Wisconsin beer cheese soup is a thick, savory soup made with sharp cheddar cheese, Wisconsin lager and a mirepoix base, served with a soft pretzel or rye bread.
Wisconsin beer cheese soup emerged from the state's brewing and dairy industries in the 1940s and 1950s, when German immigrant cooks combined leftover sharp cheddar with the abundant local lager to create a thick warming soup. By the 1970s it was a Wisconsin tavern staple; The Coopers Tavern on Capitol Square in Madison and many supper clubs still feature it on the seasonal menu. It is the unofficial soup of the Wisconsin winter Friday night.
3 editor picks for Wisconsin beer cheese soup in Madison, ranked by editorial score. All Madison signature dishes · Wisconsin beer cheese soup across every city.
The Old Fashioned ★ 4.8
capitol-square · 23 N Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703
The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney, the Wisconsin canon codified into a tavern menu since 2005, runs cheese curds, fish fry and brandy Old Fashioneds.
Tornado Steak House ★ 4.6
capitol-square · 116 S Hamilton St, Madison, WI 53703
Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton, a block off Capitol Square, runs Madison's traditional supper club tier with steaks and the weekly Friday fish fry.
The Coopers Tavern ★ 4.4
capitol-square · 20 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703
The Coopers Tavern on West Mifflin, Food Fight's eleventh restaurant since 2010, sits at the top of State Street with 28 taps a block off Capitol Square.