What to expect at Hank Is Wiser Brewery

Going back almost twenty years ago, the local brewery scene was basically non-existent. Before the thriving and still growing scene in Wichita took off, there was Hank Is Wiser Brewery in Cheney, KS.

This has been a stop I’ve made every now and then to support, not just the brewery, but the family behind it.

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213 N Main St., Cheney, KS 67025
316-542-0113

Friday – Saturday: 5pm – 11pm
Closed Sunday – Thursday

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The brewery reopened this year. The original owner, Hank Sanford, passed away, but his son Steve, who had been doing all the brewing, took over operations this year. Hank’s wife, Jane, is still a staple of the brewery, and you’ll occasionally catch her behind the bar, helping out, and chatting it up with customers.

Truth be told, there is some bias for me because I’ve known the Sanford family for over twenty years. Even dating back to college when Steve and I were in school. I remember first hearing about Hank starting the brewery and seeing all the beer memorabilia he owned and ready to be displayed at the new place in Cheney. But bias aside, there are many supporters of Hank Is Wiser and the there’s something to be said about how long they’ve been in business.

When you visit the brewery, there’s plenty of seating inside for…. Perhaps the entire city of Cheney plus more. I’m only kidding as I have no idea the population of Cheney, KS and am too lazy to Google it.

There’s also a separate game room with pool and shuffleboard available too. If you step inside the room, the walls are lined with hundreds and hundreds of different beer bottles. 

While Hank Is Wiser does carry some beers from other breweries, there’s always a selection of beers brewed on site by Steve. During my most recent visit, I stuck with the strawberry shandy. By no means am I a beer reviewer or connoisseur, so any commentary I have on beer should be treated like my thoughts on food… thrown out the window.

It doesn’t end there yet. If you’re a huge beer connoisseur, you may have heard of Samuel Adam’s Utopias. These are rare bottles of specialty brew that are only released every two years. They have an alcohol by volume of 28% and can go for hundreds of dollars due to the limited release of 13,000 bottles every other year.

Hank Is Wiser might be the only place in Kansas where you can try every release of Utopias. They have every single bottle on hand since its inception and sell it by the ounce.

And if you’re hungry, on some days, Steve will be slinging his BBQ. He literally just reopened when I stopped by, so the menu was limited to pulled pork sandwiches. But you can expect that menu to grow as time goes on.

It’s a small-town brewery, with small-town vibes and good people. Between the Sanford family, you’ll have great conversations, awesome service and a good time.

If you happen to see Jane at Hank Is Wiser Brewery, be sure to tell her Eddy says hi and to pass on my love. If you see Steve, tell him still he owes me a $3 McDonalds extra value meal from college.

Here was the selection of beers during my visit:

Happy Dining,
Eddy

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