O’so Brewing Company - The Big 2.0

This brew is a rework of O’so’s previous GABF Gold medal winning wheat ale, The Big O. Why revise a gold medal winner? When the opportunity for improvement presents itself, why not take it? The brewers at O’so now brew this beer with Voss Kveik yeast, an intriguing Norwegian strain known for producing a good deal of orangey citrus esters, particularly at high fermentation temps. The Big 2.0 presents a bright golden orange color with a crop of bright white foam. Also brewed with orange peel, the beer unsurprisingly offers up some crisp, zesty citrus aromas atop a clean malt foundation that offers some complementary tangy touches with a mild crackery component. It’s super crisp on the palate too. Look for a nice wheaty malt quality at the center of this brew, with that crackery, lightly bready impression forming a good backbone. A mild dose of hops provides a light drying bitterness with light citrus and spice impressions, augmented by the zesty orange peel contribution and touches of citrus esters. An easy beer to down on its own in large, refreshing quantities on a hot day, we can’t overlook its pairing options, as well. We’d steer toward light grilled dishes like marinated chicken skewers or grilled shrimp tacos with lime and a fruity salsa. A summer salad should pair nicely, too, particularly with some crumbled feta or goat cheese. Cheers!

O’so Brewing Company, in the small village of Plover, Wisconsin, has quietly become one of the very best breweries in the state. O’so was founded in 2007 by husband-and-wife team Marc and Katina Buttera, who both grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It took a whole lot of steps in-between to get O’so up and running, as Marc and Katina raised two young children while working and going to school (which is pretty badass, let’s be real). Marc earned a degree in mechanical design and Katina earned hers in accounting, and, after establishing their careers and even moving their family away to Tennessee (for Marc to take a promotion at the foundry he worked for), they realized that something was missing.

As these stories often go: homebrewing soon changed everything. After moving back to the middle of Wisconsin, the couple opened up Point Brew Supply (a beer- and winemaking supply shop) as a side project, which gradually transitioned into a five-year plan to also open O’so Brewing. In the period since, both entities have grown in leaps and bounds. O’so has been one of the fastest growing breweries in the state; their year-round The Big O wheat ale won gold at the Great American Beer Festival in 2015, and their hoppy and sour releases, especially, have made them one of the most influential breweries in Wisconsin. Should you happen to find yourself anywhere near the center of Wisconsin, O’so Brewery’s Tap House offers up an exceptional selection of the brewery’s house beers along with a surprising number of beers from all around the state. As O’so puts it, “Our mission as a Tap House is to promote a ton of great Wisconsin beer.” So: 40 taps in total, including 20–25 of their own, and the Tap House regularly highlights members of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild. In 2019, they opened another location known as the Madhouse in Madison, and recently opened their O’so Amore Kitchen featuring pizzas and more. For more info on O’so, call 715-254-2163 or visit www.osobrewing.com.