By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Jul 31, 2018 at 2:01 PM

On Sunday, Aug. 5, The American Club will celebrate its 100th anniversary with celebratory parade, an ice cream social, live entertainment and fireworks. 

But, over the course of the coming months, the resort will also debut a number of new food and beverage offerings that pay homage to its storied history, the immigrants who contributed to its success, and the labors that resulted in the historic hotel being named a Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-diamond resort hotel.

Here are six delicious ways to get in on the fun.

1. Sip a newfangled version of Walter Kohler’s favorite cocktail

Among the little indulgences that will accompany the anniversary is a new arrival cocktail for guests at both The American Club and Carriage House.

The cocktail is a modern redux of Walter Kohler’s own personalized recipe for a "sidecar," a cocktail that's noted in the Kohler archives as "a wonderful cocktail punch" which tasted of lemonade and often rendered unsuspecting imbibers – who often eagerly drank three or four in a row – unable to "move one’s tongue or in any way carry on a reasonable conversation."

2. Enjoy coffee in the greenhouse

In the courtyard of The American Club, you'll find a beautiful vintage greenhouse which has been converted into a bright, cheerful cafe that serves coffee, tea, smoothies and other treats. It's a great place to start your day or to unwind in the afternoon with a great book.

What you might not know is that the greenhouse itself was originally built to cheer the young patients at a children’s hospital in Lincolnshire, England. It was later purchased and rebuilt on the Kohler property to enhance the courtyard botanical gardens.

3. Relax with a 100th anniversary cocktail

Make your way to the Winery Bar, a cozy respite located just outside of the Immigrant Restaurant which once served as the laundry room for rooming workers, and you’ll find a special menu of tipples created by bartender Peter Kalleward.

The selection includes well-executed riffs on the sazerac and the negroni. There’s also a daiquiri featuring Plantation 3 Star, Leblon Cachaça, Brugal 1888, Luxardo Maraschino, Falernum, orange, lime and grapefruit, served in a glass with wedge ice.

The menu also includes a "new" classics like the Paper Plane, a cocktail originally created by Sam Ross of Milk & Honey in Chicago and reinterpreted with Baker’s 7 Year Bourbon, Aperol, Killepitsch, orange and lemon.

4. Enjoy a leisurely brunch in the Wisconsin Room

Choose from menu items like the crabcake Benedict or indulge in the buffet, which includes made-to-order creme brulee French toast and omelettes, along with a variety of other pastries and breakfast items.

While you’re there, peruse the wall-sized tapestry of the State of Wisconsin, which was commissioned by Evangeline Kohler in the early 1940s. The tapestry, which tells the story of many ethnic groups who settled in the State, was designed by Lorentz Kleiser and hand-woven at the Edgewater Tapestry Looms in Edgewater, New Jersey, for a sum of $500.

5. Indulge in a seven-course feast

If you’d like to experience something truly indulgent, look no further than the special seven-course tasting menu at the Immigrant Restaurant, which features an impressive selection of dishes from Chef Douglas Stringer, each of which borrows from the culinary traditions of immigrants who contributed to the success of the Kohler Company.

The restaurant itself opened in 1981 and is located in a portion of the campus which once held a small bowling alley. Today, it’s been transformed into a five-star restaurant with six rooms, each of which pays homage to a different country, the homelands of the immigrants who built the success of Kohler.

The seven-course European feast is doppled with rich selections including generous helpings of black truffle, rich cream and unctuous full-flavored goose, complete with impeccably crisp skin. And it’s a virtual celebration of flavors when paired with accompanying beverages (including inventive cocktails, an English sparkling wine that goes remarkably well with beef and a German Riesling made by Schloss Vollrads, one of the oldest wineries in Germany) chosen by sommelier Anthony Garcia.

Highlights include the foie gras torchon, which is rolled in strawberry dust and served with generous shavings of black truffle and black truffle pearls (pictured above).

Meanwhile, the beautiful deconstructed sachertorte is a true tribute to the classic Viennese dessert, which dates back to 1832. It’s a celebration of both white and dark chocolate, and the cherry bonbons are as beautiful to behold as they are delicious to eat (see cover shot).

The full menu:

  1. Black Truffle and Foie Gras au Torchon – poached pear, cabernet reduction, baguette (France); Carmes de Rieussec Sauternes, Bordeaux, France 2011
  2. Veal Sweetbread Bitterballen – soused herring, snert, pea greens, red pepper (Holland); Nolet Silver, Linnie Aquavit, Lillet Blanc, St. George Absinthe, star anise, fennel, lemon, orange
  3. Moules a la Crème – mussels, garlic, cream, truffle, sourdough (Provence, France); Christian Drouin, Leblon Cachcaca, Pernod, lime, orange, ginger
  4. Steg Flæsk – leverpostej, parsley, rye berry (Denmark); Stuhlmuller Vineyards, Zinfandel, California 2014
  5. Roasted Goose – goose sausage, red Brussels sprouts, potato dumpling (Germany); Franz Keller Schwarzer Adler Pinot Noir, Germany 2014
  6. A-5 Wagyu Strip "Cottage Pie" – baby carrots, potatoes, garden peas, jus (England); Hattingley Valley Classic Reserve, England, NV
  7. Black Forest Sachertorte – cherry ganache, kirsch, bonbons (Germany); Schloss Vollrads Riesling, Germany 2014

6. Savor something sweet

You wouldn’t be remiss in visiting the Craverie Chocolatier Cafe where you can enjoy any number of sweet treats, including the terrapin sundae, which is loaded with layers of chocolate, vanilla gelato and buttery caramel and pecan studded Kohler Terrapins.

Of course, if you’re looking for a smaller indulgence, it would also be appropo to indulge in a box of Kohler Platinum chocolates, comprised of a shell of 63 percent dark chocolate filled with pecans and caramel. After all, platinum is the appropriate gift for a 100th anniversary celebration.

For more on the Kohler Centennial Celebration, visit americanclubresort.com.

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.