From lager revival to hazy IPAs, Wisconsin's beer scene is evolving fast
Wisconsin has always been a beer state. But 2026 is shaping up to be a turning point — a year where tradition and innovation collide in ways that will reshape the state's brewing landscape for the next decade.
The biggest trend in Wisconsin beer right now is a return to lager. After a decade of IPA dominance, Wisconsin brewers are rediscovering the style that built the state's beer culture. Crisp, clean, and refreshing — lager is what Wisconsin does best, and craft breweries are finally embracing it.
Spotted Cow from New Glarus remains the benchmark — a farmhouse ale that's only sold in Wisconsin, deliberately limiting distribution to maintain its local identity. But new lagers are appearing from breweries across the state: Session lagers, Helles-style beers, and even Pilsners that would make a Czech brewmaster nod approvingly.
The reason for the shift is partly consumer fatigue with extreme hoppy beers and partly a return to Wisconsin's roots. This state was built on lager — Miller, Pabst, Schlitz, and Blatz all started here. The craft lager movement isn't a rejection of craft beer. It's craft beer coming home.
Don't write off the IPA just yet. Hazy, juicy New England-style IPAs remain popular, especially with younger drinkers. Wisconsin breweries like Indeed Brewing and 3 Sheeps are producing hazy IPAs that compete with anything from Vermont or California.
The difference now is that hazy IPAs share shelf space with lagers instead of dominating it. A well-rounded beer menu in 2026 Wisconsin includes both — the hop-forward beer for the enthusiast and the clean lager for the traditionalist.
Sour beers — tart, funky, sometimes fruit-forward — have found a permanent home in Wisconsin. The state's brewing culture has always embraced unusual flavors (cheese beer exists here, unironically), and sours fit right in.
Cherry sours are particularly Wisconsin. Door County cherries provide the fruit, and the state's Belgian brewing heritage provides the yeast strains. The result is a style that's uniquely Wisconsinite.
The best Wisconsin beer experiences aren't in the craft-only taprooms of Milwaukee's Third Ward. They're in the mixed bars of small towns where you can get a Spotted Cow alongside a shot and a beer, where the bartender knows your name, and where the beer list includes both local craft and a 16-ounce can of something domestic.
In Prentice, Ripsaw Saloon exemplifies this approach — a neighborhood bar where the beer selection reflects what Wisconsin drinkers actually want, not what a sommelier thinks they should want. It's the kind of place where you can try a new hazy IPA from a Wisconsin brewery and follow it with an Old Fashioned. That's the Wisconsin way.
Discover more Wisconsin experiences at borrachos.bar and explore the Northwoods at Price County Fun.