After years of dreaming about brewing beer for a living, UW-Madison graduate Page Buchanan will finally fulfill his long-time plan when he opens his first brewpub, House of Brews this summer. Located on the far East side at 4539 Helgeson Dr., Buchanan has been busy renovating and installing the brewery over the past few months. His latest improvements to the upcoming House of Brews include painting his taproom and installing a well-sealed door between the taproom and brewery. Buchanan first began home brewing in 1995 when he was enticed by Monroe Street's Wine & Hop Shop's window display. After buying some amateur equipment and enlisting the help of a friend, Buchanan brewed his first beer and has been hooked to the point of obsession ever since. In the years that followed, Buchanan experimented wildly with beer and hop concoctions that he felt were undrinkable. Wanting to make a beer that was well-rounded and enjoyable, Buchanan stuck his nose to the grindstone and started studying the art of beer making. After learning the basic ingredients and processes, Buchanan began to brew beer for his annual Christmas party and began to find his experience rewarding. This tradition would eventually lead him to began to seriously consider brewing as a profession, eventually leading to his career and passion. In 2007, Buchanan took brewing courses and submitted his business plan for a loan. Despite a global hops crisis, Buchanan maintained his convictions and began to finalize his brewery plans. Buchanan is now focused on creating a unique, one-of-a-kind microbrewery aptly named House of Brews: a quirky play on the House of Blues.
The result of all his hard work, House of Brews promises to bring a pleasant surprise to Madison's beer-drinking aficionados. It will offer a sophisticated getaway from the usual State Street digs packed with the college crowd. As Buchanan explains on the House of Brews' Facebook page, the brewery intends to be community supported and focused. Instead of only producing and distributing like a normal large-scale brewery, House of Brews will have a yearly and month-to-month membership fee. Membership will include yearlong access to Buchanan's brews, home brewing workshops and an annual appreciation dinner. Buchanan is also looking for members' input about the kind of beer they would like to see made and feedback on his latest creations.
Buchanan knows he will have to brew more conventional beers, but plans to brew as wide of a variety as possible while still remaining profitable. He doesn't believe in the notion of a house beer, but wants to create beers that are as unique as the House of Brews concept itself. His main focus will be creating beers with new and exciting flavors that customers with wide-ranging tastes will thoroughly enjoy. Beers will be tailored to the individual, a concept that is widely popular with those who express interest in the House of Brews. Although he intends to have his beer featured at local restaurants and sold in local liquor stores,he also wants to make beer that is exclusively available at the House of Brews. This selectivity will make membership an important part of enjoying House of Brews' creations and undoubtedly draw devoted followers. Along with the possibility of becoming a member, House of Brews will offer a taproom where people can sit and enjoy Buchanan's beer while watching more be brewed right in front of them. For those who are looking to experience the action first-hand, this is an attractive offer. Customers will be allowed to interact with brewers so they may be fully immersed in the world of brewing. Buchanan also plans to have an outdoor patio for summer time beer drinking.
With the promise of something new, House of Brews will be sure to entice beer enthusiasts across the country. Buchanan already has anxious fans waiting for the brewery to open its doors and begin brewing. It will be a place where beer drinkers can go and become intimately involved in the beer making process, as well as have direct communication with the brewer and the mastermind behind it all; Buchanan himself. He promises that this experience will bring something new to Madison, and time will only tell if it lives up to that promise.
