One of the reasons we have yet to rate any beer or brewery with five hops in any category is because we aren’t quite sure what that golden standard looks like. No matter where we go or what we drink, there is sure to be something better; therefore, nothing could ever really get a perfect score, right? Well, that is…until we went to Door County Brewing / Hacienda Beer Co. in Bailey’s Harbor, WI.

Going to Door County Brewing was kind of a whim decision. We spent a couple of days on the other side of Door County camping at Peninsula State Park, and on the drive home, we decided to make a pit stop at the brewery.

One of the endearing parts of Door County is how idyllic, quaint, and picturesque it is. Small towns lining the shores of Lake Michigan filled with little shops, cafes, supper clubs, and marinas. Everything about the peninsula gives a person the feeling that they in a Wisconsin version of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Maybe it was these transcendent vibes or just a knack for creating a kick ass brewery that made Door County Brewing fit the bill for what we think of as the ideal brew spot. The decor, the tap list, the service staff, the beer garden and its overwhelming smell of wort, the jukebox, the food truck, and the adjoining coffee shop next door. All of it came together to create something kind of wonderful.

Inside the taproom, there are a mix of long communal tables and taller bar tables. On the far end of the room are the taps and the bar. In one corner of the taproom is a stage for live music and in another sits the brewery merch. The vibe of the taproom is absolutely rustic. Mounted deer heads adorned with flower crowns watch over the front doors and funky art is posted on the walls.

The beer garden is lined with picnic style tables and has another outdoor music stage in back. Next to the brewery is a rustic barn-looking outbuilding that houses the brewery’s koelschip and has a stained glass window depicting the Hacienda armadillo.

The taplist was split between Door County Brewing and Hacienda beers and included a good range of styles from an unfiltered pilsner to a smoked porter and Belgian wit.

The Door County taproom was a place where a person could easily spend an afternoon with friends or an evening listening to live music. Its rustic, down-to-earth vibes made it place where you felt innately comfortable and made it a place where you wanted to spend time. If we were to open up a brewery, this is the place we would want it to be.

Because we enjoyed Door County Brewing so much, we decided to not only give it five hops, but we also decided to create a new category for breweries (kind of like a hall of fame) called the Heady Hop Club. This club is for the greatest of the breweries we post up at.

Heady Hop Club breweries are breweries that are worth travelling for. Kind of the like a restaurant getting 3-Michelin stars, a Heady Hop Club brewery is a destination worth going on a road trip to check out.

Without further adieu, here are the numbers:

The Beer

Beer Name: It Just Does Weird Things

Style: NEIPA

Flavor Characteristics: Citrus, grapefruit, earth, floral, citrus rind. The beer does a good job of combining the earthy aromas of dry hopping with juicy notes characteristic of a tasty NEIPA.

Drinkability: Oh, I’d have a few.

Rating from 1 to 5 Hops: 4.5

The Tasting Room

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 4.5

Vibes: 5

Post-Up Worthy: 4.5

Overall: 5