Ready to swap the sizzle of your campfire for the sparkle of a brand-new hop bomb? 🍻 Just five minutes from your Bonanza campsite, Dells Brewing is rolling out limited-run IPAs that disappear faster than a Friday PTO request—and we’re dropping the insider map to every juicy pour.
Keep reading if you’ve ever asked yourself:
• “Which release is on deck today—Blueberry Lemon Haze or that crisp Cold IPA?”
• “Can we snag a flight, a pizza, and still beat the water-park wave?”
• “How do we toast the night without playing DD?”
From best-timed tastings to foolproof rideshare hacks, from palate-saving flight tips to campfire brat pairings, this guide is your golden ticket. Sip, then zip—back to your cozy Bonanza base with the freshest cans in town.
Key Takeaways
• Dells Brewing is only 5 minutes from Bonanza Campground and sells small-batch beers you can’t buy in stores.
• Look at the brewery’s website or social pages before you leave camp to see which new IPA is on tap.
• The sweet spot to visit is 2–4 p.m.—fewer people, easy parking, and fresh kegs.
• Order a flight of tiny pours: start with the lightest beer and end with the strongest so flavors don’t blur.
• Wings match the Cold IPA, pepperoni pizza likes the Sconnie Hazy, and pretzels boost the Blueberry Lemon Haze.
• Skip driving after drinking: grab Uber/Lyft, a local taxi, a bike, or pick a sober friend.
• Pack takeaway cans in ice right away; drink hazy or fruit beers first because they lose taste quickest.
Why Dells Brewing Belongs on Your Weekend Hit List
Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Company lives inside a cedar-lined, three-story lodge that’s almost impossible to miss on Wisconsin Dells Parkway. Twelve house taps run at all times, anchored by seven core beers and rounded out by rotating seasonals that never leave the building—state rules forbid shipping, so the taproom is truly your only chance to taste many of these one-off creations. A quick glance at the stainless tanks reveals Brewmaster Jamie firing up the mash tun before most campers hit the snooze button.
Production runs on a craft-centric schedule rather than an industrial one. Some hop bombs condition for six weeks; others, such as their fruity hazy offerings, hit the taps in barely a fortnight. According to a recent Wisconsin Dells Brewing Company profile, the brewery balances demand by circulating bottles and cans across five counties while reserving its rarest kegs for in-house pours only. Translation: if you want that Blueberry Lemon Haze for Daze, you’ll need to claim a barstool—then carry crowlers back to camp.
Plan Your Pour Like a Pro
Timing is everything when you’re chasing limited releases. Spring ushers in cold-fermented IPAs and bocks, summer bursts with fruit-forward juice bombs, autumn leans into pumpkin-spiced or harvest hops, and winter cranks up the gravity with black IPAs and strong lagers. Checking the tap list a week ahead—either by calling the host stand or skimming the brewery’s current menu—helps you dodge the heartbreak of a kicked keg.
Aim for the mid-afternoon lull, roughly 2–4 p.m. Lunch crowds have drifted back to Mt. Olympus, new barrels are freshly tapped, and RV-size parking spots open up like magic. Lock in your spot early in the trip; if the beer blows your mind, you’ll still have time for a refill run before checkout. Pro tip: follow Dells Brewing on Instagram and Facebook. They soft-announce drop dates first and sometimes let fans pre-purchase crowlers for pickup, sparing you a scramble.
Today’s Taplist at a Glance
Blueberry Lemon Haze for Daze is pouring deep violet, ringing in at 7.5 percent ABV, and bursting with tart berry zip over a citrus-peel finish. If haze isn’t your craze, the 7.7 percent Cold IPA answers with a lager-clean body and snappy West-Coast bitterness that slices through campground humidity like an alpine breeze. Sconnie Hazy Hop sits mid-board at 7.8 percent, delivering pineapple and mango softness that’s perfect for IPA newcomers wary of palate scorch.
Rotating behind the hop trio, you might spot Wisconsin Dells Pumpkin Ale—brewed with 144 pounds of real pumpkin—or an Imperial Maibock that balances caramel malt with floral noble hops. The lineup flips fast, so use the board by the host stand as your compass, and feel free to snag a server for fresh intel on what’s conditioning in the cellar.
Flight School: How to Taste Without Tanking Your Palate
Start with a four-beer flight of four- to six-ounce pours; you’ll sample the spectrum without turning the walk back to your rideshare into a wobble. Arrange glasses lightest to boldest—Cold IPA first, Blueberry Lemon second, Sconnie Hazy third, any barrel-aged heavyweight last. This progression protects your taste buds from hop fatigue and lets delicate fruit notes shine.
Between sips, alternate water and a warm soft-pretzel twist to reset your palate and keep tomorrow’s paddleboard plan intact. Jot quick notes—aroma, flavor, would-buy-again—in your phone so selecting crowlers later becomes a breeze. If you’re in a duo, share the flight; doubling variety while halving consumption is the smartest way to stay inside safe limits and campground quiet hours.
Eats That Make the Hops Pop
Moosejaw’s kitchen pumps out spicy wings that sing alongside the Cold IPA; the beer’s crisp bitterness scrapes the palate clean after each smoky bite. Pepperoni pizza, a house legend, partners with Sconnie Hazy Hop—the sweet tropical finish reins in the pepper and salt without muting them. Save room for a giant soft pretzel with beer cheese; the salt amplifies fruit esters in Blueberry Lemon Haze like a volume knob.
Back at Bonanza, break out campfire brats and fold a splash of IPA into your mustard or marinade. Piney hops mirror the sausage’s charred edges and lift the dish beyond basic ballpark fare. For dessert, a gooey brownie pairs best with the brewery’s darker seasonals; malty sweetness wraps bitterness in a fudgy hug that begs for a second pour.
Fast, Safe Hops Back to Camp
The beauty of drinking local is that Bonanza’s front gate sits just 2.6 miles from your barstool. Uber and Lyft drivers circle the Parkway all evening, and local taxi vans quote flat rates that rarely top a couple of crowlers. Prefer your own wheels? Nominate a designated driver before anyone orders—the first person to volunteer tomorrow’s pancake duty earns instant hero status.
Cyclists can hop on well-marked shoulders for a breezy ten-minute ride in daylight, avoiding parking stress entirely. If your crew spans multiple cabins, stagger tastings across two days so someone stays sober for the shuttle run. Stash an insulated growler bag or cooler in whichever vehicle wins DD duty; chilled beer survives the hop back to camp in peak condition.
Keep Those Cans Fresh Around the Fire
Once you’ve scored takeaway loot, drop cans and growlers into ice immediately; warm storage mutes hop aroma faster than you can light that first s’more. Stand growlers upright to shrink oxygen contact and preserve carbonation. Hazy and fruited IPAs fade first—crack those open before the second round of campfire stories.
Upgrade from red Solo cups to non-breakable, tapered tumblers; the narrowed rim traps volatiles, letting juicy aromatics bloom instead of blowing away. Finally, treat growlers like an opened soda: finish the contents the same day. Air sneaks in with every pour, dulling bitterness overnight and leaving you with flat broth by sunrise.
Swap the brewery’s buzz for a chorus of crickets, your fresh crowler for a campfire pint, and let the day’s hop notes fade into the north-woods night sky. Book your tent site, cabin, or full-hookup RV pad at Bonanza Camping Resort now, and make every limited release part of a bigger, memory-making escape—five minutes to the taps, a lifetime in the stories you’ll tell. Reserve today and pour yourself the perfect Dells adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which seasonal IPAs are on tap right now at Dells Brewing Company?
A: The lineup rotates every few weeks, but you can usually count on a citrus-forward Hazy IPA, a piney West-Coast-style release, and one experimental small-batch (think berry-infused or brut-dry); check the live tap list on the brewery’s website or call the hostess stand the morning of your visit for the freshest update.
Q: Do they offer tasting flights or half-pours so I can sample more than one IPA?
A: Yes—build-your-own flights of four 5-ounce pours are available all day, and most seasonals are also offered in 10-ounce half-pours, making it easy to explore without over-committing to a full pint.
Q: How busy or loud is the taproom in the afternoon?
A: Mid-week from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. is typically the calmest window, with plenty of seating and a mellow soundtrack, so you can chat comfortably or savor each aroma note without the weekend buzz.
Q: Is there a dog-friendly patio and reliable Wi-Fi for a quick email check?
A: Leashed pups are welcome on the outdoor deck, and the brewery’s guest Wi-Fi averages 25 Mbps down—enough for a video call before you transition from spreadsheets to sips.
Q: Can large groups reserve a table, and are mixed flights available for non-IPA fans?
A: Parties of 8–12 can book a communal high-top with 24-hour notice, and the bar will gladly split a flight between lagers, ambers, and IPAs so every palate at the table finds a pour they love.
Q: What’s the best way to get back to our campsite after sampling?
A: Most visitors tap a local rideshare app or snag a classic Wisconsin Dells cab; the ride is usually under ten minutes, letting you focus on flavor notes instead of designated-driver logistics.
Q: Do they sell crowlers or cans to take back for a campfire nightcap?
A: Absolutely—seasonals are sealed on demand in 32-ounce crowlers, and flagship 16-ounce four-packs are stocked in the cooler, so you can replay your favorite pour around the fire.
Q: Are there any food pairings that highlight a citrus-forward IPA?
A: The kitchen’s beer-battered cheese curds and the grilled fish tacos both amplify a grapefruit-zest IPA, while the malt sweetness in the batter or tortilla balances the hop bite for a crave-worthy combo.
Q: How long should we budget for a tasting flight if we’re on a tight schedule?
A: Plan