Nia Ryan and Lauren Virnoche stand in front of taps in the Herbiery.
Nia Ryan, left, and Lauren Virnoche have reopened the Herbiery Taproom at 2015 Winnebago St.
The Herbiery has reopened at 2015 Winnebago St. The brewing company that makes beer with herbs instead of hops closed its taproom earlier this year after failing to generate enough business.
But owner Nia Ryan, who was “never willing to let it go,” has now teamed up with Lauren Virnoche, owner of Ecotone Herbs. Ecotone manages several farm fields in northern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin, and Virnoche supplied herbs and fruits to the Herbiery before it took its temporary hiatus.
“Having a partner with the same interest in herbs made me want to continue,” says Ryan.
The taproom looks the same but its beers and menu have been changed. Ryan and Virnoche collaborated with Madison’s Delta Beer Lab on what may become Herbiery’s new flagship beer, a farmhouse ale called Field and Forage made with yarrow, creeping charlie, flaked oats and rye berries. It is a bright hazy yellow and carries a soft subtle fruitiness, woody herbaceous notes, and finishes at just 5% ABV. The beer has a clear range of flavors with an overall earthiness that leans into the name Field and Forage.
Field and Forage will also function as a base beer to which different combinations of herbs, flowers and spices will be added.
Currently, one of those variants is made with elderflowers and lemon balm; another has ginger grass and nettles. Ryan is also experimenting, at least temporarily, with a limited version of Field and Forage made with Saaz hops, along with hemp and conifer tips. These variants are available in the Herbiery taproom and make interesting side-by-side taste comparisons ($7/glass; 16-ounce cans will appear in early October).
Other changes include house-brewed kombucha and herbal teas. There is also a limited food menu that changes based on what’s available in local markets.
The Herbiery is open 4-9 p.m. Fridays, 1-6 p.m. Saturdays and 4-9 p.m. the first Monday of each month.
