Monday 20th of September 2010 08:42:05 AM

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Stumbled across the Monarch/Fountain Brewing out of pure luck, which rarely happens these days with modern technology. We were on a leisurely drive up the Mississippi, and stopped in Alma prior to stopping here. Looking for a place to eat, this looked to be the nicest place on our drive. The glowing "Fountain Brew" sign near the entrance had me curious, and I was stunned to learn they brewed their own beer (hadn't checked beermapping).

Inside the place was spacious and airy, with a balcony in the back, bar in the front, and cozy tables scattered all around. The second storefront housed the kitchen and a second seating area (2nd balcony) and a basement bar for private parties (must be seen to be believed, there's an albino deer down there, among many other things. We sat at an antique table with high-backed booth seats, decorated with hand-embroidered throw pillows. Tons of antiques and breweriana in the place. A collection of 150+ vintage beer labels (all regional WI and MN) was on the wall near the stairs, which was most impressive.

Our server was a sweetheart, and chatted with us, as it was slow on a wednesday night. She gave us a brief history and tour of the place, which was fun. Also didn't miss a beat describing the house beers. The homemade pizza came out quickly and was very good.

The selection is limited to the house beers (3 available on our visit) and the usual Irish macros. Could use a few more, but maybe they don't sell as well in a town with a population under 1000. Even Alma up the road had a decent selection of craft brews. Monarch is worth a return trip for the food, service, and atmosphere alone, the beer is just a bonus.