By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Jul 10, 2013 at 4:05 PM Photography: shutterstock.com

What goes together better than beer and brats?

If you live in Wisconsin, your answer better be: "nothing."

And if you live in Milwaukee, you’ll be glad to know that Neukirchen Wurst Company of Slinger agrees.

In fact, it has partnered with Milwaukee’s own Sprecher Brewing Company to introduce a new line of craft bratwurst containing Sprecher brews – but not just beer, root beer too.

"The root beer brats are definitely our most unique product," says Neukirchen president Clay Covert.

"People love the sweet and savory combination. Kind of the same way they like syrup on their breakfast sausage."

In addition to the root beer brats, Neukirchen will introduce a "Sweet ‘n’ Sassy" version of the root beer brats with crushed red pepper, classic beer brats using Sprecher Black Bavarian beer, and  Special Amber Bacon Cheddar brats laced with bacon and loaded with Wisconsin cheddar.

And no one is cutting corners with these wursts. They’re made with 100 percent pork shoulder with the traditional coarse-ground texture. There are no fillers, and the casings are all natural (which means they’re snappy, like a good wurst should be).

Covert reports that they’ve done random samplings of the sausages during Sprecher Brewery tours, and they’ve gotten extremely positive feedback.

You can try the sausages for yourself tomorrow evening, July 11. From 6 to 9 p.m., Sprecher Brewing Company, 701 W. Glendale Ave., will host Draughts for Disasters, a benefit to help the folks in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona rebuild their lives and communities in the wake of their recent tornadoes and wildfires.

The event, priced affordably at $20 per person, will include two beers, unlimited soda, heavy appetizers from area restaurants. Additional beer, wine, cocktails, and Sprecher bratwurst made by Neukirchen Sausages will also be available for purchase.

Can’t make the event? Well, you’re in luck. All three Sprecher’s Restaurant and Pub locations in Lake Geneva, Madison and Wisconsin Dells are currently featuring the "Sweet ‘n’ Sassy" root beer brats. And you can buy fresh Sprecher-flavored brats in four-packs at the Sprecher Brewery gift shop at 701 W. Glendale Ave., as well as a selection of other local retailers.

But, you should also heed Covert's very wise advice: "If you don’t see them in your grocery store, ask for them. They can make an ordinary cook-out or tailgate something special."

Want more information?  Visit the BratsThatMakeYourBunsLookGood.com web site, which launches early next week.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.