gnarly Cedar, on to Greenleaf.
6381 WI-57, Greenleaf
Copper State Brewing Company
Brewing is a communal experience and Copper State is a fitting example of this. Their motto embraces connecting people and creating experiences, which is perfect for the new brewery located in the former home of Hinterland. After walking past the outdoor beer garden lined with climbing hops, guests are welcomed into a cozy atmosphere. Remote workers looking for quality, in-house roasted coffee mingle with day-drinking visitors before a happy hour crew makes way for diners. Along those lines, wood-fired pizzas pair well with a beer lineup consisting of lagers, IPAs, and seasonal specialties. And they serve good cheese curds.
313 Dousman St
The rooftop bar at Titletown offers wonderful views of downtown Green Bay. (Photo: Michael C. Upton for TravelMag)
Titletown Brewing Company
An OG of new breweries in Green Bay, Titletown displays its hometown roots proudly. This is the place to revel in all things Green Bay and enjoy a Green 19 IPA. Yet, some come to participate in pinball tournaments. Some visitors come for Titletown Tacos on Tuesdays. This place is huge and has plenty of room for everyone. Views from the spacious rooftop bar offer glimpses of the circa-1899 Chicago & Northwestern Railway Passenger Depot and downtown’s CityDeck along the Fox River. A tour of Titletown is a must for beer fans, who are invited to drink from the “beerbler.” The working bubbler, or water fountain, flows with beer—for real.
320 N Broadway