SteelTank Brewing Company, Oconomowoc

What kind of tanks? Steel. That’s just one of the messages conveyed by SteelTank Brewing Company, which opened in its current location in 2019 on the south side of Oconomowoc along Highway 67. They originally began at SteelHead AleWorks in 2013, focusing on full-bodied malty beers.

At last count, SteelTank offered 16 of their beers on tap, most with military themes and salutes. Beers include The Bunker, a light lager; Ground Powder IPA; G.I. Party Kölsch; Lock N Load Pilsner; the Militar, a Mexican lager; Boot Camp Pale Ale; Iron Relations, a Hefeweizen; Punisher IPA; Tracer Rounds Amber Ale; their Oktoberfest Märzen; Ruck Up Altbier; The Privates, a Vienna lager; The Sarge Scottish Ale; Hunker Down Porter; G.I. Joe Oatmeal Coffee Stout; and the Nut to Butt Brown Ale. The flavors are complex in these beers, and they pair well with the food they offer.

SteelTank is big on savory with their restaurant menu, which is heavy on barbecue offerings like brisket, pulled pork, sausages, chicken, and ribs. The sides are hearty too, and they offer a Friday fish fry. One key is their sauces; they make classic BBQ, a sweet version, a Carolina Tang with a red vinegar base, a Gold Tang that blends in mustard, a Smokin’ Hot, a version of Alabama White BBQ that blends in horseradish, and the Daredevil, which kicks the heat up even more.

You can enjoy the beers and food inside or on the patio out back, which has an extra bar and occasionally hosts live music. A yard behind that offers some space for bags, for kids to run around, and just to walk around and stretch your legs.

You’ll find SteelTank Brewing just off Highway 67 on the south side of Oconomowoc in Waukesha County, about two miles north of the I-94 exit (#282) and a little over a mile south of Highway 16, which is the main east-west drag through and around town.