Potosi Brewing Company should be on your radar if you love beer and history. Tucked away in the small town of Potosi, Wisconsin, this brewery has a story beyond what’s in your pint glass.

Once one of the biggest breweries in the state, it shut down in the 1970s—only to be brought back to life decades later.

Today, Potosi Brewing Company serves excellent craft beer. It is also home to the National Brewery Museum, which is packed with vintage memorabilia, old-school advertising, and brewing artifacts that beer lovers and history buffs will appreciate.

But there’s more to a visit here than just history. The taproom pours solid craft beers, and it has a full restaurant. The surrounding area along the Great River Road is a perfect little getaway. If you’re planning a trip, this guide has everything you need to know—what to see, what to sip, and why Potosi is worth the visit.

Discovering Potosi Brewing Company

When we’re on a road trip, you can bet we will try to check out a local brewery. Driving down the Great River Road from LaCrosse, WI, to Dubuque, we typically cut across at Marquette, WI, which provides beautiful views of the Mississippi from the Iowa side. Our destination was Potosi Brewery, but we also discovered that Potosi is home to the National Brewery Museum.

On this particular road trip, we continued down the Great River Road through a cute little town called Potosi. Our destination was the Potosi Brewing Company, a brewery tucked into the bluff. We discovered the Potosi Brewery, home to the National Brewery Museum, Potosi Transportation Museum, and a Mississippi River Interpretive Center. We had no idea! 

Looking for another cute Wisconsin town? Visit the most Cornish town in America– Mineral Point, WI.

Visiting the Great River Road Interpretive Center

This museum serves as a Great River Road Interpretive Center, one of 70 museums along the Mississippi River. Here, you can learn more about the history of Great River Road and pick up brochures for other attractions along the Scenic Byway. 

How Much Time to Plan for Exploring The National Brewery Musuem

To experience the entire self-guided Potosi Museum, plan to spend at least 1 to 2 hours walking through all the rooms of displays.

If you have less time, you can breeze through quickly for a brief overview. Depending on how deep your love of beer nostalgia runs, you could peruse for longer.

If you plan to visit on the weekend, you can also take a brewery tour, adding some time to your visit. 

Discovering Potosi Brewing Company

It is interesting to note that Potosi Brewing Company is a non-profit organization that returns its profits to the community by supporting historical, educational, and charitable projects.

Potosi Brewing Company operated from 1852 to 1972, was revitalized in 2000, and has been going strong ever since.

Beer lovers will also appreciate the historic value of visiting the Potosi Brewing Company, as it was founded in 1852

Read more about another historic Wisconsin Brewery tour we took at Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls.

Taking a Self-Guided Tour of Potosi Brewing Company

We decided to stretch our legs, check out the museum first, and save the tasting for last.

At our visit, our only option was the $5 self-guided museum tour, which included a pint of beer in the pub. The tour has audio and video recordings, so it’s very informative. 

Brewery tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays.

Admission is $25 and includes a pint glass from the gift shop, a pint from the Brewpub, and a year-long pass to the National Brewery Museum & Library. 

The Potosi Transportation Museum Experience

We started with the history of the Potosi Transportation Museum. The displays explain the brewery’s history from 1852 to 1972. Potosi was brought back to life in the 2000s and is now thriving.

The Potosi Transportation Museum shows how Potosi Beer was transported, including horse-drawn wagons, steamboat rail cars, and delivery trucks.

Looking at The Potosi Beer Cave

Peek into the beer cave where beer was once stored to cool and age. You can see the fresh spring water streaming through the cave. 

National Brewery Museum 

As craft beer lovers, to say we were aware of the National Brewery Museum would be a lie. We had no clue this existed and was close to home in the Southwest corner of Wisconsin. Nor had we heard of the American Breweriana Association (ABA). 

American Breweriana Association

Say what? Breweriana, a term we were unfamiliar with, is a collection of beer bottles & cans, advertising materials, trays, coasters, steins, and anything else that breweries put their logos on. 

These personal collections donated by ABA members come from breweries all over the United States. 

It’s quite nostalgic. If your dad or uncle liked a certain beer, it’s likely on display at the National Brewery Museum, along with historical equipment used to produce beer. 

This is where a person could get lost in the collections if they chose to, depending on their nostalgia for brands. 

Walk into the research library to discover brewing publications, books, leaflets, and more. As the sign states, this museum and library preserve America’s brewing history.

Learn More About the History of Beer at the Potosi Museum Library

The library is open to peruse books and other publications dedicated to beer production.

Potosi Brewing Company Restaurant

While you wait for the hostess to seat you, look down! You’ll notice the window to the spring water that flows through the earth and is used in beer production. This Brewpub restaurant has a large dining room and a patio tucked into the hillside. The Brewpub offers standard pub fare, including appetizers, soups and salads, sandwiches, burgers, and desserts. 

The menu has pub fare. The only vegan item on the menu is a giant pretzel.

Potosi Beer

Potosi brews a lot of beer! Currently, Potosi has five core beers and also rotates seasonal beers throughout the year. They also have a signature can series and produce barrel-aged beer and Root Beer. During our visit, there were about 20 beers on tap. 

We shared a flight of beers. The flight includes six beers.

How to Get to Potosi Brewing Company

At Potosi, we noticed people of all ages stopping in for lunch. They seem to be known for their food in addition to their beer. It’s a great place to stretch your legs if you drive through the area or enjoy the Great River Road in Wisconsin.

Potosi Brewing Company is located in southwestern Wisconsin. 

From Bloomington, MN: 238 miles | 4.5-hour drive

From Mankato, MN: 233 miles | 4.5-hour drive

From Dubuque, IA: 20 miles north | 24-minute drive

From La Crosse, WI: 98 miles  (take the Great River Road!) | 2-hour drive

From Madison, WI: 85 miles | 1.5-hour drive

Our visit to Potosi, WI, proves you never know what you will find on a road trip!

Potosi Brewing Company is a great day trip from Dubuque!

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