July 2014

You might say beer is in Brian Destree’s blood. Not literally – he’s sober and bright-eyed on a busy Wednesday morning – but in a deep, ancestral way.

His family emigrated from Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, the birthplace of the ubiquitous “pilsner” style of beer, in 1863. As if that weren’t a strong enough link, they ended up in northern Wisconsin, in a town with the same name.

That heritage gave him two things: the ability to swear in Bohemian, and inspiration to take up a career in brewing.

At 36 years of age, Destree is director of operations at Capital Brewery, making him the face of a beer producer that is synonymous with the Good Neighbor City. Destree, who took over for longtime brewmaster Kirby Nelson when Nelson departed to found Wisconsin Brewing Company in Verona, brought with him a new outlook on brewing and a new slate of recipes. But he also has respect for those who laid the foundation before him.

The Midwest Mustache & Beard Wearers Championship took place Saturday at Capital Brewery. While most of the  competitors were male, some of the most creative styles were worn by women (who, unlike their male counterparts, were allowed to use fake beards). This one was worn by Krista Brickbauer. To see more images from the event, turn  to pages 10-11 in this week's print edition.

It’s almost reaching the point of absurdity.

And you wonder, how can things get any better?

During the 2013-’14 school year, Middleton captured a Big Eight Conference championship (either regular, postseason, or both) in 14 of the 22 sports it competes in. That’s a remarkable 63.6%.

Middleton was represented at state in 14 of its 22 sports. And the Cardinals brought home top-five finishes at state in seven different sports.

Picking the best of those achievements is tougher than avoiding construction in July. But here’s one person’s opinion on Middleton’s ‘Best of the Best’ last school year.

Girls team of the year: Tennis

Bridget Bellissimo spent her junior season playing tennis on the USTA circuit. Bellissimo had a blast, but also believed 2013 could be a special season at Middleton High School.