History The Grumpy Troll is housed in an historic building in downtown Mount Horeb. Originally built in 1916 by the Mount Horeb Creamery and Cheese Company, the building was transformed into a restaurant and brewery in 1996. Originally called the Mount Horeb Pub and Brewery, it became The Grumpy Troll in 2000. Retiring from a life of flight, first piloting helicopters with the Army and then airliners for Northwestern, Mount Horeb native Doug Welshinger bought The Grumpy Troll and reopened on St. Patrick's Day of 2006. The Restaurant The smoke-free restaurant makes up the bulk of the business at The Grumpy Troll. They serve a great selection of American fare like steaks, pork chops and seafood. The have excellent sandwiches like their Reuben and Grumpy Troll burgers made with 100% Angus beef. They have a number of wraps, as well as awesome soup and salads. For the vegetarian there are a number of items. Our vegan president-of-sorts Michael loved the black bean burger and will try the Portabello-in-a-bun on his next time through Mount Horeb. One can't talk about the Grumpy Troll without mentioning their most famous offering--Grumpy Chips are thick-cut potato chips warmed and served with a sprinkling of their own Parmesan cheese blend. Order them as an appetizer and the rest of the table will be singing your praises. The most expensive item on the menu is the 12-ounce ribeye, which is $18.95. Most menu items will set you back a lot less. The burgers, sandwiches, and wraps are around $8. A bowl of soup is $5.50 and comes with a corn muffin. Appetizers run from $5-8. Overall, the prices can't be beat for food this good. No wonder the restaurant is a favorite of locals and a destination for the many tourists who come to this "Troll Capital of the World." |
| Featured Brewer The Grumpy Troll Restaurant & Brewery 105 South 2nd Street Mount Horeb, WI 53572 Phone: (608) 437-BREW (2739) Brewmaster Mark "The Captain" Duchow |
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The Beer Brewmaster Mark "The Captain" Duchow is a native of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Starting as a keg washer, he worked his way to Assistant Brewmaster and then Head Brewmaster of the highly-respected Water Street Brewery in Milwaukee. He came to The Mount Horeb Pub and Brewery in 1998 and stayed until 2001, when he left to continue his craft in Iowa and then Houston. Welshinger was smart enough to coax Duchow back to the new Grumpy Troll in 2006. Upon his return, The Captain began the task of revamping all of The Grumpy Troll's beer selections. Only one Grumpy Troll beer, Trailside Wheat, was here before Mark returned. That one? Well, he created it when he was here the first time. The five in-house fermenters are always full, creating a new batch of one of their great home beers like Maggie (an Imperial IPA) and Captain Fred (classic American lager) or one of the many new beers that The Captain is regularly working on. Right now he is working on a series of new Belgian-style beers. Among these new beers is the Flanders Ned Ale (Simpsons fans will get the joke) which we review on the Reviews page. Also on |
| tap this summer are a Cranberry Lambic and a Belgian ale he calls Monk's Sweat. Mark is a Brewmaster who, while at the top of his craft, isn't a guy with a huge ego. Quick to make a joke and quicker to laugh at someone else's, he is the kind of Brewmaster you actually want to have a beer with. To get a sense of his personality, check out his hilarious website, Sweet Mullets. On a recent "fact-finding" mission (okay, "beer-finding" mission), we had the opportunity to sit down with The Captain and try Flander's Ned Ale as well as five of the regular offerings. Check out the reviews here. |
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Microbrewery or Brewpub owner? Want to be listed as a Featured Brewer? Contact our marketing department at marketing@midwestmicrobrews.com. |
| Our next Featured Brewer will be Central Waters Brewing! Article and Reviews coming soon! |