The Potosi Brewery restaurant has become the centerpiece attraction in downtown Potosi, drawing in visitors and locals alike. It offers many economic opportunities in our community, whether it be people working there or being surrounded by other businesses. The Potosi Brewery provides so much that much of the community does not see. For example, they work very hard to provide service in the summertime, when everyone comes down through the valley to enjoy the nice weather and see the sights.
When you go into the Potosi Brewery, there are a few sections of the building. There is the gift shop straight ahead, and you can buy all of their merchandise. When I went on a tour with the museum curator, Tyler Nichols, he shared many interesting facts about the brewery and its museum. Some of these activities include his belief that the library in the building is haunted, and that the staff have heard strange noises. Additionally, some people have visited the library to hunt for ghosts and see if it is indeed haunted.
There are also many exhibits detailing the history of the brewery and all the museum exhibits they own. There are a few televisions that are set to only play the old beer commercials that they used to advertise to the public, along with a very large train table that is themed around the company.
Before the Potosi Brewery was the place that the community knew and loved, it was entirely based in one building. This building is what is now the restaurant, but it used to be so much more. The entire building was originally used solely for brewing, and there was no restaurant area because that was not its primary focus.
Before the fire of February 1995, they were only a company that brewed beer for their customers, and there weren't many people and businesses at the time because Potosi was a very small town, and Wisconsin was still very underpopulated at the time compared to the other states.
When the Potosi Brewery reopened in 2008, it became a charity that gave back to the people and community. They became very prosperous and turned into the company we know and love today. It reopened under the Potosi Brewing Company name, which no longer has private ownership, but is a charity organization. This was so they could give back to the community and donate to as many charities as possible.