Turning my back on sausage

In the last 3 days I've had a number of friends invite me and my family to join them at the World’s Largest Brat Fest over Memorial Day Weekend here in Madison. For over 25 years, folks have gathered to set the world record for most brats eaten and to raise funds for charity. For many years, Johnsonville Sausage has donated the brats that are sold at the fest and over $1 million dollars has been raised for area charities.  I've probably been to about 10 of these events and eaten over 50 brats there, but for the third year in a row I’m passing.

It’s been over 2 years since Scott Walker tore apart Wisconsin with his attack on working families and their rights. It’s also been over 2 years since I've enjoyed a Johnsonville brat. The Stayer family, who founded Johnsonville, has been a consistent supporter of GOP candidates in Wisconsin. Based on findings from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, the family gave Scott Walker $34,000 during his initial gubernatorial run. When this news was made public, I like many others invested in protecting the Wisconsin we love, walked away from “Tasteville” and Brat Fest.  

In 2011 there were 3 alternate brat fests with proceeds still going to charity. I ended up sitting out everything and I honestly can’t remember if that was other plans or just being pained that I was missing out on the main event.   Many people, including those that were against Walker, still attended Brat Fest in 2011 as they cited the benefit that the area charities received.  They were right that the charities were still benefiting, but so was Johnsonville as their brand was still put on mount high for their generosity. In 2012, there were 2 alternatives and even more people I knew returned to the Brat Fest fold. Some on the basis of the more good than harm argument, and others because they were too tired of fighting everything related to Walker and his agenda.

This year there are again two alternatives but recent discussions lead me to believe that, for many, time has healed the busted skin on Brat Fest. I sat on my deck last night weighing invites, doing a little soul searching out loud on Twitter, and in the end, I can’t do it. Maybe it’s the fact that Walker got another $7500 from Launa Stayer since the 2011 Brat Fest. Maybe it’s the fact that I love food and that I hate to see a food I love be associated with Walker. Mostly though, I think it comes down to the fact that I’m still angry and sad over what Walker’s Wisconsin has become. I’ve watched teachers marginalized, attacked and dismissed. I’ve seen our land sold off. I’ve seen our basic rights questioned and legislated against. I’ve seen people say tearful goodbyes to jobs, friends, and our state.  I’ve seen my mother in law, the oldest probation officer in the state, who would have worked for many more years; retire out of fear for her pension and her job.

I’m sure I've inadvertently bought a Koch Brothers product in the last couple of years and I may have even had a Johnsonville product without knowing it at a friend’s BBQ. Likewise, I know skipping Brat Fest and abstaining from Johnsonville products is admittedly a small drop in the bucket but I’m still mad, I’m still fighting and these wounds are still open.

Madison Craft Beer Week Preview

 This post marks the end of a lengthy blog hiatus. While much of the reason for posting on the 2013 edition of Madison Craft Beer Week can be attributed to my passion for brew; an equal amount of recognition can be given to my inability to craft a decent Google calendar. With so many events of note this year, I've had a hard time narrowing down my choices, let alone coordinate them with friends, and arrange my schedule with my partner. After reaching a high of 43 events, I'm now below 20 (although the exact number continues to fluctuate). Balancing work, parenting duties and a home about 30 minutes aways from most events, I've broken down my list to “specialty”, “seasonal” and “year round”.

Specialty (Events I refuse to miss)

Cask Ale Fest, Saturday 4 May, Madison East Side Club, 1pm

As my friend Kyle pointed out after posting his own preview, with no early entry option for this year's Great Taste of the Midwest, one should take advantage on any real ale events they can get to. Highlights on the list thus far are Bell's Hopslam and the two mystery brews coming from Tallgrass in Kansas.

House of Brews Tap Takeover and Death Star Agave Ale Beer Release Party, Saturday 4 May, Tex Tubbs, 6pm

How do you top an afternoon of beer? With tacos and more beer of course. Thankfully we won't have to land a squad on the small forest moon orbiting Tex Tubb's and deactivate the shield generator to enjoy this meal. Page Buchanan of House of Brews had me at Star Wars but he pulled me in with a tractor beam of agave syrup.

Great Taste of the Midwest Ticket Sales, Sunday 5 May, Noon (but not really)

There will be no beer but there will friends, good slow expensive coffee, and likely rain. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Getting up early for Great Taste tickets is something every beer lover should do because the payoff is so great come the second Saturday in August. Last year you could gain early entry if you used Dwolla but this year it's just cash, check or forget about it.

Toppling Golliath, Sunday 5 May, Cooper's Tavern, 5pm

Toppling Goliath has been my favorite brewery of the last month. Not a longtime for sure but the 3 brews I've tried have left a big impression and a fourth is waiting stealthily in my beer fridge. I figure this to be a good event for the family to have dinner plus they'll be selling bombers of their Naughty Temple and Assassin limited releases.

Central Waters Night!, Wednesday 8 May, The Old Fashioned, 6pm

You never know what Central Waters will bring to one of these events. An anniversary brew, a bourbon barrel one off, a cask conditioned something something? Again the family friendliness of the locale makes this an attractive event. French fries on the first floor, La Petite Mort on the second.

O'so Nitro Tap Takeover!, Thursday 9 May, Blue Moon, 6pm

Maybe my favorite brewery in Wisconsin right now, partly because they produced one of my favorite beers of 2013 with their Wee on the Lam. I'm a sour fan and I have to say this beat out my latest Jolly Pumpkin favorite and Surly's Pentagram. The promise of more brett beers at this tap takeover is so alluring even if nitro taps aren't really my thing.

Howdy Partner... There's a New Brewery in Town: Lift Bridge, Saturday 11 May, Brennan's Market, 6pm

One of my favorite Minnesota breweries just came to town and is exclusively at Brennan's. Their Hop Dish IPA and Farm Girl saison are two of my go-to everyday brews but the real promise of this event is the “additional offerings”. Their Irish Coffee Stout was one of the best beers I've had this year. $5 for sampling seems fair but I'm a bit thrown by the free wine glass promotion. 

Seasonal (Events I'd really like to hit)

Angelic Brewing Company Reunion, Friday 3 May, Free House Pub, 9pm

Pete's Wicked Ale was my first craft brew but Angelic's Shakedown Nutbrown was my first love. High nostalgia coupled with Angelic's familial descendents Sixpoint and Ale Asylum make this event very appealing. Sixpoint came to Wisconsin a year ago from Brooklyn and I don't believe I've had a bad brew yet. Plus this is their only beer week event. Meanwhile, Ale Asylum keeps humming along after their new brewery expansion and keeps chalking up #beerbracket wins.

Founders on Sunday for a Day of Relaxation, Sunday 5 May, Dexter's Pub

A 3 year vertical of KBS. 'nuff said.

Destihl Brewing - Meet and Greet/Special Tappings, Tuesday 7 May, Brassiere V, 5:30pm

This brewery from south of the state border intrigues me with their impressive slate of brews. They don't show up in Madison very often so this is a great chance to try a variety of their offerings.

Toppling Goliath Cask Ale Night, Wednesday 8 May, Alchemy, 8pm

If I don't hit the first Toppling Goliath event I could do far worse than hitting this one. I had my bottle of PseudoSue last week and feel deeply in love. Having it on cask seems like a can't lose situation.

Karben4 IPA Release Party, Friday 10 May, Karben4

I recently visited Karben4's tap room and after sampling all their offerings was uniformly impressed. These guys are doing it right and their recent gin barrel release party sounded like a blast so I imagine this will be a good time indeed.

Oh, ooh... it's O'so., Friday 10 May, Dexter's Pub

Much like the Toppling Goliath cask ale night, this is my back up event if I can't make the takeover at Blue Moon. 10 brews being promised including 5 specialties.

Year Round (Events I'd like to hit but it won't break my heart)

Common Thread Tapping, Friday 3 May, Great Dane

Common Thread Debut, Friday 3 May, Vintage Brewing Company

I'll have plenty of chances to try this year's collaboration brew between 10 different local breweries but there's something fun about having it the first night. Plus the Dane and Vintage are kid friendly so a post work dinner seems likely. Last year's steam brew is a style I'm more fond of but Schell's Snowstorm may have turned me around on bier de gardes.

IPAs and Spicy Pizza, Tuesday 7 May, Roman Candle, 6pm

I'm humming “these are a few of my favorite things” as I type this. Beers unknown but Batman loves his Roman Candle cheesesticks.

Craft Beer Blowout!, Saturday 11 May, Craftsman Table & Tap

A non-descript sale on craft beer week leftovers. Another family friendly event and I'm always fond of a box of mystery.

I'm not Jed Bartlet but...

On Wednesday June 6th, I woke up in a haze of anger, sadness, and confusion. The night before Governor Scott Walker, Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and 3 of their Republican allies in the state senate had won their recall elections in Wisconsin. To think that over half of the voters thought that 2 more years of divisive policies and morally questionable practices was the Wisconsin way, depressed me no end. It probably hurt doubly so because I hadn’t been that involved in electoral politics since Paul Wellstone’s first campaign. As I knocked on doors and made phone calls in the weeks ahead I was filled with the hope that I’d felt a year earlier marching in snow around the Capitol.

A week later I’m certainly more levelheaded about the defeat. The simplest answer to why Wisconsin got duped is C.R.E.A.M (1), and while there were certainly a number of other factors, the cash advantage that led to a steady stream of Walker advertising can’t be dismissed. Much smarter folk than I have spent a good part of the last week examining all the reasons, large and small, why Walker defeated Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. For me though, the #WiUnion movement wasn’t just about removing Walker or stopping his policies, it was about putting better leaders in place and promoting positive solutions to the challenges that face our state. For many reasons the recall election path seemed like the most logical way to achieve that goal. Now that the race is behind us I’m looking to answer a fictional President’s famous question, “What’s next?”

Ideally I want someone to hand me a bouquet of heart balloons and point me towards the next step. I know I want to keep fighting for the things that I’ve focused on for the last year including quality education (including science in the classrooms), jobs for my neighbors, labor rights, women’s health issues, LBGT equality, and transparency in government. Maybe if I was in Milwaukee I’d have an immediate outlet as Palermo’s Pizza workers fighting for the right to unionize and save us from Flu Finger Pie (2). However, living in a small village outside of Madison, I don’t have a quick answer.

 
My son is almost 3 and while I’d like to think I’d have found this passion as a childless bachelor I’ll admit he and my partner’s well being is what drives me to work towards a better community. Community is also the word that I believe will dictate my next steps. I think we need to work from the ground up as we both educate our neighbors and elect candidates who put community before profit. So to do that here’s my next steps:

• I need to start attending my village and school board meetings. I need to learn who in my community is working towards solutions I can get behind. As Walker, and those of his ilk, move their agenda forward, our communities are really going to be left to their own limited tools.
• I’m going to look towards campaign and candidate training for myself and hopefully some friends. In victory and defeat respectively, two of the most inspiring stories of the last few months have been the campaigns of Jenni Dye for Dane County Board and Lori Compas for State Senate. To see people move from the streets to the ballot was a sight to behold.
• I need to continue to push my own comfort zone and keep talking. I haven’t bought a Johnsonville sausage in 18 months but rarely have I turned to a stranger in the store to let him know what Johnsonville’s donations to Walker have led to. When I made calls or knocked doors I dreaded having a Walker supporter appear on the other end when I should have been welcoming the opportunity to share information.
• Along those lines, I need to read more…a lot more. I need to armed with knowledge not just rhetoric for discussions with friends, neighbors and strangers.
• Lastly I’m posting this to my blog and keeping a copy in my backpack. We all have to hold ourselves accountable for the future. If Barrett had won, complacency and acceptance wouldn’t have been acceptable and it sure as hell is not with Walker still around.

While I know no one person is going to lead a progressive movement forward in Wisconsin, I will continue to look towards those I’ve met online and in person for inspiration and direction. I’ve got a start on my plans but I’m eager to see what others pursue as we restore, reclaim and rebuild Wisconsin.

(1).Cash Rules Everything Around Me (Wu-Tang Forever Baby)
(2). For a good recap of the Palermo’s strike, read up here: http://www.theuptake.org/2012/06/10/records-show-palermos-strikers-safety-concerns-are-real/