Grafton Breweries (and a Riverside Brewpub)

For a town this size, the lineup of Grafton breweries is a genuine surprise: an independent craft brewery, a long-running brewpub on the river, and a cocktail-forward kitchen downtown. It also comes with a story most places cannot claim, since the local stout is named for the record label that made Grafton briefly famous a century ago. Here is where to drink, who is behind each place, what is on tap, and how to string them into a good night out.

Sahale Ale Works

Sahale Ale Works is the heart of Grafton's beer scene. It opened in July 2019, founded by brewer Matthew Hofmann, who had put in time at Lakefront, St. Francis and 3 Sheeps before striking out on his own on Wisconsin Avenue in the redeveloping part of downtown. The name rhymes with koala and comes from a peak in Washington State that Hofmann climbed; it means a high place, or a falcon. The taproom pours roughly eight to ten beers brewed on site, and four tend to hold down the core lineup: the Voyager Golden Ale, the 1896 Amber, the Sky Breaker Hazy IPA, and the Paramount Stout, named for Paramount Records, which recorded blues legends blocks away in the 1920s. There is usually a barrel-aged or sour beer in the rotation too.

The room itself is part of the appeal. It is deliberately screen-free, built for conversation rather than televised sports, with indoor seating and a plaza out front for warm evenings. It is dog-friendly inside and out, flights of four let you taste around before committing, and the staff know the beer well enough to steer you. Food trucks pull up regularly and there is a pizza place a stone's throw away in the plaza if you want more than taproom snacks. Check the hours before you go, since the taproom keeps afternoon-and-evening hours and is closed some early-week days. The Paramount Stout is the one to order first, and the blues history behind the name is worth knowing before you drink it.

Water Street Brewery

Water Street Brewery is the other side of Grafton's beer scene: a full brewpub rather than a taproom. It is the Grafton location of Milwaukee's Milwaukee Ale House, which has brewed beer since 1987 and opened here in 2008, and it sits along the Milwaukee River with a broad menu to match the beer. Expect brewpub classics done well: a Wisconsin fish fry, cheese curds, burgers, French onion soup, schnitzel and pizza, alongside the house-brewed beers on tap. It is the easy choice when the group wants a proper sit-down meal with its pint rather than snacks, and it handles large parties and private events comfortably. The riverside setting makes it a pleasant lunch stop as well as a dinner one.

The Stillery and cocktails

If you would rather have a cocktail than a beer, The Stillery on 12th Avenue runs a strong drink program alongside its kitchen, and it is a comfortable spot to start or end a night. It is not a working distillery, but the bar leans into spirits and shareable plates, from tacos and burgers to spinach dip and gouda mac, and it is known for accommodating groups that show up without a reservation. Think of it as the change of pace in a beer-heavy town.

Taverns for a pint

Beyond the breweries, Grafton keeps a couple of good old-fashioned taverns worth a stop. Casey Key Pub is the neighbourhood bar for a beer and a burger, straightforward and friendly, with a Florida theme that sets it apart. Redheads Tavern is a small, welcoming room with darts and billiards leagues and a Sheboygan cracker-crust pizza worth ordering with your pint. And The Bunkers, the restaurant at Edgewater Golf Club, is an easy spot for a drink after nine holes or a casual pint with a Friday fish fry. None of these is fancy, and that is exactly the appeal.

Making a night of it

A good Grafton crawl starts at Sahale for a flight of house beer, moves to Water Street for dinner and a pint on the river, and ends with a cocktail at The Stillery. It is all within a short drive, and much of downtown is walkable, so you can leave the car for part of it.

If you are building a fuller day around the drinks, there is good food along the way at the town's good food along the way.

And the beer sits easily inside a wider day of parks, the river and blues history across the a fuller day around Grafton.