Second Salem Brewing Company

Second Salem Brewing not only brews craft beer, but it brings to life the mysterious paranormal and witchcraft history of its hometown of Whitewater. Rumors of witchcraft gatherings, especially near the city’s Starin Park Water Tower, along with mysterious murders and rumors of unearthly creatures in the city’s lakes led to the “Second Salem” nickname over the past century. A werewolf-type creature that supposedly stomps around this area of southern Wisconsin was named “The Beast of Bray Road” and a real man apprehended by authorities in 1929 that was called the Wild Man of La Grange (a nearby settlement just east of Whitewater along U.S. 12) has only added to the area’s reputation.

Perfect for naming beers, right?

Inside Second Salem Brewing — *The expansive inside of Second Salem Brewing Company in Whitewater, with large posters describing each beer.*

Well, Second Salem had traded on the city’s history with crafts like The Beast of Bray Road Amber Ale, Wytches Brew Coffee Porter, Black Mass Stout, Old Main Golden Ale, Witchtower Pale Ale, Bone Orchard IPA, Killer Hill Winter Ale, The Reaper Pale Wheat Ale, the Wild Man of La Grange Hefeweizen, and plenty more. Some are signature brews, some are seasonal – selections range throughout the year. The Tap Room is a large area and a separate room can host additional events. There’s also a patio overlooking Cravath Lake.

One of the burgers at Second Salem Brewing in Whitewater — *The Wisconsin burger at Second Salem Brewing, featured battered onion rings, cheese curds, and a scoop of their beer cheese soup.*

Second Salem Brewing has its brewery, restaurant, and tap room right in downtown Whitewater, a block off Business U.S. 12 and just southeast of the UW-Whitewater campus. The restaurant offers a wide variety from salads to burgers to comfort foods like a lobster mac and cheese. The burgers get very creative – and hefty with different topping options from onion rings and cheese curds to red peppers. Their flatbreads are also popular along with their Friday fish fry, pastas, and a variety of sandwiches. And yes, some of them are healthy.

You can reach Second Salem by heading into Whitewater via Highways 59 or 89, or getting off the U.S. 12 mainline by following Business U.S. 12 (the original route) through the heart of downtown.