Door County: Wine, Beer, & Booze

This is by far my favorite winery in Door County. Full-disclosure, my dad and Bob Lautenbach were buddies, and Bob’s son even worked for my parents for a summer. That being said, every single person I’ve ever brought here has asked to return. In addition to wine, they have everything from salsa to pastries to pick-your-own cherries. You can even try your hand at beating the state record for the cherry pit spit on their practice pit. If you are up for a tasting, you have a couple options. You can, of course, buy a glass of wine. You can also purchase a tasting flight, which comes in two sizes (five tastes: small for $5 total or larger for $10 – the size refers to the size of the pour). They also have live music during the summer – you can check their website for dates.

My personal favorites include Audrey Grace, Blackberry Bliss (this is a dessert style wine – be sure to have some good chocolate close by), and Rockin’ Cherry Apple Cider.

Another place to have a glass of wine or a flight. They do charge for the tastings, but the pours are worth it. They also have live music, and you can check their website for the schedule. My personal favorites are Speakeasy Red and their Gewürztraminer. Most people that I bring here also end up taking home a bottle of the Untouchable Red. (Ask if you can have a tasting that mixes their Door County Cherry wine and Chocolate Port – you can thank me later.)

If you enjoy craft beer, this is a must stop. (They also have a live music schedule that you can find on their website.) There are two lines of craft beer here – Door County Brewing Company and Hacienda Beer Company. You can buy by the pint or create a flight mixing beers from both (which are $2.50-$4 per two ounce pour, price depending on the beer). They also have root beer and/or cream soda on tap from Stone Arch (out of Appleton, WI). They have snacks on the premise (including a large soft pretzel with mustard and cheese), as well as the DCBC Eats right outside. I love when they have the cream soda on tap, and my personal favorite beer is the Polka King Porter.

A true local business, all spirits are ‘crafted using traditional techniques from ingredients sourced, foraged, and farmed in Door County.’ They even have their own hives to source honey for their mead. You can get a flight of either their spirits or their mead to get a taste of what they’ve created, or you can sit and sip a cocktail. I do thoroughly enjoy their bourbon, as well as their Pop Art Cherry Cyser. I’m also partial to their Hibisky Old Fashioned (2 oz bourbon, 1/2 oz hibiscus syrup, 3-4 dashes Old Fashioned Bitters, 1 day orange bitters, 1 dash cherry bitters, sweet or sour soda).

If wine, beer, or booze aren’t your thing, perhaps check out Island Orchard Cider (though I’ll also note that Lautenbach’s also has hard cider). As with the others, you can purchase a glass or flight, with the addition of a sharable pitcher. They have a small location and do ask for no bus tours, so keep it small when you visit. My personal favorite is the Apple Ginger Cider.

Nelsen’s Hall is located on Washington Island (so, yes, it does require a ferry ride over to the island – but there is much else to see, so worth the trip – you can even camp on the island! And the lavender fields/shop are a must.). Nelsen’s is the oldest continuously-operated tavern in WI. They opened in 1899 and were able to stay open during prohibition because the owner, Tom Nelsen, applied for and received a pharmacist’s license and then sold bitters as a medicinal alcohol – bitters were, after all, sold in drug stores to treat stomach disorders. The FBI once took him to court for violating the National Prohibition Act, but he used this fact as his defense and won, and he was legally allowed to continue selling them – for medicinal purposes, of course. 😉 Tom Nelsen himself loved the product so much that he consumed a PINT a day. Not a bottle – a pint. Not saying there’s a connection, but he did live to the age of 90.

The pub still exists today, and folks can visit, buy a shot of bitters, and join the Nelson’s Pub Bitter Club. (I have actually done this twice – the shot is not as bad as you would think.) The pub is also the largest purveyor of Angostura bitters, selling more than 10,000 shots a year.

Hours listed above are all for the summer. If you are traveling in the late fall, winter, or early spring, make sure you double check their websites (or give them a call).

If you are traveling with a pup, please note that Lautenbach’s Orchard Country, Simon Creek Winery, Door County Brewing, Hatch, and Island Orchard Cider all have outdoor seating. You will need to keep your pup outside while you order, though.