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Capital Brewery!
Over 40 years of Brewing Experience!
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Capital Brewery

capital brewery exterior
Capital Brewery was founded in 1984 to brew traditional German style lager beer in America and brewed their first two styles of beer in copper kettles obtained from the Krekeler Brewery in Hoxter, Germany in the spring of 1986. The kettles are still in use today and we still make Special Pilsner and Munich Dark!  We have branched out to include American style ales, barrel aged beers, hard seltzers, and several distinct IPAs. Capital Amber (our largest seller) has been available in cans since 1999.

Capital is committed to sustainability and installed solar electric panels in April of 2014. Spent grain is provided to feed cattle raised by an area farmer. The Capital Brewery Bike Club was formed in 2009 and now over 100 riders meet regularly at the Brewery every Tuesday and Thursday when the weather is pleasant.

The Capital Brewery Bier Garten is open May through October and often hosts live music as well as numerous public and private events. It is known as ‘Middleton’s Backyard’ and typically attracts over 1500 patrons on Fridays, May through September. A Beer Patio was added in 2016 along Terrace Ave.

The indoor Bier Stube and Grain Room are open during the winter months (approximately November – April) and is also available for private events. Tours of the facility may be scheduled on its website.


Meet the Brewmaster

Tanner Brethorst is a veteran of Wisconsin’s craft brewing industry. He graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Ag. Business Management, and then enrolled in and graduated from the World Brewing Academy/Siebel Institute with an International Diploma in Brewing Technology. With stints at 4 local Wisconsin breweries, including operating his own brewery for a time, Tanner brings to Capital a wealth of experience and know-how.

He enjoys spending time with his family, his two huge dogs, and working on his family’s antique steam engine.

While German Style ales and lagers are his forte’, Brethorst noted “What a fantastic setup we have here at Capital! A 7 BBL Pilot system to try out new recipes, and the old-school, by the book, mid-century German brewhouse that lets us brew pretty much anything we can think of. It gives us unlimited potential!”

Tanner Brethorst


Featured Beers