Sip and Stay

By Jeanette Hurt

Door County visitors come to drink in the delicious scenery, but they can indulge in a variety of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic delights as well. Hop aboard a trolley that takes you on a daylong adventure to a dozen spirited stops, or plan an itinerary of your own. What beverage trail will you follow?

Follow the Vine: Wind down at some of Door County's wineries

Located in a log-cabin-style tasting room in Egg Harbor, Harbor Ridge Winery offers visitors a plethora of wines, from the dry Call Me a Cabernet Franc to the fruity Cherry-osity.

Stone’s Throw Winery, between Egg Harbor and Baileys Harbor, uses California grapes to make their wine. Explore the expansive property, including the barrel room, sculpture garden, tasting room, and Vino! Vino! restaurant, wineglass in hand.

Door 44 Winery, near Sturgeon Bay, features Wisconsin grapes from its six-acre vineyard. Enjoy a build-your-own charcuterie board of local cheeses and snacks with a wine flight or two. 

The founders of Anchored Roots Vineyard and Winery fell in love with both Egg Harbor and wine. After studying and working in the Washington State wine industry, they returned to craft a mix of wines using local grapes and grapes from the Evergreen State.

Ale's, Lagers, Stouts & More: A sample of Door County's breweries

One Barrel Brewing Company started out as a nanobrewery in Madison, then expanded to Egg Harbor in 2019. Pair a pint of the Commuter kolsch or a blackberry hard cider with a slice of pie from Pizza Bros., located inside the taproom. 

Over at Bridge Up Brewing Company, which overlooks Sturgeon Bay’s historic Michigan Street bridge, local ingredients make its flagship and seasonal beers stand out, including Stubborn Sturgeon, a hazy IPA offered year-round. 

For those who think peaches are peachy keen, Peach Barn Farmhouse & Brewery is the Sister Bay destination of choice. In fact, 6 of the 23 beers they brew feature peaches in some way, including the Silo Sisters Peach Sour.

From Vine to Wine: The Door County Wine Trail leads guests on a self-guided tour through the peninsula to sip and celebrate the local terroir.

A Taste of Class: Distilleries of Door County

Door County Distillery, in Carlsville, was the first distillery in the county after Prohibition and features handcrafted spirits, like regionally inspired cherry-flavored vodka and gin. 

Egg Harbor’s Hatch Distillery Co. & Mixed Meadia Wines uses local honey, apples, cherries, and heirloom grains for their products; bartenders then craft the spirits into seasonal cocktails. Local honey and grapes show up in their inventive meads, ciders, and wines, too.

Apple of My Eye: Sweet and fruity ciders

Island Orchard Cider starts with the apples grown on its Washington Island orchard, which are then handcrafted into oak-aged hard ciders, pear ciders, and barrel-aged ciders in Ellison Bay.

Family-owned and -operated Lautenbach’s Market, Winery & Cider Co. in Fish Creek grows, harvests, and crafts delicious fruit-based products, including hard apple cider enhanced with raspberries, cherries, and pears.

Make it Hot: Warm up with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate

It’s easy to get your java fix at Door County Coffee — a Carlsville staple for more than 30 years. People often come in to pick up a bag of beans, but stay for breakfast or lunch. 

Pinky Promise Coffee Roasters started out as an artisan coffee roaster in Sturgeon Bay, with a focus on responsibly grown, organic beans, and today it has added a cozy café in front.

Happy Coffee serves local, freshly roasted, small-batch coffee with house-made syrups and pastries. Its cozy, inviting ambiance complements the water views of Sister Bay. 

Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm, Shop & Le Café on Washington Island grows 12 different varieties of lavender, which are used to create its signature lavender teas and syrups served at the on-site Le Café. 

The Sister Bay store, Tea Thyme in Door County, will be your cup of tea if 140-plus different varieties of tea and accessories are your thing, along with an extensive selection of British goods and treats at Christmastime. 

If you like your hot chocolate with a heavy dose of whipped cream, then head to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik, also in Sister Bay, which is known for its grazing goats on the rooftop (late May–October).

The Gnoshery is a board-game café in Sturgeon Bay that serves up delicious eats and amazing hot chocolate, as well as flavored steamers. 

Ellison Bay’s Kick Ash Door County is a popular place for coffee and gluten-free granola, but its Irish creme hot cocoa really hits the spot.

Ice is Nice: Cool down with refreshing treats and healhty shakes

For more than a century, Wilson’s Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor in Ephraim has been a must-stop for families looking for summertime treats, such as homemade root beer and phosphates, as well as extra-thick milkshakes, malts, and ice-cream sodas. 

People come to Sturgeon Bay’s Get Real Café for flavorful smoothies, including fan-favorite Berry Bay, which blends together blueberries and strawberries with pineapple, banana, and coconut milk. 

Greens ‘N Grains Natural Foods Grocery & Café in Egg Harbor sells blends of organic, fresh-pressed juices, such as Roxy Red concocted with apple, cucumber, beet, lemon, and ginger.

Spirited Sips: Door County's creative cocktails

If you’re looking to sample Door County’s most storied stone fruit, pull up a seat at Sturgeon Bay’s elegant Cedar Crossing Restaurant and Bar for a cherry cosmopolitan, mule, Old Fashioned, margarita, or mimosa. 

For summertime sunset views with a cool cocktail, head to Sister Bay’s Waterfront Restaurant. Try their refreshingly spicy Eastern Medicine cocktail crafted with tequila, yuzu, cilantro, jalapeño, and kaffir lime. 

For an elegant rooftop ambiance, there’s no better place to enjoy a cocktail than at Mezzanine in Egg Harbor. Order a drink infused with local flavors, such as the Laid in Door County, made with Wisconsin maple syrup.

Meta Description: From smoothies to cider, coffee to wine, Door County has a bevy of beverage options. This guide provides a taste of what to expect when visiting Wisconsin.