Beer, Brats, and Cheese
A Wisconsin Road Trip

Heather Kerrigan (Author)

9780299349844

Paperback / softback, published 25 February 2025

240 pages, 57 b&w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 1.5 cm, 0.454 kg

“If you want to take a road trip for beer, brats, and cheese, then this is your Bible, and Heather Kerrigan is your beer, cheese, and brat prophetess. Reading this book will make you both hungry and thirsty, and you’ll likely want to jump in your car and take a road trip, with Kerrigan riding shotgun.”—Jeanette Hurt, author of Wisconsin Cocktails

As the latest season of Top Chef reveals, Wisconsin foodways contain much more than beer, brats, and cheese. Yet these remain at the pinnacle of the state’s fame—and rightly so. If you live in Wisconsin—or have simply visited—you know it’s hard to imagine tailgating, graduating, or celebrating without the Big Three.

In 2022, Heather Kerrigan undertook a twenty-six-hundred-mile road trip crisscrossing the Badger State, seeking the hidden gems that locals frequent. She visited Wisconsin’s best restaurants, creameries, breweries, butcher shops, and cheesemongers. In Beer, Brats, and Cheese, Kerrigan highlights the innovative flavors and unexpected delights found in these spots, while revealing why these three foods enjoy a place of honor in the state’s culinary culture. Great beer isn’t made only in Milwaukee, Sheboygan doesn’t have a lock on the best bratwurst, and excellent cheeses don’t just come from Monroe County. In fact, there are towns large and small, from the far north to the Illinois border, from Door County to the Mississippi River, that produce amazing culinary experiences. 

Whether you’re planning a turn-by-turn day trip or simply looking for a great place to eat or drink nearby, this guide has you covered.

List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
1 Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin
2 Madison and South Central Wisconsin
3 Eau Claire and West Central Wisconsin
4 Up North and the Northwoods
5 Green Bay and Northeastern Wisconsin
Final Thoughts
Appendix
Bibliography
Index