It is a relatively cool summer afternoon in Madison, Wisconsin. As fellow Midwest man Derek Steinborn and I walk through what appears to be the utility district of Madison, we reach our destination. Located about ten blocks a from the Square is the Old Sugar Distillery on 931 East Main Street. The building itself is blends perfectly into a scenery of overgrown plants and near by old warehouses. With nothing but a waist high sign that is mildly obscured by some shrubbery and resembles an old west saloon on the brick facade, this building could easily be passed by the common traveler.
At first glance the interior perfectly matched the exterior. Brick and finished walls, a few tables and a typical bar provided seating for visitors. The beauty is in the bars simplicity. Old beach wood is made into a  divider between a wall and the bar.
When we arrived there was only one craft master; simply calling him a bartender would be an insult to his craft. He was extremely knowledgeable and offered us a few samples, as is customary with any trip to Old Sugar. As time went on another worker came to assist and was more talkative and approachable. We discussed with the process of making Ouzo, as there was this large container with clear liquid and earthly materials that caught our eye.
Now comes the adventure. Sampling a beverage that very few have had the privilege, in a relatively new place, and in a city I have visited few times before, I could not be in more bliss. I, being a whiskey man sampled a very generous helping of the Honey Liqueur. It was smooth and sweet. It was processed using Wisconsin sugar and aged in barrels with only pure Wisconsin Honey to flavor it. Derek sampled the Cane and Abe Freshwater Rum. Aged and processed using the same method as the Honey Liqueur it was one of the smoothest rums I have ever siped.
Having our taste buds crying for more we ordered two signature cocktails from the man behind the bar. I ordered the Old Sugar Distillery’s take on my favorite cocktail, the Old-Fashioned, with a different twist, rum and lemon lime soda instead of whiskey and water. I doubted my decision for about a second, that is, until I took my first sip. The rum was so smooth that I had hardly noticed, nor did I care because the drink was delicious. Derek had the Old and Stormy, a mixture of ginger beer and Old Sugar’s Honey Liqueur. It is also worth noting that the wallet/debit card will be pleased as the most expensive drink was around 7 dollars.
Unfortunately due to time restraints, and the fact that after one drink we were feeling it, we were unable to sample the Ouzo, a licorice liqueur. At the Midwest Man we find ourselves in an endless search for the “Best Cocktail” in cities, Old Sugar Distillery might possibly be that place in Madison, Wisconsin. Next time you and your friends want to sample a unique taste of Wisconsin head east on Main street and walk into Old Sugar to order a cocktail and ask questions for this is a unique place to grab a drink.