A brewery, a bank vault, great beer & Wisconsin hospitality Coming back to Appleton after a long hiatus for my HS Reunion, I had Vault 202 on my list before I even returned. I'm VERY glad I finally made it in. Vault 202 has a fantastic setup inside a repurposed bank building, and the preserved vault adds a genuinely unique element to the experience. The brewery itself is also visible, which adds to the atmosphere and gives the place some personality beyond simply being another taproom. Vault 202 Brewery We worked our way through several beers, including Confused Cyborg, Unconventional Daze, Saison 20PE!2 and Klaus. Every beer impressed me, but Unconventional Daze Double NEIPA at 7.7% was my favorite. Tropical, lush and dangerously easy drinking. Then came the food. Garlic Confit & Parmesan oven-baked wings. They were exactly the kind of beer-food pairing I look for~crispy, garlicky, savory and loaded with Parmesan. The current menu confirms Garlic Confit & Parm as one of Vault 202's wing options. But what really pushed this visit over the top was the STAFF. Jon, Kyle and Brook Lynn absolutely made my return to Wisconsin memorable. They were welcoming, personable and made me feel like I wasn't just another customer walking through the door. In fact, I enjoyed the experience enough that I kept coming back throughout the week. And because apparently I needed physical evidence of the experience, I left Appleton with three bottles of Anniversary Porter headed back to Colorado. Vault 202 wasn't just another stop on my brewery tour. It became part of my Appleton homecoming story. Great beer. Great food. Unique space. And GREAT people. Highly recommended for craft beer lovers visiting Appleton. read more