Point Beer Brewery - 7/20

I took my nephew to tour the Point Brewery in Stevens Point, WI a little over a week ago on the 1 pm tour - I could swear one of the other couples on the tour was an LTHer, but they left before I had a chance to ask. Anyone want to 'fess up?

Wow, it wasn't me, but as an LTH-er born and raised in Stevens Point, WI, I have to say I never expected my hometown to pop up on this forum! So where did you eat? We usually opt for my mom's cooking, but just last year discovered Bernard's, a German spot that's been there forever but somehow was under our radar til then. We were pleasantly surprised. I've also never done the the brewery tour - how was it?

It's an excellent brewery tour - in part because it's such a small brewery, and also because it's so old - it's the 5th oldest brewery in the country. Plus, my nephew is from San Diego, where there's a chain of Karl Strauss brewpubs, so he enjoyed seeing that all that brewpub's supposedly brewed-on-premises bottled beers are actually made in Stevens Point.

40 years ago I used to go to scout camp near Stevens Point. The brewery supplied us with nice Point beer wooden crates to use as tables in the tents. Pretty funny seeing scouts pull up to the back docks of a brewery!

Point's Cascade Pale Ale is quite good beer for the price.

For a small mainstream brewery, their witbier is outstanding, as is their rather hoppy Pale Ale. You don't get stuff like that from the larger mainstream breweries, like Leinenkugel.

I have lived in Mosinee, about 15 miles north of Stevens Point for almost 20 years and have never done the Brewery tour.
A newer place to eat that isn't bad is Gratzies on Highway 10. My husband and I love a little Mexican Restaurant in Plover called, La Mixteca. It started out with a few tables in the grocery store. Now it has expanded. Is it as good as Chicago, Mexican? Not by a long shot, but it is better then the microwaved junk, that they try to pass off here in central WI as Mexican.
That is why we are still so glad we get to venture down to Chicago once a month or so.

As I mentioned above, I spent my first 17 years growing up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. During that time (late 70's-early 80's,) drinking Point beer, for my generation anyway, was considered VERY uncool. (In case my parents ever see this - I'm just talking "theoretically." It's not like any underage drinking ever happened back then in Central Wisconsin. Or now. ) Anyway, back then Point was what the "old" men drank at the corner taps because it was cheap. None of us had much respect for it. It wasn't until I tried the Cascade Pale Ale here in Chicago that I thought about it in a new way.
Husband and I spent this weekend in Point visiting my parents. My Mom suggested a brewery tour as they had been really promoting the tours in the local paper of late and my parents (30 year+ residents) had never been either.
I'm going to 2nd nr706's recommendation of this tour. We were the only 4 for the noon tour, although a large group had gathered for the 1:30 as we were leaving. It's a really historic building with a lot of the original equipment as well. You have full access to the entire process from brewing to shipping. At the end of the tour, you are taken to a tasting room and given freshly popped popcorn, a complimentary tasting glass w/ the Point logo and are able to try any/all of the beers. I don't know if it's available in the Chicago area, but we were all impressed with the Point Light - it had a lot more character and body than the Miller or Bud offerings. We also liked the Point Amber. It being the Holiday season, Santa was waiting for us in the tasting room. Only in Wisconsin would parents take their kids to see Santa at the local brewery! Don't worry...the kiddies were given Point's root beer.
One other recommendation if you find yourself in the area - Christian's Bistro in Plover. This is a chef who worked w/ Emeril, and moved to Point after having children. (His wife, who manages the front-of-house, is from the area and her parents watch the kids.) They are really raising the bar here. Open kitchen, quality ingredients, nice wine list, very good service. Things we often take for granted here, but are not necessarily common in areas like Central Wisconsin. They tried to make it on breakfast and lunch only, but have since realized they needed to be open for dinner (w/ alcohol,) to be profitable. Their website does not reflect the update, but gives you an idea of what they are doing. It's definately worth a stop if you are near or driving further north. (I loved the pan-seared salmon w/ asian rice pilaf and avocado-stuffed wontons! I also never thought I'd see Qupe wines on a list near Mom & Dad. Good stuff!)

http://www.christiansbistro.com/