Saturday 23rd of July 2011 01:18:56 PM

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Ale Asylum is in an unassuming industrial park type of building, but I don't really care because I wasn't planning to hang out in the parking lot.

Entering the Asylum you first encounter the bar. It is a nice combination of wood and metal. The stools are comfortable and there is a chair rail. My wife was pleased that there were hooks for her purse too. The complete lack of TVs was a pleasant surprise too.

The food prep area is the right side of the bar. So if you sit on that side you will find yourself observing sandwich making and frozen pizza baking.

The food menu is very limited. It consists of 4 sandwiches and about 10 specialty frozen pizzas made by a local business. I had a tasty ham and havarti sandwich, some garlic, cheese sticks that were actually a pizza crust with cheese and tomato dipping sauce. I also had the chicken enchilada soup. The fresh baked cookies was good for my sweet tooth also. The food was OK, but definitely not the reason to come to the Ale Asylum. I prefer a limited menu to none at all though. I like to eat while I am spending a day getting beered. I tend to avoid places without food.

So getting to the beer... I ordered the sampler which included all 10 of the beers that were on tap.

Hopalicious--American Pale Ale, surprisingly smooth and hoppy
Tripel Nova-Belgium Tripel Ale
Bedlam-Belgium-style IPA, true to style and tasty
Ambergeddon-West Coast Amber
Big Slick Stout- Oatmeal Stout
Bamboozealator--Dopplebock
Sticky McDoggle-Scotch Ale
Gold Digger-Blonde Ale
Madtown Nutbrown- Nutbrown Ale with a hint of malty sweetness
Hatha-Weizen-German Wheat, with some nice banana hints

The 6oz sample sizes were generous, but in line with the $2 per sample price.

All of the beers were good. I could have done without the Gold Digger as it was a typical yellow beer, but still better than a macro brew.
My favorites were Hopalicious, Bedlam, Bamboozealator, and even the Hatha-Weizen. One interesting thing to note is that all of the beers were very smooth drinking and I was surprised to find that the alcohol content was higher that my tongue was guessing.
The staff of Ale Asylum was friendly and accommodating. Sometimes they seemed a little too involved with some of the customers that were regulars. Maybe I am just jealous that I couldn't be a regular.

Throughout the day that I spent at a Ale Asylum, I covered the different areas of the bar. I started by sitting at the bar. During the late afternoon we sat on the patio and listened to the woosh of traffic going by. Luckily there was a fence that blocked it from view though. Later on after it started raining, we moved to the leather couches in the lounge area. I am a pathetic pool player but we bounced a few balls around the the vintage table with the leather pockets. I finally ended the day back at the bar.

There are growlers and some six packs available for takeout, but remember that Wisconsin has some crazy law that prevents them from selling it after 9PM. I had already had my fair share of the beers over the course of the day, so I didn't need to take any with me.

Overall, I enjoyed my time at the Ale Asylum. Good beer, good atmosphere. I would definitely come back if I was in the area.

Tuesday 26th of April 2011 02:42:27 PM

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Ale Asylum is a emo beer geeks dream come true. Black clothing, eyeliner diamond plate and heavy metal music.

We stopped in here while driving through Madison. It was a weekday afternoon so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. We bellied up to the bar and ordered the flight to sample everything on tap. All the beers were excellent. The server was friendly and knowledgeable.

Overall a great place to sample AA beers in their home setting.

Thursday 27th of May 2010 02:37:59 PM

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We discovered this place during a stay at a Madison B&B. We weren't sure we had the right place at first since it is located in a small industrial park. Inside it has the look of a trendy cafe or coffee shop...but with beer!

The staff was very friendly and hip. They have a very small menu, but we had a fantastic soup and a great smoked ham sandwich.

The beer was sublime. 10 beers in the sampler and every one of them was great. I don't think I have ever had such a perfect run in a brewpub. Belgian ales are a specialty.

Saturday 28th of November 2009 11:59:18 AM

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It’s easy to drive by Ale Asylum in its strip mall location. However, if you do, you’ll missing out on a gem. You must order a sampler. $1 each for 4 oz. pours. We tried everything they had on tap (10 beers) for only $10. What a deal! They have a wide variety of beers, including a few Belgians. The best of the brews, in my opinion, were the Hopalicious Pale Ale ad Ballistic IPA.

Food menu is limited, but of high quality. Pizzas are made off-site and cooked in mini-ovens at the bar. Ingredients are local and fresh - surprisingly good! The chips & salsa are also tasty. Next time

I’m in the Madison-area, I’ll be sure to visit the Asylum again.

Saturday 21st of November 2009 01:14:27 PM

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This brewpub/brewery is tucked in the corner of a business park, has tons of good parking and presents so much more than you would think from first glance outside the location.

Excellent beers and decent food. I have to admit I wasn't that impressed with the food. That is not to say that I was not satisfied or that I would not recommend other trying the menu items. The 5 ounce samples glasses area a nice way to indulge in a larger variety of different beers from Ale Asylum.

A sure visit with excellent service for your next trip to the Capitol in Madison, WI.

Monday 24th of August 2009 02:00:24 PM

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Located east of downtown in a sorta industrial part of town, Ale Asylum is a sharp spot once you walk through the doors. Great decor, colors, metal and branding in a contemporary tribal vibe of coolness.

I've always had friendly bartenders and have enjoyed the beers on offer, I suppose 8-10 or so. The Happy Ending seemed a bit sweetish and the Contorter Porter a little less nuanced than I'd like, but I really enjoyed their hoppy offerings (amber, pale and IPA).

Pizza on offer, and I think sandwiches. On one occasion, we had a pizza of some delicious, gourmetish sort, and quite enjoyed it.

Very cool spot. I love their branding, and this place is certainly worth a stop.

Thursday 2nd of October 2008 08:52:13 AM

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This person needs 3 or more reviews on the site for their scores to start counting.

We hit Ale Asylum at the start of our WI brewpub adventure. We'd already had dinner, so we just stopped by for a couple of pints. I had a couple Hopalicious Pale Ale, and my wife had a Nut Brown and a Stout. All were delicious.
The major food fare is pizza, but as we'd already chowed we took a pass on the pizza. It looked delicious, I certainly know what I am going to have next time I swing by. The place is very nice, very clean, and as mentioned before, smoke free. We were really impressed with the Ale Asylum

Monday 7th of January 2008 12:22:33 AM

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dozen beers on tap... but normally I roll with the stout, porter and diablo... big surprise.

Went here on a recent trip to madison. Rolled in and had some beers, kicked back for some conversation. It's that kind of place. I like the earth tones with the metallic finish on the tables, the look of the bar is tough.

Free pool in the backroom.
An assload of seating.
there's nice outdoor seating, not for winter mind you, but it's all right.

Service is attentive. Previous angelic brewing folks know what people want and have a better control of how to bring it to the east siders in madison.

Didn't have the food this trip, but I've had the pizza and the sandwiches, both good.

Kickass t-shirts. Haven't snagged one just yet.

Monday 13th of August 2007 10:32:09 AM

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The Ale Asylum is located in an industrial/commercial strip. There is a small freestanding sign and two large signs on the building. There is parking in the front and additional parking in the rear.
I knew I was going to like this place as soon as I noticed the hops growing outside of the front doors.
The interior is modern in décor with burnt orange walls, black metal roof joists and black accents. Bottles, artwork and T-shirts adorn the walls. From my seat at the bar brewing tanks can be seen behind the bar.
There is an outdoor seating section with numerous tables surrounded by a low wooden fence. There is no smoking in the bar or outdoor seating section.
The beers here are quite impressive. On this visit I found the Big Slick Stout to be my favorite, other beers I tried were Happy Ending and Hopalicious which were equally as spectacular.
There are deli-style sandwiches and pizzas available, but on this trip I did not eat. This may have contributed to my later downfall, but that is another story.
The staff and patrons were friendly and I hope to stop in again on my next visit to Madison.

Wednesday 11th of July 2007 08:47:24 PM

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Visited 7/11/07

Atmosphere: An "A", this is my type of place. A little trendy a little subdued, good music piped in. The 30 somethings mingling with some dressed in business casual some sporting full arm tattoos and piercings but not an ego angry meat market atmosphere. Very friendly and mellow. Leather chairs and sofas surrounded by votive candles balance darts and a sleak looking pool table.

Food: If your hoping for food you are in the wrong place. Sandwiched and pre-made pizzas can satisfy an empty belly. But only so you can enjoy another beer.

Beer: Again an "A". This is their focus and they do it well. I had 3 beers, The Hoppolisous, the Armageddon, and the Happy Ending. I would truly recommend all of them. 12 beers on tap i believe all of their own design. Again the focus here is on quality beer and it shows. I mean for god's sake they have hop vines growing on the side of the building.

Transportation: I'm just throwing this in because i noticed it... a bus stops in front of the place but i have no other info on it.

Sunday 6th of May 2007 10:29:52 PM

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We seem to find ourselves at Ale Asylum around the lunch hour. And this isn't a bad thing. If you have a day of drinking scheduled, it is always a good plan to get some breading on the stomach and you can do this at Ale Asylum.

They had 12-ish beers available on tap. The food options are sandwiches and soups. You are presented with a menu where you are able to custom create your sandwich with a variety of options. The bread has been really good and it has hit the spot on both visits.

The beers here run the gamut from hoppy to belgian and there were two darker options in the Stout and the Porter.

The bar is non-smoking (as is the rest of Madison). There is plenty of parking available(more in back). A visit to Ale Asylum is easily worth a detour outside of downtown if you have time.