Badger State moving beyond beer and brats

KENOSHA - Mars Cheese Castle.

There aren’t many states where these three words make sense together. 

Only in Wisconsin.

The 70-year-old business takes its name seriously. Huge red and yellow letters spelling C-H-E-E-S-E mark the location of the store just off Interstate 94 in Kenosha. The outside of the castle is done up with flags and a turret to suit its name. The inside is a modern, well-lit, retail space. Aisles and cold cases are filled with artisan cheese, meats, beers, wines and Wisconsin-themed gifts.

A stack of New Glarus beer. Check.

Cubes of cheese for taste testing. Hard to miss.

“We want to be very conscientious that we represent Wisconsin … as true ambassadors of the state. And we want to do it tastefully,” said Tyson Wehrmeister, co-general manager of Mars Cheese Castle. “We get travelers from all over the United States and all over the world, and ... they want to see what Wisconsin represents.”

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