Wade House Timeless Tales Speaker Series Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries

Settle into the Walnut Room, located in Wade House’s Visitor Center on Highway 23, and prepare to learn, discuss and engage with captivating stories from celebrated authors and historians alike. From a deep-dive on Indigenous watercraft to a history of Wisconsin’s iconic bar and brewery culture to the stories behind famous - and strange - early Badger State recipes, our state history is rife with little-known facts, untold secrets and astonishing revelations—revelations you won’t want to miss out on.  

Every Timeless Tales Talk at Wade House includes a special presentation, a live question-and-answer segment and, often, an opportunity to purchase a book signed by the presenting author or authors. 

Saturday, April 5, 2025 | Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries 

Raise your glass and settle in for the show as State Historic Preservation Officer Jim Draeger, co-author of Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries, highlights the innovative architecture and rich history of more than 70 Wisconsin breweries and bars. Along the way, Draeger will discuss the rise of brewing culture, the impact of Prohibition, and, later, the development of both mega- and micro-breweries that continue to shape our cultural landscape today. Above all, Draeger will use stories, photographs and more to paint a picture of the place bars and taverns hold in our social and cultural history, and how they serve us—both figuratively and literally—today.  

After the discussion, there will be a book signing—and, of course, an opportunity to visit the historic taproom of the 1850 Wade House Stagecoach Inn to sample local craft beer.  

All Speaker Dates: 

Saturday, February 1, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | From Wood to Watercraft: Dugout Canoes of Wisconsin 

Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries

Sunday, May 4, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Extra! Extra!  Eat All About It!  Recipes and Culinary Curiosities from Historic Wisconsin Newspapers