*This is the one-hundred and fifteenth post in an on-going chronicle dubbed the Great Wisconsin Brewery Tour. Follow the journey here.*
Thumb Knuckle Brewing Company
E0208 State Rd 54
Luxemburg, WI 54217
Visit date: 07/08/17
Quick Hits:
1) How many different beers?
4 on tap, more classic styles on the way.
2) How long operational?
Since March 18, 2017.
3) Why? (here, this, etc)
Homebrewer with German brewing education opened hometown brewery.
4) Distribution?
Kegs already in nearby bars.
5) What sets you apart?
“How super hand-made it all is.” The owners did everything from the taproom redesign to setting up the brewing equipment.
6) How did you get your name?
Luxemburg is on the “knuckle” of Wisconsin’s mitten thumb.
Thumb Knuckle Brewing Company in Luxemburg, WI. All photos by Joe Powell for The Squeaky Curd.
Crossing the thumb of Wisconsin from Green Bay to Algoma, County Highway 54 is dotted with small towns and even smaller roadside taverns. On the outskirts of little Luxemburg, one such old pub was recently converted to the Thumb Knuckle Brewing Company.
The large barn out back, rising high above the surrounding fields of corn, used to house an indoor volleyball court. The sand is now out, and in its place sits large converted-dairy equipment now bubbling away with fresh beer.
The front of house is filled with farm-feeling weathered woods, beaten metals, and bold concrete. The only remnants of the dated space it replaced are the glass blocks within the bar and a selection of before/after photos Pinterest-ed in a reclaimed window pane.
But the gleaming new surrounding is just a nice distraction from the main event: beer. Though Thumb Knuckle is just getting up to speed on rounding out their full tap list, our first 4 set the stage for the future.
Heyder Helles
Tart, but mellowed with honey. A lasting, refreshing mouthfeel.
Belgian Beauty Wit
Light and flowery, with a hoppy taste and malty body.
Boatload IPA
A balanced-drinking IPA, but leaves you with bitter hops on the tongue.
Gunmetal Porter
Roasty-toasty, with deep charred marshmallow notes.
The reserved but passionate demeanor of co-owner and brewer, Ed Thiry, fit the small-town narrative we were already writing in our head about TKBC. A local kid, Ed’s 8 years living in Germany including an apprenticeship at a brewery in Bavaria helped lead to 10 years of homebrewing, which “began to spin out of control.”
Luckily for us, that spin led to action, and that action resulted in Thumb Knuckle. While this afternoon the only other patrons were travelers just like us, Ed happily noted the “regulars” who live “right around the corner” have been big supporters of the whole enterprise.
A spot on the freshly-painted deck will get you great views of both the surrounding countryside and passing automobiles; take note, however, that Luxemburg is no drive-through town. Certainly not with a new pit stop in Thumb Knuckle Brewing Company.
