DRAFT Magazine

It’s long past time to dust off the Beer Runner Travels category. I can’t think of many places more deserving for the shout-out than Door County in the winter.

Door County is a peninsula in Wisconsin that is jumpin’ with tourists in the summer and early fall. Then in winter it goes into semi-hibernation. It’s peaceful, more affordable and there’s still tons of outdoor goodness to be had. And good beer.

I kind of prefer this time. That’s why I’m staying here this weekend.

Here are my picks for beer and outdoor activities:

Snowshoeing

Rent snowshoes at Ridges Sanctuary (Just 4 bucks) then hike the trails in their backyard and along the Green Bay (like I’m doing in the top photo). Ridges is the oldest nonprofit nature preserve in the state, a designated State Natural Area, an Important Bird Area (yes, that’s a real scientific term), and a National Natural Landmark.

XC Skiing

There’s at least six parks and four places to rent XC skis in Door County.

Tubing

Rent an inner tube from Nor Door Sport & Cyclery ($3 an hour or $12 a day) and go across the street to Penninsula State Park and their sledding hill. It doesn’t exactly have the cachet of downhill skiing, but give it a chance. It’s super fun and a killer quad workout every time you haul your tube back up the hill.

Capital Brewery Island Wheat

Your reward for all this activity is a Capital Brewery Island Wheat, which is made with locally grown Door County wheat by Capital Brewery in Middleton, Wisconsin. I would recommend getting it on tap at the Bistro at Liberty Square in Egg Habor, where you can also find Wisconsin favorites New Glarus and Leinenkugel’s.

Shipwrecked Brewery

You only have one choice if you want to go to a locally brewery in Door County, but it’s a good one. Give the Peninsula Porter a try at Shipwrecked Brewery.

The Eagle Harbor Inn

Finally, a word about a place to stay. You can’t go wrong with the Eagle Harbor Inn — especially since one of the owners is an avid cyclist. If you bring your bike along, they’ll even rescue you if you’re stranded with a flat tire. You can find them in the Wisconsin Bike Federation’s guide.