Wisconsin is known for cheese, and better yet, cheese curds. You know I love a good, deep-fried cheese curd: perfectly battered, melty cheese, served with a side of house-made ranch dressing. I visited Madison recently to try out more of their deep-fried cheese curds and get some deals by using the Madison On Tap craft beverage trail.
Every order of curds I ate was delicious, and each craft beer I tried paired perfectly. Let’s take a little adventure, shall we?
The Lone Girl Brewing
The Lone Girl Brewing in Waunakee has been brewing their own beer since 2016. Their cheese curds are made with muenster cheese and battered with Lone Girl beer. I paired the curds with their Orange Pop Fruit Beer, which was super tasty. Madison On Tap gets you BOGO on beer, so don't forget to use it!
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Starkweather Brewing Company
Starkweather has only been open for a few years, but they know what they are doing when it comes to beer and cheese curds. These curds are also made with muenster cheese and served with homemade ranch. They have jalapeño ranch, too, which I loved. I paired my cheese with their Hopnivore IPA beer. Madison On Tap gets you BOGO on beer here, too!
Vintage Brewing Company
Vintage Brewing has three locations in the Madison area. I visited the location near the Wisconsin State Capitol Square and it was a vibe. We were there during brunch time and the menu looked absolutely fantastic. Their curds are breaded, not battered, and the cheese is from Ellsworth Creamery. The breading was nice and thick—just like the ranch. Madison On Tap gets you $1 off of one of their beers!
The Coopers Tavern
We headed down to the Capitol Square to check out the curds at The Coopers Tavern. Coopers uses Pabst Blue Ribbon in their batter, which makes the curds nice and crispy. They are made with Ellsworth Creamery cheese and served with their homemade ranch.
Merchant
A few blocks away from Coopers Tavern is a pretty hip spot called Merchant. It is a very chic spot and their curds are made to match. They are battered in buttermilk, perfectly melty and served with ranch and hot honey. I’m a ranch gal, but the hot honey was a nice touch.
Lucille
I had not been to Lucille previously, but I was extremely impressed. Their cheese curds did not disappoint either. The cheese for these curds comes from Cedar Grove and they are served with marinara and ranch. The marinara came out piping hot and was a great addition to the cheese curds.
Fromagination
I ended the day at Fromagination, an artisan cheese shop on the square. Even though they don't have deep-fried curds, they have numerous other cheese options to choose from. In addition to cheeses, there are locally made items such as jam, wine and crackers. It is a great spot to purchase gifts or to stock up on your favorite cheese.
