Nestled in the back of the building that formerly housed RP’s Pasta on East Wilson Street, Working Draft Beer Company was recently added to the burgeoning craft beer scene on Madison’s near east side, joining neighborhood stalwarts like One Barrel, Next Door, Parched Eagle and soon also Giant Jones, which opens later this year.
A unique rollout built enthusiasm for the March 5 grand opening. In the weeks leading to their opening, Working Draft released collaborations with Parched Eagle, Rockhound Brewing, The Great Dane, Lone Girl, Next Door, Hop Haus, One Barrel, Wisconsin Brewing Company and even the Bluff Hoppers homebrewing club out of Sauk City. This helped Working Draft build up its reputation and supply much of the suds for its outset.
Working Draft’s taproom is bright and welcoming. The bar and table tops are made of reclaimed maple from the Village Lanes bowling alley in Monona, giving the taproom a clean look. An open concept floor plan puts customers right next to the brewhouse containing a 7-barrel system and 1-barrel pilot system. Sanitation is essential in the beer making world, so the shiny, brand new stainless steel fermenters give a sense of sterilization (in a good way!).
In my utopia, the only thing that would matter in determining a brewery’s success is whether they make good beer. Though plenty of mediocre breweries still exist, Working Draft has earned its place in Tom’s Brewtopia by setting a high bar for its initial offerings.
Highlights included Spraytan, a milkshake IPA that was a collaborative brew with Ross Harms of the Bluff Hoppers. Soft carbonation and a healthy dose of lactose give this brew a full body that gives way to pleasant aromatic hops. It finishes sweet with a kick of vanilla that disguises its 6.3 percent ABV. While the first small batch of this one has already come and gone from the taproom, it would make a great lawnmower beer — so here’s hoping it’s back in time for summer.
Zwickle Vision, a keller-style pilsner, is another standout. The term “zwickel” refers to German style beers that are neither clarified nor pasteurized. It’s derived from the special siphon used by the brewer to check on fermentation prior to the addition of clarifying agents and techniques called a zwickelhahn. Zwickle Vision is a very clean tasting pilsner and brilliantly clear despite its lack of filtration/clarification. A greater hop presence than the supposedly “beechwood aged” pilsner offered by the Clydesdales lends itself to a crisp, refreshing and slightly bitter finish.
If all that beer is making you hungry, no need to leave the brewery. Fox Heritage Farms provides in-house catering with offerings like whitefish rillette, cheese and charcuterie boards, and a French dip sandwich with Working Draft-braised onions. Taco Tuesday is already a popular promotion as well, offering 3-4 tacos each week.
Working Draft Beer Company has come out of the gate strong, and they will be a force in the Madison craft beer scene if they can continue to meet the standards set by their initial brews. Forget about the rumblings of a craft beer “bubble” on Madison’s near east side. As long as new breweries focus on brewing the best beer they can, I say the more the merrier.
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