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Tour and a Taste

Explore the Central Wisconsin Craft Collective: visit, tour, and sample craft breweries, wineries, and a distillery in the Stevens Point Area. From sustainable suds to live music and community events, Craft Collective locations offer more than just tasty brews. Visit participating locations and pick your favorite spot. 

No matter where you go, always drink responsibly and arrange safe transportation. 

Point Brewery

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Central Waters Brewing

Verified by business owner 3 months ago

Review Highlights

“ Their Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale will quickly make you ooo and ahh too, as will the Bourbon Barrel Barleywine . ” in 2 reviews

“ Central Waters beer is top-notch too. ” in 2 reviews

“ Head to Waupaca, or Steven Point, and hit up some of the other breweries nearby like O'so . ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

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351 Allen St

Amherst, WI 54406

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World class beer from a sustainable brewery. …

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Center Waters will always be my favorite brewery, so you may want to grab a beer for this! Gosh where to start...I guess the beginning! I was introduced to this brewery by my husband's family when he and I were just dating. I learned quickly this place was my husband's family's go-to brewery, where they brought friends and family or just their spot to enjoy each other. They have been coming here since the building was just a tiny space with a makeshift bar! This is where I advanced my palette and fell in love with craft beer! Not just the beer but also the staff and the vibe of this place, really is just so much to love here. Okay I know, cheesy, meh, have another sip of that beer! I've bonded with my in-laws here and it's pretty much now tradition to come to the brewery when we visit. I bonded with my husband's brother and then his soon-to-be fiancé, and this is where they had a wonderful celebration with family and friends after their wedding. So many treasured memories and milestones here! They have a great variety of merchandise! I have a great collection from over the years from shirts to mugs and hats. Their swag is always fun to browse through and collect. We'll stock up with many of their delicious beers to bring back for friends at home (mostly our fridge!). It's fun to share their beer and see our friends' faces light up at something they never had. It's wonderful to see how much Central Waters has grown. Beautiful and spacious inside with an event room and shop for merchandise. Has outside seating and a covered patio. They also have rotating food trucks during the warm weather. Parking in front but fills up fast! They now have a second location in Milwaukee! A few of my favorites! Mudpuppy Porter Call Me Old Fashioned Bourbon Barrel Stouts are the best I've ever had. Really any beer you go with you'll be delighted! Looking forward to visiting around the holidays. Cheers to awesome beer!

Sitting outside with a beautiful flight!

Our traveling brewery pig named Pilsner visiting his favorite brewery

This has been and always will be my favorite destination taproom in the Midwest. the four-hour drive is totally worth it. The people are cool. the location has plenty of parking. they are environmentally conscious. They have the best seasonal beers. If you are thinking of coming here, try and align it to one of their beer events such as Black Gold, or the Maple Stout release. There is so much to do around this neck of the woods. Head to Waupaca, or Steven Point, and hit up some of the other breweries nearby like O'so. If you want to hit the pinnacle of fun come to the anniversary release in January. There are multitudes of awesome beers to drink. Bluegrass bands, and local foods to keep your belly full. I can guarantee you that I and the rest of our contingent of beer geeks will be there in 2024. Be there or be square.

Open air patio with a food truck on site. Excellent selection of beer to choice from. I went with an amber and the wife chose a silver. We were both very happy with our choices. Quiet setting for an enjoyable evening.

Although you can get a variety of their beers at various stores around town, the original location in Amherst has become a routine side stop on the way up north. I've stopped and had several unique beers not readily available in southern Wisconsin and the employees have been nothing but consistently awesome with every visit. The tap room has modern but charming aesthetic and good luck leaving without a scooping some apparel or glass wear (my favorite coffee mug came from here).

I'm a big beer drinker and love that the flights are 6 instead of the very popular set of 4. I like to try almost the whole menu if I can. Their recipes are deep with flavor, nothing feels like an accident or half assed here. The seasonal beers were my favorites here opposed to their flagships I've gotten from the grocery store before. They tend to favor darker and more malty beers. Tons of options on tap of variety. We were there when there was a small private party in one of their rooms inside. They have live music and a vast area outside to sit. Tons and tons of convenient parking on their lot. The only real downfall here is that is out of the way and there isn't a lot "close" by. They could definitely use some food options. They have since opened a MKE location (that I haven't been to yet) which is great to see as this brewery location is very North WI. Definitely worth the drive for a few relaxing or exciting hours at this brewery! They also have plenty of great options for cans to purchase to-go!

See all photos from Haley Z. for Central Waters Brewing

Good beer outside of Stevens Point. Many varieties including seltzers. Flights are the way to go to try different varieties. Good pours. Small gift shop for beer to go along with hats..tshirts.etc. No food available except popcorn. Food trucks on Saturday. Indoor and outside seating. Plenty of parking.

The beer here is always excellent and an incredible variety. Today I waited for the blonde tatted beer tender to wait on 7, count 'em 7 people that approached the bar after me. I had cash in the bar and clearly was waiting to order. Sweetie there's no tip for that poor service. Do better.

Massive Brewer set up. This Friday is busy with live music. Lots of parking. Friendly staff. Lots of brews leaning toward the darker and richer variety. Of course, many other styles. A big fridge has a bunch of styles of cans to go. Ciders, too.

See all photos from Joyce T. for Central Waters Brewing

Absolutely worth diving into the specialty stuff while you're here. Happened to take a chance on a 3pm brewery tour while I was here on a Saturday... and it was actually the most informative one I've been on. Unexpected bonus!

IPAs, cider, experimental tastes, Shandy's, dark, high ABV,.....oh my! Cans, bottles and draft, yes! What a wonderful variety of styles brewed right on the premises. Ballsy beers filled with thick flavors, alcohol and ideas. Worth a drive out here.

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Pedal Scenic Roads And Sample Delicious Brews On This Wisconsin Bicycle And Brewery Tour

Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests. 

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In Central Wisconsin, you’ll find a ride that’s especially refreshing on a warm day. The Tomorrow River State Trail is a biking trail that takes riders through some gorgeous Wisconsin scenery, but that’s not all. The trail passes near the award-winning Central Waters Brewing Company, so you can roll right up to one of the state’s best breweries. Air up your tires and get ready to work up a thirst – here’s what you need to know about this awesome bike tour in Central Wisconsin.

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The Tomorrow River State Trail is open year-round, from 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. A state trail pass is required for bicycling and horseback riding. For the latest taproom hours, check the Central Waters website . Interested in biking to more breweries? Here are some small-town spots you can put on your list .

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Central Waters' Milwaukee brewery is set to open with new look and new beers

When Central Waters Brewing Co. opened the doors to its new Milwaukee brewery in the old Captain Pabst Pilot House for a soft opening Tuesday, the first customer wasn’t as excited as the other beer fans who filtered in later.  

Five-month-old Maeve slept soundly in her car seat next to mom Caitlin O’Gara who was enjoying her last week of maternity leave with friend Judy Moffatt.  

“I was laughing, because I said to her, ‘Do you think a baby’s OK at a brewery?’ And then, ‘Oh yeah, we’re in Wisconsin,’” said O’Gara, who lives in Bay View. “I never made it out to the (Amherst) brewery, so I’m so happy they’re in the city. They’re a classic Wisconsin brewery.” 

Central Waters Brewing Co. was founded in Junction City in 1998 and moved to Amherst in 2006. The brewery is most well known for their barrel-aging program, but brews everything from red ales and pilsners to IPAs and hard seltzers.  Their second location, in Milwaukee’s Brewery District at 1037 W. Juneau Ave., will officially open at 11 a.m. Saturday. 

“Everybody’s excited,” said Eric Gutbrod, the taproom’s general manager. “People are hitting us up on social media, I’m getting text messages, phone calls, Instagram messages, all of those things.” 

It’s been 10 months since the three-year-old Pilot House closed, and while Central Waters has put its own spin on the historic building that was constructed as a German Methodist church in 1873, changes were limited by the building's historic designation — any alterations, even paint colors inside, required approval from a handful of entities.

“It’s a little bit different. It looks very modernized,” said Moffatt, who had visited the old Pilot House and said she likes the new look. 

Light still streams in through the large windows along its east and west walls, now a softer white with more pops of color: Central Waters' signature blue framing posters that highlight the four words in the brewery's tagline: ale, sun, Earth and sky; a large mural on the old stage by Madison artist Amy Zaremba that incorporates beer bottles and includes the Milwaukee skyline on one side and a blue heron and Amherst landscape on the other. 

“They called this the selfie wall,” O’Gara said as a group snapped a photo in front of it.  

A stainless-steel bar has replaced Pabst’s copper one — a nod to the industrial look of Central Waters’ flagship brewery.  

There are other similarities to the flagship, including the most important one: the beer.  

Twenty-four tap lines are filled with beers brewed in Amherst, from the flagship bestseller Honey Blonde ale and a variety of barrel-aged stouts to seasonal offerings like an Octoberfest lager and Peach Bellini, a New England IPA made with peaches. There are also canned offerings, including hard seltzers made with real fruit.  

The tap lines also include two beers made on the Milwaukee brewery’s 10-barrel system by head brewer Brendan Williamson, who previously brewed at Milwaukee’s Good City Brewing.  

“Brendan has free rein,” said Central Waters co-owner Paul Graham. “We told him, we'll bring those beers (brewed in Amherst) down. Anything that we’re doing in Amherst, you don’t worry about. You get creative and just do other stuff, have fun. It’s every brewer’s dream.” 

His first two creations, a double-dry hopped IPA and a honey double IPA, will be on tap for the opening. There’s also an American light lager that should be ready in a few weeks, Gutbrod said. The brewery has a small canning line to package the Milwaukee brews in 16-ounce cans, and will offer 32-ounce crowlers and 64-ounce growler fills, and 12-ounce cans from the Amherst brewery. 

Visitors to the opening can also look forward to a Black Gold vertical — the first ever served in the state, according to Gutbrod — with the 2019, 2020 and 2021 versions of the bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout on tap.  

The plan is for both breweries to brew their own beers, then share them. 

There’s also a plan for the breweries to share power — sort of. 

Sustainability is a big part of Central Waters’ mission, with solar panels outside the Amherst brewery producing about 65% of its energy needs every year.  

Because of the Milwaukee building's historic designation, however, Central Waters couldn’t implement some of the same sustainability measures here. But Graham said they hope to add solar panels to their Amherst array to help offset their Milwaukee facility, and their spent grain will go to Compost Crusader. 

Milwaukee brewing legacy 

Graham said they had been thinking about opening a second location for three or four years before Pabst approached them about the Milwaukee building. They came down to take a look, and it was a perfect fit.  

Not only is Milwaukee Central Waters' largest market, but co-owner Anello Mollica is from Milwaukee, not too far from the new brewery. 

The Milwaukee brewery is an amalgamation of old and new. Pabst’s huge brick grain silos loom over the beer garden out back, which has modern heaters and a stainless-steel bar. Leather couches fill alcoves in the upstairs mezzanine where the church choir used to sing. Instead of offerings from the Pabst restaurant that occupied the space after the church, Dairyland Old-Fashioned Hamburgers will now fill empty stomachs.

But there’s one thing that’s the same, since Pabst began brewing in the complex in 1844. 

“We were walking up, we smelled the beer brewing, the wort smell,” O’Gara said. She said she’s happy to see how buildings in the complex have been reclaimed over the last five years, especially in ways that are a nod to Milwaukee’s brewing legacy. 

Graham, who lives on a 40-acre property near the Amherst brewery, said coming to the city was an adjustment for him at first, but he’s fallen in love with the area.  

“There’s so much history. Honestly, to put our little mark on such a cool history … ,” he said. 

“Being part of the old Pabst Complex, something this historical, is really special for me, too,” said Gutbrod, who has spent 15 years working in the beer industry, including teaching beer history.  

Long-term, Gutbrod said the brewery hopes to host special events, including block parties with music, release parties for Milwaukee-brewed beers, and possibly a bottle pick-up for Central Waters’ anniversary beer — tickets for the annual release in Amherst regularly sell out in minutes.  

For now, however, they’ll raise a glass to being mostly finished with the new brewery, then go home and hopefully sleep like baby Maeve. 

What to know about Central Waters' new Milwaukee brewery 

Central Waters Pilot Brewery and Taproom is at 1037 W. Juneau Ave.  

After it opens Saturday, its hours will be 3 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. 

The brewery is wheelchair-accessible through an elevator near the beer garden. 

Dairyland Old-Fashioned Hamburgers will serve food at the brewery; ordering is done via QR codes on tables, with pick-up at a window in the back of the taproom.   

For more information on Central Waters, see  centralwaters.com . 

Contact Chelsey Lewis at  [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at @chelseylew and  @TravelMJS and Facebook at Journal Sentinel Travel .

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Central Waters Brewing Co. 351 Allen St, Amherst, WI 54406 (715) 824-2739

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