Brewery Profile

The Runaway Micropub & Nanobrewery

In Burlington’s Historic Downtown, a visitor to The Runaway Micropub & Nanobrewery finds a brewery built around the taproom rather than a broad distribution footprint. Its nanobrewery scale is part of the point: beers are produced in small batches, with attention on technique, quality control, and the ability to change the lineup often. The name points back to an older part of local history, when horse-drawn carriages were common and runaway horses were an occasional town event. That reference gives the brewery a Burlington-specific identity without turning the place into a museum. For someone exploring the city’s beer scene, the stop represents a small, downtown-focused model where the main encounter with the beer happens on site.

Travelers in southeastern Wisconsin often look for local beer experiences that feel different from larger regional breweries: rotating taps, limited-batch pours, and a chance to see what a brewer is working on at the moment. The Runaway fits that pattern by keeping production small and allowing room for experimentation across different beer styles. Because the lineup is designed to rotate, it is better understood as a place to sample the current range than as a destination for one fixed flagship beer. Visitors who enjoy comparing styles, checking in on seasonal changes, or stopping at independent taprooms while moving between Lake Geneva, Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee, and smaller inland towns may find it a useful Burlington stop.

Practical planning should start with the taproom, since that is the center of the business and the best place to confirm the day’s pours. Details such as current beer availability, hours, food options, events, and other amenities should be checked directly with the brewery before visiting, because they can change and are not reliably inferred from the nanobrewery format alone. The known appeal is straightforward: small-batch beer served in Historic Downtown Burlington, with the on-site experience prioritized over wide distribution. Visitors should treat the stop less like a packaged brewery tour and more like a local taproom visit, where the main reason to go is to see what is currently being brewed and poured.

The Runaway Micropub & Nanobrewery operates within Historic Downtown Burlington, Wisconsin, focusing its efforts on small-batch production brewing. The brewery's name references the historical phenomenon of "runaway" horses that occasionally occurred in the town when horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation. Emphasizing technique and quality control, The Runaway maintains a nanobrewery scale, allowing for frequent rotation and experimentation across various beer styles. This operational structure prioritizes community engagement over wide distribution, centering the business model around the on-site taproom experience.

Website available

109 E Chestnut St, Burlington, WI 53105, USA, Burlington, Wisconsin, 53105

Phone: (262) 806-7048

Website: http://www.runawayburlington.com/

Hours: Open Wednesday - Saturday Wednesday 5-9PM Thursday 5–9PM Friday 4–10PM Saturday 12–10PM