Low Daily Beer is planning to pour its hazy IPAs and lagers out of a shipping container parked beside a 138-year-old train depot in Belleville. The Burlington, Wisconsin-based brewery is calling the spot the Field Office, a satellite taproom set inside a custom-designed 20-by-8-foot cargo container, with owner Tim Sullivan hoping to have it open by late October or early November.
Sullivan, who already runs a taproom in Burlington, will be staffing the new outpost with just one person, according to Isthmus. He plans to serve customers Tuesdays through Sundays once the container is up and running, though exact hours haven't been finalized. The Field Office is expected to be among the first tenants at The Yards at Belleville Station, a family-friendly food park taking shape around Belleville's historic train depot.
A Historic Depot Becomes a Food Park Anchor
The Yards sits alongside the Badger State Trail and is designed to surround the old depot with food and drink containers, including the Field Office. Low Daily's tiny taproom is set to be just one of roughly six containers leased by food and drink businesses at the site, per the same account. The project uses cargo containers as what the outlet describes as an eco-friendly alternative to permanent structures.
The depot itself dates back to 1888 and hasn't seen train service since the 1940s, the outlet reports. Once restored, it's expected to serve as the anchor of The Yards, with space carved out for special events and community gatherings. The overall site occupies roughly an entire city block and will include a children's playground alongside the food and drink containers.
A Commercial Kitchen Joins the Mix This Fall
The Yards project also includes a second building called The Kitchens at 130 South Vine, which is expected to open this fall and will serve as a commercial kitchen for small food purveyors. For Sullivan, the appeal of the project goes beyond square footage: he has said that being part of Belleville's growth is appealing, the outlet reports.
Wisconsin's alcohol rules offer a framework for how a brewery like Low Daily can operate a second pouring location away from its home base. According to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, permitted brewers may establish an off-site retail outlet, which allows them to sell and sample fermented malt beverages away from the brewery premises. Separately, the Wisconsin Legislature's statutes note that brewers and other licensed entities are generally required to hold a separate permit or license covering each location or premises.
What's Pouring at the Field Office
Low Daily is known for Cowboy Cowboy, a copper-colored, double dry-hopped hazy IPA built with Citra, El Dorado and Mosaic hops and clocking in at 7% ABV. The brewery's lineup also includes Antler Oktoberfest, a 5.5% ABV märzen-style lager, and Corn Federal, a saison brewed with corn and dry-hopped with Barbe Rouge, a French hop varietal known for its berry and citrus flavors. Sullivan reportedly has some of that Corn Federal saison aging in wine barrels for a winter release.
