E-Malt.com News article: USA, WI: Fool’s Cap Brewing hoping to open its doors in Madison by this fall

Beer, mead and whiskey: soon, the area along East Washington Avenue on Madison’s near east side will provide locally-made versions of all three, Madison.com reported on January 28.

Fool’s Cap Brewing Company, a new Madison craft brewery, is hoping to open its doors at 849 E. Washington Ave. by this fall.

Fool’s Cap will be located in the same building as Bos Meadery, which opened in February of last year, and within blocks of Old Sugar Distillery, 931 E. Main St., which produces whiskey, brandy, rum, ouzo and a honey liqueur.

The neighborhood, which is still comprised primarily of industrial buildings, warehouses and lots, is becoming more attractive to business owners as a number of new apartment buildings attract young professionals.

“We initially identified that corridor as being an ideal space for what we wanted to do,” said Lance McNaughton, president of Fool’s Cap Brewing Company. “If you look at the demographics buying craft beer, the whole region is being designed for the very people we want to sell to.”

Old Sugar Distillery was the first craft beverage producer to move into the area, opening in 2010.

“It was kind of an ideal mixture of different things,” said Nathan Greenawalt, founder of the distillery, of his choice to move into the neighborhood. “Being kind of a semi-industrial area is good, because it gives us lower rent than what you’d find at a retail location.”

And business has been good at Old Sugar — the distillery actually has plans to add restrooms, instead of sharing with neighboring businesses in the Common Wealth business incubator, and to extend business hours — but he doesn’t imagine rapid retail expansion will hit the area, because of parking concerns.

“It is definitely a challenge for traditional businesses that are open,” he said.

Local government officials are aware of those concerns.

On January 25, the city’s Board of Estimates authorized Madison Parking Utility to move forward with a request for proposals for design of an approximately 650-stall parking facility nearby, at the intersection of E. Main St. and S. Livingston St.

That facility would be about 150 stalls larger than the city’s Government East parking structure at 215 S. Pinckney. That facility has 516 stalls.

Colleen Bos, founder of Bos Meadery, which will share a building with Fool’s Cap Brewing Company, said she also welcomes the appearance of another craft beverage provider in the neighborhood.

“I think it’s spectacular,” she said. “I think it helps make 849 E. Washington a destination for people interested in craft beverage tours.”

Bos said she was drawn to the area after reading about the city offering empty lots for sale.

“I really thought, given the proximity to the Capitol, it would become the type of place it’s turning into,” she said.


29 January, 2016