Wisconsin’s rich agricultural heritage continues to thrive through its cheese, beer and chocolate traditions. Whether you’re sampling award-winning cheeses, exploring innovative craft beers, or indulging in decadent chocolates, Wisconsin offers a palate-pleasing adventure rooted in its storied past.

Let me help you plan your culinary road trip through Wisconsin:

The Big Cheese

Home to more than 1.2 million dairy cows, it’s little wonder Wisconsin is famously named “America’s Dairyland.”

Wisconsin offers an astonishing array of over 600 types of cheese—more than any other state. (California, the closest competitor, produces only 250 types.) From asiago to gouda, cheddar to feta, each variety promises a unique tasting experience. Not to be missed are the famous cheese curds, enjoyed fresh or deep-fried—a quintessential dairy delight that squeaks when you bite.

Here’s another great reason to indulge in Wisconsin’s many cheeses: It’s the only state that requires a cheesemaker license. Then, after a decade of practice, licensees may apply for the prestigious Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker certification from the University of Wisconsin. The criteria are rigid and rigorous: Candidates must undergo a three-year educational program for EACH type of cheese they want to be certified in. Look for the Master’s Mark Wisconsin logo on the label, a sure sign of gustatory excellence!

Find the Best Wisconsin Cheese

Without a doubt, the Number One dairy treat is fried cheese curds. These bite-size nuggets of fresh cheddar are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. You’ll find them on nearly every restaurant and bar menu. I’m especially fond of the curds at Hinterland Brewery and Restaurant in Green Bay. Other ubiquitous faves are cheesy pizzas and grilled cheese sandwiches like the Rachel, a turkey reuben at Door County Coffee and Tea Co. in Sturgeon Bay.

Shop for locally produced cheese at Henning’s Cheese Store, Museum and Factory, a fourth-generation enterprise touting award-winning cheddars, Colbys and Monterey jacks. The museum gallery displays vintage tools and equipment alongside large glass windows where you can watch cheese production in real time. Henning’s is located in the countryside of Kiel near Elkhart Lake.

Simon’s Specialty Cheese in Appleton boasts award-winning cheddar, feta, mozzarella and provolone along with yummy made-to-order pizzas (fresh or frozen for take-home). The store, which offers gourmet foods and Wisconsin gift items, purveys more than 100 varieties of cheese produced throughout the state.

Renard’s Artisan Cheese emporium in Sturgeon Bay sells its own small-batch cheeses as well as international selections. Within its shelves and cases are 40 variations of cheddar–from mild to sharp, homemade fudge and Wisconsin beers. Melt Bistro, inside the store, features a cheese-centric menu and chocolate ice cream delights.

Mars Cheese Castle is a long-standing roadside attraction in Kenosha, along Interstate 94 between Milwaukee and Chicago, Mars specializes in vast selections of cheese, meats and snacks for take-out or dining in. You can also stock up on beer from New Glarus Brewing, which I tell you about as you read on. My top choice: Mars’ signature cheddar cheese bread, baked daily.

Wisconsin Brew Masters 

While the heyday of big-name brewers like Pabst and Schlitz has passed, Wisconsin’s craft beer scene is flourishing. The number of small, independent brewers has almost tripled during the past decade, according to the Brewers Association for Small and Independent Craft Breweries. 

Craft breweries, defined as producing under 6 million barrels a year, offer a diverse menu of beers from year-round staples to seasonal brews and limited editions. Many incorporate local ingredients such as apples, cherries or cranberries, key crops in Wisconsin. 

As an aside, many of the brew meisters are also notable for their dining accompaniments. Burgers and pizzas are rave-worthy as are sandwiches and small plates, often decked with Wisconsin cheese.  

Find The Best Wisconsin Beers

New Glarus Brewing Co. is an award-winning brewery in New Glarus with a cult following. The signature beer is Spotted Cow, a classic lager. Another popular choice is Moon Man, a hoppy pale ale. Set against a picturesque Bavarian village backdrop, the brewery is a charming spot to savor local brews.

Hinterland Brewery and Restaurant (which I mentioned earlier in the cheese section) located in Green Bay’s Titletown District, pairs handcrafted beers with contemporary American cuisine in a rustic urban setting. Try the acclaimed Packerland Pilsner alongside a goat cheese and wild mushroom wood-fired pizza for a local flavor experience.

The legacy of Stone Arch Brewpub on the Fox River in Appleton dates to the 1850s, making it one of the state’s oldest. The flagship Scottish Ale is an award-winner many times over. Also on the menu are handcrafted sodas like root beer and vanilla cream. A sister restaurant, Tied House, is in Little Chute.

Civil War veteran Henry Schmiling was the original brewmaster at Ahnapee Brewery from 1868 to 1886, when a hop blight forced its closure. His descendants relaunched in Algoma in 2013 and named their year-round amber ale, Little Soldier, after him. A second tap room is in Suamico.  

Make yours a flight of four pours at One Barrel Brewing Co. in Egg Harbor–choose from a rotating rosters of beers and hard ciders. Relax and imbibe in the comfy tap room or the outdoor beer garden.

Gluten-free beer lovers have a home at ALT Brew, a craft nanobrewery in Madison. You’ll find a wide variety of beer styles–from hoppy IPAs to smooth blonde ales–crafted without barley, wheat or rye on gluten-free equipment. 

Chocolate is the Answer

With all those Wisconsin cows grazing about, that’s a lot of butter and cream. Much of it is crafted into all sorts of chocolate-y goodness. Think candy, brandy, ice cream, milk and fudge. Among the makers are traditionalists who have been family-owned and -operated for generations and newcomers who have transformed Wisconsin chocolate into an art form. 

Find the Best Wisconsin Chocolate

Seroogy’s, a family operation with locations in De Pere and Ashwaubenon, has been crafting hand-dipped chocolates for over a century. The Meltaway bar, a creamy whipped chocolate coated in milk or dark chocolate, remains a perennial favorite. Aside from oodles of candy creations, the store is packed with freshly roasted house-blended coffees and a wide selection of giftware.

Chocolate Fudge Cheese is a sweet signature of the aforementioned Simon’s Specialty Cheese. It’s made with cheddar and cream cheese, and with or without walnuts. 

Wilmar Chocolates has been an Appleton mainstay for fine chocolate since Wilbur and Mary Srnka founded the company in 1956. Their names combine in “Wilmarvels,” their excellent rendition of a turtle. In addition to 60 different chocolate candies, the chocolatiers will whip up a custom bar with your chosen ingredients while you wait.

The fifth-generation Lamers Dairy and store in Appleton still bottles its milk, sourced from local dairy farmers, in returnable glass bottles. The award-winning thick, creamy chocolate milk and ultra-licious frozen soft-serve dairy treat are go-tos for chocoholics.

Kohler may be best known for luxury bath fixtures, but the Kohler-based company also produces rich chocolate under the brand KOHLER Original Recipe Chocolates. Most delectable is the Terrapin, an upscale version of a turtle. Also noteworthy is velvety-smooth Kohler’s Dark Chocolate Brandy, which is naturally infused with dark chocolate, not merely flavored. It also comes in chocolate mint. Kohler chocolates are available at Destination Kohler properties, specialty food stores and online. ###