Winnebago County Beer

Winnebago County has long been a bellwether of Wisconsin beer making.

In the mid-1800s, German immigrants launched small breweries in Butte des Morts, Menasha, Neenah, Oshkosh and Winneconne. By the 1950s, breweries such as Walter Brot
Lee Reiherzer's fondness for all things beer developed after his father gave him a taste of Bohemian Club Lager. That sip triggered a lifelong interest in beer and brewing history. He launched the Oshkosh Beer website in 2010 and has since written dozens of articles about his favorite subject. In 2012, he co-authored The Breweries of Oshkosh: Their Rise and Fall. In his spare time, Reiherzer enjoys hop cultivation and is an award-winning homebrewer who loves brewing the old-time lagers that were once revered in Winnebago County. He and his wife, Denise Lanthier, make their home in Oshkosh.