By Josh Staloch
Staff Writer
SUAMICO – From a two-stall garage in Algoma to a large building off Lineville in Suamico, Ahnapee Brewery is making its mark on the craft beer scene in Northeast Wisconsin.
“Beer has always just been my passion,” Nick Calaway, owner and head brewer said. “The process, it takes a long time and you have all of these little things you have to tweak along the way in order to make it better. The process has been a big part of who I am.”
Calaway said the Suamico site shares its name with its sister-location, and flagship brewery in Algoma name, which roots date back to the late 1880s.
He said he pays special tribute to Ahnapee’s history with artwork beginnings.
The product
Ahnapee has 16 beers on tap, four of which customers can find on the menu year round, as well as nine seasonal and three limited release selections. The variety of beer offered at Ahnapee goes from one end of the spectrum to the other. Calaway said Cherry Wood, a Baltic porter aged in Door County cherry wood barrels highlights the limited release menu right now but
The taproom has the Fun Guy- a mushroom brown ale, which speaks for itself, and a Pineapple Banana Smash – a sour ale infused with banana and pineapple and a Root Beer Float stout to name just a few of the seasonal brews currently on the roster at Ahnapee.
Ahnapee’s true-to-style craft brews are available in 5 ounce, 12 ounce, 16 ounce, growler or in a six pack.
In November 2019, Calaway said beerconnoisseur.com had a pair of Ahnapee brews on it’s list of exceptional beers.
Both the Two Stall Stout, one of the brewery’’s year-round varieties, and the Ahnapee Oktoberfest scored 94 out of 100.
The future
Calaway said upgrades to the outdoor space are in the works.
During its first summer, he said the brewery rented a tent, but the south side of the structure will see expanded space for customers to get outside.
There are even hops growing in soil and pots at Ahnapee, which Calaway said will someday be climbing up the exterior of the building.
“It’s great, the energy is really nice,” he said when asked how a busy night at Ahnapee feels. “You come from Algoma, which is a tourist town, and you have this different feel when we were out there. Everyone is always in a great mood. You’re on vacation, it’s just different. We were able to capture some of that here.”
A cheesy alliance
Simply put, Calaway said, beer goes well with food.
About the only thing a patron of Ahnapee might find missing in the whole experience would be a bite to eat.
However, Calaway says they’ve got that covered, too.
“They’ll walk your order right over,” Calaway said.