Randy's Fun Hunters Brew Crew

Feature Article from The Whitewater Press - Summer/ Fall 2010 www.thewhitewaterpress.com

By Donna Wright ~ Whitewater Press Staff Writer

~ Randy's Restaurant & Fun Hunters Brewery ~

As far back as the 1930’s, when people knew it as Kate Smith’s, the site of Randy’s Restaurant and Fun Hunters Brewery has been a place to take a load off, have a bite and a brew.

Although it’s gone through several incarnations over the decades, since 1972 Randy Cruse has been its owner and his name became synonymous with good food in Whitewater Wisconsin. In 1993, it became just as synonymous with incredible home-brewed beer.

Randy studied brewing at the Siebel Institute of Technology, Chicago and worked with Karl Strauss, world-renowned master brewer on techniques and Karl helped with the design of Randy’s brewery in Whitewater, WI.

Randy makes the beer himself. Sometimes interns from the university spend a semester learning the craft. “One seven barrel batch takes about eight hours to make.” said Kristy Cruse, general manager and Randy’s daughter. Depending on the type of beer being brewed, it can take anywhere from two weeks to six months to be ready to drink.

Randy rotates wheat ale, golden pilsner, amber lager, pale ale and oatmeal stout, plus the seasonal favorites, like two barley wine, Badger Bock and Warhawk Wheat. At one time there can be up to six beers on tap at Funhunters. Everything brewed is natural with no preservatives added. Randy’s brewery also makes cream soda and root beer.

“Randy’s favorite is the gold pilsner,” Kristy said. “My favorite is the oatmeal stout or the pale ale.” The huge brewery is lined with glass walls, so interested patrons can sip a brew while they see first hand where it was made.

Randy’s has daily lunch and dinner specials, banquets, catering and a terrific fish fry. Their full menu has a wide variety of choices, including a full soup and salad bar. The candlelit lounge is the perfect atmosphere for an after dinner conversation with friends, or just for two.

Lunch or dinner at Randy’s can be more than a just a great meal. Spend time in the lobby and hallways, which are lined with historic photos of Whitewater past. The story of the 1989 fire that destroyed nearly the entire facility is retold. I’ve spent hours looking through those photos over the years. A relative and I spent a half-hour looking at, and talking about, the photos while attending a family member’s wedding reception.

“Stop in and support your local restaurants,” Kristy urges. “I try to spend what I can here in town, and I hope others will do the same.”