Day 57: Catch a Fish at Capitol Brewery Bockfest
Over the years, Capital Brewery in Middleton has gained national and worldwide attention by having won several awards at beer competitions. Some of these contests have been the Great American Beer Festival, Chicago Beer Society Tastings, and the Great Taste of the Midwest. The most prominent award was at the Beverage Testing Institute’s World Beer Championships. It was here that the Blonde Dopplebock was awarded platinum not once, but three times in the past eight years and, in 1998, the brewery was rated #1 in the U.S. and #7 in the world. The brewery also houses a Gift Haus, a Bier Stube, and an outdoor Bier Garten.
Currently, Capital Brewery produces up to 16 different beers per year; eight annuals , four seasonals, and up to four limited releases.
Capital Brewery is hosting Bockfest this Saturday, February 26th, marking the public release of the brewery’s well-known Blonde Doppelbock beer. Doppelbocks are deep golden to bronze-colored lagers with lots of sweet caramel malty tones. Bock beers, customarily, are brewed in the fall and drunk in later winter to celebrate the coming spring. Monks in the 16th and 17th centuries fasted during Lent and found nourishment from strong, hearty bock beers they referred to as liquid bread.
According to the dailypage.com,
“Capital’s Bockfest started thirteen years ago when brewery executives wanted to hold a winter beer festival on par with an ice-fishing contest. While there is lots of beer, live music in the beer garden (Pupy Costello & His Big City Honky-Tonk), costumes, and the 1K run (a.k.a., the “Running of the Blondes”) the highpoint is when Capital Brewmaster Kirby Nelson arrives on the roof of the brewery riding a green dinosaur. He then proceeds to throw smoked chubs to the thousands below.
Catching one of the exploding fish is rather “gutsy” because it disintegrates upon impact, spraying the catcher or anyone nearby. Catching an intact fish head means a free beer. Nelson is quick to quip, “We believe that anyone willing to get fish thrown at them should have a chance for more than a bad stink!”
Saturday’s line-up includes:
11am – VIP Gate Opens
Noon – Public Gate Open
12:30pm – 1K Running of the Blondes
1pm – Pupy Costello & His Big City Honky Tonk
2pm – Bockstume Contest
3pm – Fish Fly!
4pm – Taps Close
5pm – See you next year!
2,500 tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get there early! Free water and soda will also be available.
For more information on Capitol Brewery, visit www.capital-brewery.com
Category: 365 Things To Do in Madison
