3 Sheeps Brewing Company - Waterslides

Presenting a medium-amber color with good clarity and a robust head of light beige foam that drops lots of lace as we drink it down, Waterslides makes a good impression in the glass. Swirl up the yeast sediment in the bottle if you prefer a more hazy, yeasty IPA. On the nose, we picked up citrus notes and tropical fruit, including a hint of pineapple, and a wispy hint of berry or pomegranate. Look for those citrus notes to come forth on the palate, too, along with a touch of that berry-esque fruity quality and plenty of spice and floral tones. The malt profile of Waterslides is more prominent than in many IPAs, delivering a fairly deep caramelized feel and a full body. Hop bitterness comes through quite firmly, and it works nicely with that caramel malt backbone. For food pairing options, we'd steer towards fattier fare, especially when well-salted. Let the hop acidity cut through like wine. Baked ham, fried chicken thighs with a well-spiced batter, or a simple snack of sharp Cheddar or Double Gloucester sound good to us. Cheers!

In 1926, 3 Sheeps' founder Grant Pauly's great-grandparents acquired a failing brewery, renamed it Kingsbury Breweries, and set about building it into a successful national brand. Grant grew up hearing stories of the brewery from his father, so when Grant ended up getting into homebrewing after receiving a homebrew kit from his wife for his birthday, it set into motion a hobby which ultimately would turn into a career. It would seem that brewing was in his genes.

When his town's only brewpub closed its doors and went under, Grant saw an opportunity to get out of his family's business where he worked pouring concrete all day. He approached the facility's new owners and struck an agreement: he would take over the brewing equipment and launch his brewing company in the back of the building while the owners would open a bar in the front – quite a synergistic relationship. 3 Sheeps opened for business in 2012 and quickly won praise and attention from local beer fans, including being awarded Best New Brewery in Wisconsin by RateBeer.

In 2016, 3 Sheeps opened a new 10,000 sq. ft. Taproom and barrel house in one of two buildings of a former Coca-Cola plant. The second, and larger, building on the property serves as a dedicated brewhouse. Their philosophy towards brewing is to avoid doing things which have already been done; instead, they seek to brew new types of beers in new ways, while keeping each brew approachable and balanced. They currently offer six year-round brews, three special seasonals, and over a half-dozen small-batch barrel-aged and blended beers. For more info, call 920-395-3583 or visit www.3sheepsbrewing.com.