It’s almost impossible to separate the food from the beer at Avon Brewing Co. Brewmaster and co-owner Mathias Hauck raves about the menu, which ranges from blue mussels and a beer-battered Reuben to risotto a la vodka. Meanwhile chef and co-owner Brian Weaver funnels fresh ingredients from the kitchen to the kettle — tart cherries from Michigan for the Cherry Medicinal Wheat ($5 for 13 ounces), Hatch chilies from New Mexico for the Verde Gold ale ($5 for 16 ounces) and Jamaican ugli fruit for the Ugli India pale ale ($6 for 13 ounces). “His passion for cooking really intertwines with my passion for making beer,” says Hauck. That’s because the brothers-in-law have been fermenting their brewpub idea for years over a three-keg homebrew setup in Hauck’s garage. What started out as six resident beers on tap when it opened in a 200-year-old building in August 2016 has grown to about 20 thanks to the 15-barrel system they’re using in Madison. Our Pick: Aged in Cleveland Whiskey barrels, the Barrel Aged Black Widow ($7 for 13 ounces) imperial IPA combines flavors of tropical fruit, caramel and cocoa with a heavy bitter bite. 37040 Detroit Road, Avon, 440-937-1816, avonbrewingcompany.com

Beer Guide: Avon Brewing Co.
beer guide
9:00 AM EST
November 2, 2017