The Hop Garden

I almost hate to review and highly rate Hop Garden for fear it will soon be over run with people. Such a fantastic location for warm summer nights, adjacent to the park and the river, it’s such a perfect place to unwind. Throw in the old stone buildings of Paoli, great beer, music, dog friendly atmosphere, a few great friends and Friday night relaxation doesn’t get much better!

My husband and I are new to the area and this has become our favorite place to be outside by the river in a friendly, peaceful atmosphere with good friends and really really good beer! They also have Madison’s ALT gluten free beer sold in bombers, guest craft ciders, and kombucha on tap. We feel
like we have found a secret haven to relax and unwind and wonder how we got so lucky to have such awesome, local, craft beer in our backyard!

I was very pleasantly surprised by the Hop Garden. Really kind, friendly guys — comfy spot — live music — good beer.
We were not feeling inspired to cook for ourselves one evening, so decided we’d head to Paoli to have dinner at Brat & Bread and check the Hop Garden out.
It should’ve been perfect: beer and brats on a sunny warm spring day in Wisconsin. All signage around the brat place suggested it should be open, but, sadly, no one was inside and the door was locked. I went back and asked the friendly guys at the HG if they knew what was up. They said sometimes the owners had to step out briefly, and suggested we try back in a few minutes. To kill some time, we got drinks. HG has a modest but solid list of beer options. I got a delightful and potent stout. To help curb our hunger while we waited for more substantial food to be available, they very kindly gave us a big bowl of pretzels gratis. Really nice owners.
30 minutes later, I walked back over to try again on the dinner. Still locked and empty! Irritating. I went back and we finished our drinks. A band was setting up just as we were heading out, and we were disappointed to miss them; we had a fun time chatting with them. But, we were too hungry to stay for the show and another round. Another time.
Hopefully Paoli Brat & Bread House will figure out hours that can work better for them, and/​or something new and fun will open in the Cheese Cottage. This would be the perfect biking destination if Paoli could get more food going in that little space.

The beer isn’t bad and the outdoor space is great! If you’re biking through or want to get outside of Madison, this is a great spot to grab and beer and sit at a picnic table and relax. While the don’t brew the beer in house, it still has a nice vibe. The staff weren’t as welcoming as I’d hoped. I think they would get more repeat customers if they engaged in conversation with folks when they are trying to determine what beer to try.

Located behind the brat shop on the Sugar River, this is a very beautiful if not delicious stop.
A smaller operation with a separate hop farm that offers tours in Bellville, there was 5 beers on tap and one kombucha. The tasting room consists of three high top tables on the lower floor and there are merchandise for sale. There was an up stairs but it was closed.
Their shandy is a mix of the kombacha and ale. It had a strong vinegar smell and initial taste but was otherwise clean and crisp.
The nuggetopia is their best seller and namesake. An American IPA, it’s a smooth with a duller hop.
The Wi Festiv Ale is their centennial, with a stronger hoppy aroma and a dry finish.
Luckily the Pumpkin Ale was in tap today. They are made from pie-​pumpkins from the Hop Garden farm and then smoke with apple wood. It was mild and had overpoweringly strong pumpkin pie aroma.
The tap haus doesn’t serve any food but the Brat House staff are happily willing to accommodate food while you sample beer.