Karben4 Brewing — Restaurant in Madison

From the moment I first entered Madison's newest (and sure to become one of it's favorite) microbrewery until my very last sip, Karben4 was an experience for my senses. The staff was exceedingly friendly treating my wife and I like they'd known us for years. They offered six unique and distinct types of freshly brewed beers. We watched the beer being made as it was poured into our glasses because of the large display windows showcasing the entire well-lit production facility behind the modern walls. Seeing the craftsmanship and hard work necessary to brew such a well-balanced lineup of beers only added to the enjoyment of the brew as the carbonation danced on my tongue. After I had my first glass of Lady Luck, I decided to order the sampler so that I could try them all. Even my wife, who normally is not a beer drinker, could not help but rave about how exceptional her beer tasted. The inside is fabulously decorated, with massive original paintings suspended from the walls--we were told that each painting reflects the personality of one of the beers, and we had fun guessing which painting went with each as we sampled. The bottom line is that if you are a a beer novice or beer lover, you will appreciate what this new brewery can add to a relaxing evening or fun night out in the Madison area. Give it a try and you'll find it hard not to be drawn back for more. I can't wait for...

I enjoy Karben4's beer.

So much, that I came all the way over to the East Side to fill up a growler. The bartendress took a look at my growler and said "we can't fill this if it doesn't have a government warning label on it." I was totally confused. I've gotten this growler filled multiple times in multiple other places across Madison without any issue. She wouldn't fill it. She offered to sell me one of Karben4's growlers, but no-go on filling my own, which is a Portland Growler Co. growler. "Maybe you can go home and print off a label." That's it. Sayonara.

So now I'm home, and trying to find any real literature regarding these filling laws. The best I can figure is that they are completely misinterpreting the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's (TTB's) laws, which state that closed sealed containers sold by the brewery need a federal warning label. It also clearly states, on their website that growlers brought in which are not prefilled are considered open glasses and do not require the label. "

So wise up guys. Stop refusing to sell people your beer. And, of course, if you can demonstrate information proving otherwise, I'm happy to remove...

The Karben 4 Brewing co. is a new brew pub located in the old Ale Asylum building. I visited by myself during their grand opening. It was decently busy for 330pm. I was not greeted and didn't see a sign telling me to seat myself so I sat at the bar. The menu had about 6 items on it. Food being sourced from Underground Kitchen. The beer menu featured about 6 different Karben4 beers. I ordered the polish sandwich that came with chips. It was AMAZING! I never had anything like it. It had home made mayo and a dijon aioli sauce with finely sliced onion and a splayed sausage on a thin wheat bun. The portion size was perfect for me. One more bite would have been too much, and there were plenty of chips leftover. Im already craving that unique sandwich again. I ordered a growler of their porter to take home and as I write this I'm enjoying it very much. I was told it was a porter for people that don't like dark beer. I do believe it would also be a porter lovers...