Stevens Point, Wisconsin
June 2, 2022
I'm infatuated by this small brewery, the second-oldest in the country operating in the same location. Privately owned, it has escaped the consolidation of the industry. Like Descutes in Bend, the building is located in town and except for the signage, you'd have no idea that inside the building there is a brewery.
There are three tours a day; I signed up for the 5 pm slot. I got my own personal tour; reminded me of when I visited the George Dickel distillery. No photos allowed, and I'll admit I'd had three beer samples before the tour started so I wasn't able to retain all Matt my tour guide told me. I recall:
- There are four ingredients of beer (water, barley/malt, yeast and hope. (The basic ingredients of beer are water; a starch source, such as malted barley, able to be fermented (converted into alcohol); a brewer's yeast to produce the fermentation; and a flavouring, such as hops, to offset the sweetness of the malt.).
- The factory operates two overlapping shifts a day between 8 am and 8 pm.
- The equipment is used to make beer, soda and cider (this was their cider week) -- between each the equipment is cleaned. They reuse the yeast seven times.
- They had a sizable expansion in 2013 although they did not expand the size of the building.
- They produce bottles, cans and kegs.
Most importantly, I learned about this guy:
At some point in time, a photo of several workers at the brewery in 1910 reappeared. The owner was able to identify all but one of the workers. That lone unidentified worker became known as "Nicholas C. Point" with the Nicholas C. coming from the name of the owner's son. With the addition of a "point" on his head, he now is the mascot for the brewery. All taps for Stevens Point beer have him on them, so that the taps stand out from other brands.
Here's the story as reported in a local newspaper:
With his signature look-- white goatee, pocket watch, vest and pointy head, the easily recognizable Point Brewery mascot has become an iconic symbol.
But his distinct features would lead you to believe he's modeled after someone rich in the brewery's history. However, just who that might be remains a bit of a mystery.
Director of Marketing for Point Brewery Julie Birenkott says regardless of the real history of the "Nicholas C. Point" he's still a very important part of the company.
“Yeah... our Point cone head. 'Kind of our mascot. He kind of sets us apart when we go to a different establishments all over the country you know people look at the tap handle and think 'What is that guy? Who is that?' And that's our point. It’s what we are and it's our mascot.”
An undated photo from the brewery shows a brewery worker that looks identical to the mascot. But no one seems to know why he was chosen for the iconic pointy head spokesman.
Other photos I took in the beer garden and in the gift shop:
Nicolas C. was the advance-man for the invasion of the Cone-heads that happened in the late 1970s.... So, was the beer any good?