A true destination spot. Laid back atmosphere. They are pioneers in bourbon barrel rested beer. Not enough OOO's in Smooth. Lots of different brews to choose from Pils to dark and everything in-between. Food trucks are usually there on weekends and excellent food to complement the brews. You can tell they are passionate in their craft. You will not be disapointed. They have a great tasting menu also. Both outside and inside seating and dog friendly. read more

This has been and always will be my favorite destination taproom in the Midwest. the four-hour drive is totally worth it. The people are cool. the location has plenty of parking. they are environmentally conscious. They have the best seasonal beers. If you are thinking of coming here, try and align it to one of their beer events such as Black Gold, or the Maple Stout release. There is so much to do around this neck of the woods. Head to Waupaca, or Steven Point, and hit up some of the other breweries nearby like O'so. If you want to hit the pinnacle of fun come to the anniversary release in January. There are multitudes of awesome beers to drink. Bluegrass bands, and local foods to keep your belly full. I can guarantee you that I and the rest of our contingent of beer geeks will be there in 2024. Be there or be square. read more

Central Waters Brewing - a man standing in front of a building - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

Center Waters will always be my favorite brewery, so you may want to grab a beer for this! Gosh where to start...I guess the beginning! I was introduced to this brewery by my husband's family when he and I were just dating. I learned quickly this place was my husband's family's go-to brewery, where they brought friends and family or just their spot to enjoy each other. They have been coming here since the building was just a tiny space with a makeshift bar! This is where I advanced my palette and fell in love with craft beer! Not just the beer but also the staff and the vibe of this place, really is just so much to love here. Okay I know, cheesy, meh, have another sip of that beer! I've bonded with my in-laws here and it's pretty much now tradition to come to the brewery when we visit. I bonded with my husband's brother and then his soon-to-be fiancé, and this is where they had a wonderful celebration with family and friends after their wedding. So many treasured memories and milestones here! They have a great variety of merchandise! I have a great collection from over the years from shirts to mugs and hats. Their swag is always fun to browse through and collect. We'll stock up with many of their delicious beers to bring back for friends at home (mostly our fridge!). It's fun to share their beer and see our friends' faces light up at something they never had. It's wonderful to see how much Central Waters has grown. Beautiful and spacious inside with an event room and shop for merchandise. Has outside seating and a covered patio. They also have rotating food trucks during the warm weather. Parking in front but fills up fast! They now have a second location in Milwaukee! A few of my favorites! Mudpuppy Porter Call Me Old Fashioned Bourbon Barrel Stouts are the best I've ever had. Really any beer you go with you'll be delighted! Looking forward to visiting around the holidays. Cheers to awesome beer! read more

Central Waters Brewing - Sitting outside with a beautiful flight! - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

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I'm a big beer drinker and love that the flights are 6 instead of the very popular set of 4. I like to try almost the whole menu if I can. Their recipes are deep with flavor, nothing feels like an accident or half assed here. The seasonal beers were my favorites here opposed to their flagships I've gotten from the grocery store before. They tend to favor darker and more malty beers. Tons of options on tap of variety. We were there when there was a small private party in one of their rooms inside. They have live music and a vast area outside to sit. Tons and tons of convenient parking on their lot. The only real downfall here is that is out of the way and there isn't a lot "close" by. They could definitely use some food options. They have since opened a MKE location (that I haven't been to yet) which is great to see as this brewery location is very North WI. Definitely worth the drive for a few relaxing or exciting hours at this brewery! They also have plenty of great options for cans to purchase to-go! read more

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Open air patio with a food truck on site. Excellent selection of beer to choice from. I went with an amber and the wife chose a silver. We were both very happy with our choices. Quiet setting for an enjoyable evening. read more

Central Waters Brewing - Amber beer - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

another great stop for a large variety of beers, atmosphere was wonderful and staff was friendly read more

Central Waters Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

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Good beer outside of Stevens Point. Many varieties including seltzers. Flights are the way to go to try different varieties. Good pours. Small gift shop for beer to go along with hats..tshirts.etc. No food available except popcorn. Food trucks on Saturday. Indoor and outside seating. Plenty of parking. read more

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Massive Brewer set up. This Friday is busy with live music. Lots of parking. Friendly staff. Lots of brews leaning toward the darker and richer variety. Of course, many other styles. A big fridge has a bunch of styles of cans to go. Ciders, too. read more

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IPAs, cider, experimental tastes, Shandy's, dark, high ABV,.....oh my! Cans, bottles and draft, yes! What a wonderful variety of styles brewed right on the premises. Ballsy beers filled with thick flavors, alcohol and ideas. Worth a drive out here. read more

Central Waters Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

Fantastic venue, excellent beer and service. Have a nice selection of beer for everyone, a good selection of food trucks and great food. A little out of the way, but definitely worth the trip! read more

Central Waters, go there. There is a reason their anniversary party tickets sell out in a minute. Amazing beer. The location is pretty unassuming located in a business park. Great outdoor seating in the front and plenty of indoor seating. For $9 you can do a sampler that includes 5 flagship beers, and 1 specialty. Or you can be like me and pay $15 and choose 6 specialty beers. Their anniversary beer is delicious so I had to get a XX. Peruvian Morning is a delicious beer. So many great options. You can also get half pours and full pours. Not much for food options but they have popcorn for sale, nuts and a food truck. Looking forward to my next visit to Central Waters! For now I'll enjoy what I can get from CW in Milwaukee. read more

Although you can get a variety of their beers at various stores around town, the original location in Amherst has become a routine side stop on the way up north. I've stopped and had several unique beers not readily available in southern Wisconsin and the employees have been nothing but consistently awesome with every visit. The tap room has modern but charming aesthetic and good luck leaving without a scooping some apparel or glass wear (my favorite coffee mug came from here). read more

Absolutely worth diving into the specialty stuff while you're here. Happened to take a chance on a 3pm brewery tour while I was here on a Saturday... and it was actually the most informative one I've been on. Unexpected bonus! read more

Central Waters Brewing - stacked barrels in a warehouse - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

I'm a local. I try to stopover about every 3-4 days for what's on nitro. Actually ALL the beers on tap are amazing. I'm truly blessed to be so close to the brewery. 'Love meeting my friends there. read more

Central Waters Brewing - The Brewery!! - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

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A visit to Central Waters Brewing has been on my wish-list since 2009, or maybe 2010 (when you get to be my age the years begin to blend together). Anyway, I've wanted to visit here for a loooong time. Yesterday, (February 18th, 2017) I finally made the pilgrimage! My wife and I made the three-hour trek from Grayslake, and we weren't disappointed. It was a beautiful day, and a pleasant drive. Once we hit Amherst, a sense of excitement grew. Suddenly, we came over a ridge and I sighted the brewery. As we drew near, we were both impressed by the size of the compound, and the sheer volume of cars in the lot (I use the term "lot" loosely). We were lucky to find one of the few remaining spots, and I parked. We walked in. The place was jammed. I took a moment to soak it all in. Then I said: "Let's get a beer!" The bar was probably two-deep with people clamoring for a beer. Some jackass behind me started waiving two empty glasses and calling for a bartender. I turned around and said: "Dude, wait your turn." He apologized and stopped waiving the glasses. We struck-up a conversation, and it turns out he wasn't a bad guy, just thirsty. Bottom line: they probably need to cordon-off a small area at the bar with no barstools, so patrons can form an orderly line. I had a couple of awesome brews that you can't find anywhere else in the whole-wide-world. Finally, we were ready to press on. As we left, there was a second tap station. This one caters to those looking for growlers and howlers to-go. I requested two howlers of their Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine. Yum! Some day I will return. I don't know when ... but I will return. read more

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We came up this weekend to get our family cottage open on the chain of lakes. Thankfully Central Waters was open for business. We enjoy coming here every time we are in the area. There are new rules now with the re-opening of the economy. First, you will be greeted by an an employee as you pull in who will explain the current rules. Park your car, and sit at one of the intentionally distanced tables. You get to sit outside only, and there is one order station which you must maintain distance before you can order. Get your beer, go to your table, and enjoy the day. Disposable cups, cleansing after every customer, and great customer attention. They put their plan together properly so everyone can feel safe. I had the Brewer's reserve bourbon barrel pecan Kringle stout. If you are a dark beer fan, you will love this offering. A perfect Wisconsin Kringle in a beer. I liked it so much that I got a 4 pack to bring home with me. There are numerous other offerings, so if you are in this area, please stop by and support this great local brewery. read more

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The beer here is always excellent and an incredible variety. Today I waited for the blonde tatted beer tender to wait on 7, count 'em 7 people that approached the bar after me. I had cash in the bar and clearly was waiting to order. Sweetie there's no tip for that poor service. Do better. read more

This place is amazing. It's the perfect pit stop to pickup some awesome bourbon barrel beer on your way up north.... and your way back home. If you're lucky, you should ask for their special yearly bottle of beer. It's $20 and should saved for a special occasion. read more

Had a fun time visiting Central Waters tap room. The space was large with plenty of table seating as well as a decent sized bar. Service was friendly and prompt. We had sample tray of several beers for $15. It was a great price and we were able to try several different beers. We've enjoyed their beers previously but it was fun to try some of their experimental and seasonal beers. The pumpkin latte, gingerbread beer and maple stout were among our favorite. You can also get crowlers and/or growlers for many of their beers. My only (small) complaint was there were no food/snack options. When drinking I like to have a little food. Just some snack options would have been nice. But if we we're in Stevens Point we'd definitely be back. read more

This little brewery in the middle of nowhere stands its ground against some of the best breweries we've frequented in San Diego and Portland, Oregon. The company store in Amherst is friendly, warm, inviting, and fun. But it's not just the great brewery experience. Central Waters beer is top-notch too. Since coming to Milwaukee on temp assignment, and after many trial pints, we've settled on their HHG APA (Horseshoes and Hand-Grenades American Pale Ale) as our main beer. And that's in a city with no shortage of very workmanlike craft brewers. read more

Central Waters Brewing - Bathrooms! - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

My dad, who lives in WI, gave us this beer. Shine On from Central Waters Brewery in Amherst, WI (population 1,052). Central Waters is Wisconsin's first green-powered brewery. They use solar panels and radiant floor heating systems, and efficient lighting and electricity systems. All of the materials in their tap room are from recycled resources and they have reduced the amount of packaging materials that comes into the facility by having a grain silo outside the brewery. Also, they work with local farmers to recycle the grain used in the brewing process. Pretty cool! They're "making the world a better place, one beer at a time." The Shine On beer is a red ale that was made to commemorate Central Water's solar hot water system and their partnership with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA). It's made with Wisconsin-grown, organic barley and a proceed of all sales go to the MREA to help fund renewable energy and sustainability. Ok, so this is all fine and good and commendable... but how did the beer taste? That's what it comes down to ultimately, right? We really liked it. .. organic and sustainable or not, it was a great tasting beer. We'll have to pick some more up next time we're in Wisconsin and maybe try some others from Central Waters Brewing. read more

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Really cool brewery doing insane things leading the country in barrel aged beers. Extremely awesome environment to hang out and have a great tasting beer. Wondered up there on a spontaneous beer tour to O'so and Central Waters. Working at Next Door Brewing it is cool to see a bigger scaled brewery and how things are done compared to where we are going. They have brewery tours where the guide is hella rad and extremely informative! read more

Central Waters Brewing - Brewery tour ! - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

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What a great thing for Central Wisconsin to have. Perfect on a Saturday afternoon, especially if you have visitors in town. It's a great atmosphere inside, live music, great tour - ask for Scott Frazier. Learned a lot about brewing and are really looking forward to tasting some of the best beer around. read more

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Tour was excellent and very informational! Frasier was a fantastic guide. The beer was exceptional too!

Central waters just won the award for the best craft beer in the states, with Ardea Insignis. Granted that was a raffle event to purchase the bottle, the rest of their beer selection holds great. Every year they hold release parties for black gold and they're anniversary beer. Not always easy to get tickets for but when you do get to go, it's a great time. This place has had to open up more space in their brewery for craft connoisseurs. As it becomes more popular. The decor inside is simple but neat. You can come here to watch packers games or hear live music too. I'm hoping they open a brew pub down in Milwaukee someday but it's a fun stop from trips up north. Just need food there read more

What a cool spot! I've been wanting to come here for awhile now but finally got the chance for the Maple release. I think the release was done well and even though the number of people, we were still able to get drinks quickly and grab our bottles. The pours were fairly priced and the beer was of course, delicious. I would love to come back up during a non-release day. read more

Incredible beer. A commitment to sustainability. Incredible beer. Really nice folks. Incredible beer. Did I mention incredible beer? --- They have sessions and they have one and done'ers. Barrel aging is their game, so expect some big time, full-flavor, high ABV monster types seasonally, but don't forget about their Hop Rise, Shine On, and other year-round offerings. Their commitment to using renewable energy and leveraging sustainably-minded practices far surpasses any other brewery in the state. All of the folks I've worked with and met that have been affiliated with Central Waters are super nice, too. Did I mention that the beer is incredible? Buy local/regional, and if you find yourself near Amherst, you should definitely take a tour. Definitely. read more

I have visited over 120 breweries to date, and although I used to be hesitant to name my favorite brewery, I no longer am - it's Central Waters, unanimously. Central Waters is the best barrel-aging brewery out there, hands down. Their Bourbon Barrel Stout is what all other bourbon barrel stouts grow up hoping to be. It's the perfect blend of stout and bourbon - smooth, silky, with the right amount of booze. It's lowly carbonated, allowing for the careful craftsmanship to be thoroughly enjoyed without too much of any part of this beer coming through. It's one of the most finely balanced beers I've ever had - absolutely perfect. Just when I think I might be overhyping this beer after tasting other fine bourbon barrel stouts, I'm quickly reminded this is the best every time I have it. The stout has some tasty barrel aged company. Their Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale will quickly make you ooo and ahh too, as will the Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. Seriously, if they have a bourbon barrel aged beer, get it. Collect them all. But they don't stop there. Even their basic brews are top notch representations. Their red and pale ale are rock solid, nailing their respective styles on the mark. Their Mudpuppy Porter might be one of the best porters out there, and when it's on nitro, it's winner winner chicken dinner. Oh, and they also have a regular imperial stout that will knock your socks off and an imperial IPA (Illumination) that is in my Top 5 of imperial IPAs, one of my favorite styles. Bottom line: every beer I have from Central Waters is phenomenal, best in class. So they must cost a fortune, right? Wrong. Even at half their quality they'd be a steal, but at the level they create, the price they usually sell for (in bottles or at the brewery) is an absurd deal. If I lived in WI, I'd buy them all...the...time. If you're on a quest for America's best beers, it requires you to enjoy as much Central Waters you can acquire. This is American beer at its finest. read more

If you're ever in the area, I would highly recommend checking out Central Waters. First of all, you are going to get an experience you cannot get anywhere else. The locals are very friendly and the service is great. If you go on a Friday afternoon, you are likely to see a variety of people. When I was there, there were some people grilling out in the parking lot and listening to the Brewers game. Full disclosure: I wrote an article about the brewery when I was in college. The owners of this place are awesome and they care about sustainability. It's amazing how much they have done to conserve from using solar power to giving their spent grain to a local farm down the road. Take the tour and they will tell you more about their efforts. read more

This is a fun place. Much larger than I thought it would be. The beers were good and they had a variety of wines, soda, etc for those like my wife who don't care for beer. However, their portions are ridiculously small. Granted you get a pint of beer for $4. But a glass of wine was $6 and there wasn't even half a glass. The server had no idea what beer I wanted though I took it right from their menu, and she seemed bothered to have to wait on me. We bought a bag of popcorn and it was stale as can be. Not worth the drive from Wausau when you have Bull Falls and Sawmill much closer. They need to work on their employees attitudes. Friendly and welcoming are not words I would use here read more

My company has a building 250 ft away from this amazing brewery. It's a fairly large facility considering the size of Amherst and has very friendly people working there. A bar area with tables and chairs precedes the brewing area in the back. At least 10 or so beers are on tap constantly - I love the Shine On, a malty red ale, commemorates their solar hot water system and all proceeds go to fund renewable energy. The honey blonde and Belgian blond are nice light options yet still retain a lot of flavor. The bourbon barrel cherry stout is another favorite. I'm very happy that they now distribute in Pennsylvania so I don't need to wait until the one time a year I'm in Amherst to enjoy some of their fine brews. read more

I LOVE this place and in a single moment. You guys are awesome. The food truck is a plus! These guys make beer that defies explanation - and is totally worth the drive!!!! read more

Great selection of their beers on tap but no guest taps, which is fine. Some breweries offer it while some don't. Knowledgeable staff on hand serving the beers and the tour was good. The atmosphere is awesome; they recently added on a new front of the building to make it more welcoming and pleasant. The staff didn't make fun of me for watching the Badgers - Arizona Elite 8 game on my iPad either! I was waiting for some digs, but the bartender asked me the score. They also had live music when i was there on a Saturday with a little 3 piece acoustic cover band playing some CCR. All in all, I love this place. read more

Great selection of beers and friendly staff! Big taproom with plenty of bar seating and tables. When I visited, there was live music!

Limited hours in the taproom caused us to turn our trip to Wisconsin into a four day adventure, but it was worth the wait. The tap room is small, but you're right in the middle of the brewery, so that's cool. Pretty laid back, it felt like everyone else there knew each other. All the beers we sampled were great, and I like the pick your own flight. My favorite out of what we tried was the Exodus, which was a sour, and so good. Prices are also very reasonable, just make sure to take cash, or you'll have to hit up the ATM, as they don't accept cards. read more

Family oriented feel. Very casual and comfortable vibe. When The gps said we were a half mile away, I thought we were lost. You really feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. But all of a sudden, the brewery is there! Very cool. Came on a busy night with live music. Tables were full when we got here but we quickly got a table. Plus, pints are way cheaper than what you would get at another bar. We had the chance to try our favorites as well as the limited released and definitely took advantage. And the food truck is a very nice touch. We will definitely be back!!! read more

Central Waters Brewing - Thank goodness they have a food truck! - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

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This is the second year i had beer from central waters brewing co.. The bear is great.. the porter and all the reds are awesome. This great company is a green powered and provide beer at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair. The fair is 3 days long and for 3 days straight you can drink great beer. Next time i am in Amherst i will see about checking out the their location. The staff is friendly and cheerful. I highly recommend their beer over any beer i have tasted from Wi so far. read more

Central Waters is one of the fastest growing breweries in the state of Wisconsin, and it shows with the expanding facilities and increased distribution of their beer. There is a good reason for this growth; when you have a good product the rest falls into place. BUT this is a review of CWB's brewery, not the beer. Four of us drove up to Amherst from Madison because we all love CWB's beer and wanted to go straight to the source. 1.5 hours isn't a bad drive for this experience! The brewery itself has a very small tasting room that the facility has since outgrown. It was very crammed and crowded, but we also learned that the tasting room will be expanding this summer. If you want a table to yourself on a weekend, show up before 3pm. If you're any later you will be watching to snipe a table when it opens up. The taplist is extensive and contains mostly what you would see in local Wisconsin stores for purchase, BUT four of the taps tend to have beers not readily distributed, which we all know is the reason for a visit. Food is not available in the tasting room beyond pretzels and chips. I think CWB could make a killing off cheese and meat boards. I definitely need more food with my copious beer consumption. We went on the tour offered on Saturdays at 3pm. Our tour guide was hilarious and informative. We got to see the tank room, bottling line, storage warehouse, and the FANTASTIC barrel room. If you're a barrel aged fan, CWB is for you! The tour really showed the booming business CWB is experiencing. Parts of the facility appeared "cobbled together," including a random hole cut in the wall to make room for an expanded bottling line. Sanitation looked questionable around the bottling, but I have never had a bad beer from CWB so I guess that means it is "good enough." Overall, great experience and great beer. We are going to try to make it back for the limited release barrel aged stout with Door County cherries! read more

This is a great place, well worth the trip for the beer alone. They make a number of amazing beers which are even better straight from the source. Additionally, the tour was very interesting. The brewery was clean and attractive and the tour guide had many interesting stories about the brewery and it's history. The tap room is fantastic with really nice bartenders and a great selection. read more

The Central Waters taproom is only open on Fridays (at 3pm), Saturdays (12pm), and Sundays (12pm). You get a great view of the brewery operations sitting at the bar. The bartenders are happy to offer tastes and you may order a flight of small beers to help you decide before you commit to a pint or half pint. Our favorite beer was the bourbon stout. The mudpuppy porter was solid too. I didn't care for their lighter colored beers as much. No food offered so if you're hungry get a bite to eat before you arrive. If you're sensitive and it's a hot day, you may want to know they don't have AC. But then we were there on a 90 degree day, and they have an enormous fan and after a bourbon stout, we were feeling fine. read more

Central Waters Brewing - Central Waters - Breweries Near Me - Amherst, Wisconsin

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