When two guys traveling on a work trip meet over way too many Jameson shots, friendship is bound to ensue.
That is the simple, hazy beginning of Cameron and Jonathan who would eventually go on to create Pour Another Round, a podcast that dives into the stories of the people and places behind our favorite beers. Since we’re equal opportunity drinkists, we also have ventured into some distilleries, cideries, and wineries. It is our versatility of boozy interests that forged a great partnership with Destination Madison as they were beginning to promote Madison On Tap — Wisconsin’s newest craft beverage trail.
This is your passport to beer, bubbles, bourbon, and beyond throughout the Madison region. They had us at beer, we were intrigued by the bubbles, and sold at bourbon! Before we dive into more details behind Madison On Tap, allow us to properly introduce ourselves, as we’ll be spending some time together over the next several months as we share with you our journey along the Trail.
In our experience, we’re way more fun after we’ve had some cocktails, and trust us, we’re way more tolerable if you’ve also had some. One of our favorite [mis]quotes from the great author Ernest Hemingway: “Write drunk; edit sober.” Well…we’re writing this now so…our step is complete. Now it’s up to you to catch up and enjoy the ride with us along the trail!
Meet the team
Cameron
Hailing from Illinois originally, Cameron has fully embraced the beer-culture of Wisconsin. It’s absolutely his favorite part of the green & gold Dairy State, followed closely by the cheese.
Cameron came of drinking age living in Milwaukee throwing back plenty of Pabst Blue Ribbon. One of his hobbies quickly became traveling around to experience different brewery tours. As any good Wisconsinite should, New Glarus Brewing Company was an early, must-do destination of his. The beauty of the grounds, and the pristine condition of the brewery, the history of the town, and needless to say the amazing beer, made this intro to Wisconsin craft beer a lifelong love!
Over the next 15 years, Cameron continued to drink plenty of beer, and even took things a couple steps further. Shortly after discovering his love of beer along with the combination of storytelling, Cameron was fortunate to have an opportunity to write for a publication called Alcoholmanac, which focused on the booze, food, and nightlife culture of Milwaukee. It was this experience that really showed Cameron that the story behind what he was drinking or where he was eating helped him appreciate it even more. Never a fan of history in school, Cameron found that mixing history with beer is a gamechanger!
Through another series of fortunate events, Cameron was able to write and publish a book on the nearly 200-year history of breweries in Green Bay… Green Bay Beer: A History of the Craft.
Jonathan
Jonathan ended up in Madison, by-way of the Driftless Region of Wisconsin. In his own words, Jonathan describes this as one of the most majestic parts of the state but agrees that Madison is the beverage capital, in addition to being the actual Wisconsin capital.
Jonathan’s family owned a stock car race team for 35 years, so he grew up at the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway asphalt race track. Jonathan raced for over a decade, often with a beer sponsor on the hood of his car. Don’t worry, the beer didn’t flow until after the driving was done!
Living near Madison, Jonathan’s favorite hangout quickly became breweries and brew pubs. Some of his favorites include The Lone Girl Brewing Company in ‘The Only Waunakee in the World’ and Hop Haus Brewing in Fitchburg. Jonathan will also share his love for J. Henry & Sons bourbon with anyone who even mentions whiskey!
What's next?
Pour Another Round has been fortunate to have talked to several of the venues along the Madison On Tap trail on the podcast. We’ve talked about their history, how they got into their craft, and what they’re looking forward to in the future. While you’re all drinking your way through the trail, we’ll be interviewing our way through it so you can dive even deeper into these places. Don’t worry, we won’t make you drink alone… we’ll be imbibing along the way as well!
If you’re unfamiliar with Madison On Tap, you’re not alone; it just launched in October 2022. This free roadmap will take you on a journey to 30+ breweries, cideries, and distilleries in the greater Madison area. Not only will you get to visit some cool places, you’ll get to meet some awesome people and drink great beverages.
By checking into each of the venues you’ll be visiting on your phone, you’ll get discounts and prizes along the way. It’s like a win-win-win kind of adventure! (Don’t worry, there’s no app to download. Sign up here!)
Thanks for hanging with us. We’re looking forward to exploring this trail over the next year together. Be sure to follow along on the Pour Another Round socials and subscribe to the podcast for deeper insight into the Madison On Tap locations. Cheers!
