Robin Shepard
Mike and Heather Thompson are holding the sign for their new pub, in the new pub. Brewing equipment is in the background.
Mike and Heather Thompson in the MT Bottle Brewing pub.
Many homebrewers fantasize about having their own place, and now Mike Thompson is fulfilling his dream — opening a small brewery in Sauk City. Thompson, who grew up and still lives in nearby Merrimac, became a stay-at-home dad more than a decade ago, and at the same time discovered a love of homebrewing. “I needed something to keep my mind occupied, so I picked up brewing. My friends kept insisting that I should sell my beer,” Thompson says. Two years ago he and his wife, Heather, started writing a business plan.
The MT of MT Bottle Brewing is meant to be pronounced “empty” which, in addition to the drink-up suggestion, also happen to be Mike Thompson’s initials. The new pub is part of the Railway Mall, 207 Water St., a building with the look of an old train depot that’s home to a handful of stores and services, located approximately where the historic Sauk City and Prairie du Sac train station once stood in the 1900s.
The brewery has an open interior; patrons order from a bar with views into the brewhouse, which doubles as a kitchen.
Thompson is using a two-barrel system with a series of four-barrel fermenters. He estimates production capacity could eventually be around 200 barrels a year, but it may take a year or two to reach that level.
MT Bottle Brewing is among the smallest breweries in the greater Madison area. And despite the “bottle” in the name, MT Bottle Brewing won’t sell bottles, at least initially. Thompson plans to start with in-house pint sales and to-go beer in crowlers.
Among initial beers are Colsac, a light-bodied golden kölsch named after the Merrimac Ferry (which itself is named after Columbia County and Sauk County). The Martinator is a black IPA infused with coffee. Sunnyside, a farmhouse ale that has light yeasty and spicy notes, is a tribute to a chicken hatchery by that name owned by Thompson’s grandparents. Devil’s Doorway stout is full-bodied and an homage to a rock feature in nearby Devil’s Lake State Park. The kitchen is sticking with appetizers like chicken tenders, cheese curds and pretzels.
MT Bottle Brewing opened in late June and is planning a grand opening in July, date and time TBD. Hours are Wed.-Thurs. 3-8 p.m., Fri. 3-10 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
