Most Likely to
Shatter the Glass Ceiling

Shay Leamon, East Troy Brewery

This spring East Troy Brewery named Shay Leamon as head brewer at its operation, which occupies the northwest corner of the East Troy Village Square, and so far, it’s been a game changer.

    Leamon grew up in Wisconsin, but definitely serves some cool and laid-back West Coast vibes.

    Her unique style in the beer scene feels authentic.

    Leamon doesn’t make a big deal out of being a leader in the male-dominated world of craft beer (even though she’s happy to represent a foot in the door for women).

    “There are a lot of people who are surprised that I make the beer,” Leamon said.

    According to Leamon, only about 4 percent of craft breweries have a female head brewer at the helm.

        Leamon, who has been making waves in craft brewing for years, really cares about beer whether it’s discussing the trending fascination with new beer styles, understanding beer history or mulling over complexities from aroma to texture to flavor.

Now that she’s running the beer show at East Troy Brewery, 2905 Main St., Leamon is already making brews that you want to drink again and again, including Because Dinosaurs, a fast fan favorite, and Helles of Troy, a nice German lager that is best after a long day.

    Leamon said she’s focused on creating the perfect beer and food pairings for the foodie-friendly brewery.

    “I’m really focusing on what pairs nicely with the restaurant and having things that complement our menu here,” she said.

Find out more at etbrew.com.

 

Best Eyes

Koskinen Eye Clinic

Taking care of your eyes is important and finding the right doctors can make a difference. Luckily, East Troy is home to Koskinen Eye Clinic, 3278 Main St., Suite B, where staffers are known for making meaningful connections with their patients.

    Owner Dr. Gerald Koskinen, O.D., has been East Troy’s eye doctor for nearly three decades. Optometrist Dr. Sandra Huenink, O.D., is a perfect partner, reinforcing Koskinen’s commitment to ensuring its patients receive personal attention at every visit.

    Koskinen offers comprehensive vision examinations and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide array of eye diseases, conditions and problems. For more information, visit visionsource-koskineneye.com.

 

Busiest Bee

Ayla Guild, The Hive Taproom

 

    Pivoting from equine veterinarian to beekeeper doesn’t just happen overnight, but as The Hive Taproom owner Ayla Guild has found, it does require a lot of hard work and resiliency.

    Ayla’s love affair with bees began in 2017, a year before she and husband Tim Guild opened The Hive Taproom in summer of 2018.

    The Guilds said the timing was right for the business with the popularity of craft beer in the area and the resurgence of interest in mead (produced by fermenting honey with water and adding other ingredients).

    The meadery, located at W2463 County Road ES, uses only local, raw, unfiltered honey to make its mead and relies heavily on local bees.

    Ayla said she was immediately attracted to the idea of learning the ancient craft.

    “I wanted to learn how to keep bees not only for the honey, but mostly to keep them healthy. As a veterinarian, I have a soft spot for animals who are struggling and when honey bees made national news for Colony Collapse Disorder, I knew I wanted to get involved.”

    After studying under Dan O’Leary of Honey Valley Beekeeping, Ayla has established herself as a local heavyweight in the industry.

    She currently manages 50 hives, of which about a third are located on property next to Honey Creek. Ayla and friends planted over 250 native Wisconsin perennials in the pollinator garden next to the Taproom that she continues to expand.

    The Hive’s honey is for sale inside the Taproom. For more information, visit thehivetaproom.com.

Best Bromance

John Hudoc and Thomas Cicero,
Hometown Sausage Kitchen

 

    It’s safe to say that John Hudoc and Thomas Cicero have the best bromance in all of East Troy.

    The professionally trained chefs (along with John's wife Elena Bisabarros) run Hometown Sausage Kitchen – whose blossoming in recent years has continued to attract attention from Wisconsin farmers, the southern Wisconsin restaurant scene and beyond.

    East Troy doesn’t hold back sharing the love for the duo who are often seen out and about with John's family doing custom work for farmers like LotFotL and suppling events like area farmers markets, the East Troy Chamber’s Memorial Day Weekend Corn & Brat Roast, East Troy High School concession stand and many others.

    Hometown Sausage specializes in small batch locally sourced meat processing and Hudoc and Cicero’s banter-filled brotherly bond has proved to be a winning formula.

    After purchasing its East Troy shop at W1184 Co Road L in 2011, Hometown Sausage made a push to modernize the business by developing and evolving its wholesale division.

    Today, the business is supplying its products to trendy restaurants Good Kind in Bayview and Braise in Milwaukee. It also expanded into national territory by supplying a stadium in Cleveland and another large East Coast client.

    For more information, visit hometownsausagekitchen.com.

 

Most Likely to be Famous

Alpine Valley Music Theatre

    Alpine Valley Music Theatre, one of the largest outdoor amphitheaters in the country, gives fans the chance to see star-studded bands while surrounded by its signature hills.

    During its 40 years in East Troy, Alpine has been East Troy’s claim to fame, bringing in some the biggest names in music to town – from Stevie Ray Vaughan to the Grateful Dead to Madonna to Pearl Jam to Neil Young – and giving East Troy press in some of the biggest publications in the country.

Watch for 2022 shows here.
 

Best Moves

Infinity Dance

    With the goal of sharing its deep love of dance with more people, Infinity Dance expanded to East Troy at the start of 2019.

    Since then owners Gina and Carissa Chanos, a mother-daughter duo, have established their boutique-style studio as a fixture within the East Troy community. 

    It hasn’t been easy as the dance industry has dealt (and continues to deal) with unprecedented challenges.

    The Infinity team has worked extra hard to create a community-based studio with dancers continuing to safely perform at recitals, as well as special events (including the debut of East Troy Lights in 2020). Infinity Dance offers classes that broaden the spectrum to create the complete, well-rounded dancer – ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop and more! They also have excelled in the competitive dance arena taking home multiple highly regarded platinum and choreography awards.

    The studio, located at 3278 Main St., welcomes first-time dancers looking for fun, as well as advanced students in every age group.

    Registration is available at infinitydancewi.com.

 

Friendliest

East Troy Lions

    With its motto “We Serve,” the East Troy Lions Club has been at the helm of East Troy’s giving scene for over 64 years.

    During the Club’s tenure, members have financially aided local organizations, provided scholarships and helped to fund an assortment of projects (like the construction of a Youth Center in the late 1960s, which was later donated to the Village of East Troy in 1979 and is now the East Troy Lions Public Library). Often working quietly behind the scenes, the club has been instrumental in many of the notable accomplishments in the community over the years.

    The Lions sponsored East Troy’s July 4th celebration, including the ETBT, is an East Troy staple and has expanded with a Fall Fest ETBT in October. For more information visit easttroylions.org.

 

Most Photogenic

Village Square Park

    While thanks to Main Street construction, it's definitely looked better, what would East Troy be without East Troy Village Square Park? East Troy Village Square Park, 2881 Main St., originally a gift from the village’s founders, has a long history as the backdrop for community events.

    If you journey to surrounding businesses, you’ll also find historic attractions, high quality dining and everything you need for a perfect day or night away.

It's home to East Troy Brewery (in a renovated historic bank building), Sauced (a 100% wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria), InkLink Books (independent bookstore complete with gas lantern lit entryway), Home on the Square (hip gift shop with products sourced from Wisconsin and the coasts), 2894 on Main (tech friendly organic cafe with Tesla recharge stations), The Global Glass (full-service shop featuring beer, wine, spirits and expert picks), East Troy House (oldest operating inn & tavern in Wisconsin) and more.

 

Most Likely to Have
a Beautiful Instagram Feed

Dan Moody, Home on the Square

 

   
There’s an undeniable correlation between coolness and Dan Moody, general manager/buyer at Home on the Square.

     Since opening up shop on the square at 2888 Main St. in early 2019, Moody and business partner JoAnn McCormack have managed to quickly make Home on the Square East Troy’s go-to stylish place to shop.

    Did we mention Moody, a Cleveland native, who’s lived everywhere from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to London to Chicago to Kansas City, runs the store’s gorgeous Instagram feed as well?

    Moody, who has worked in the fashion and entertainment industry for over 20 years, posts new items regularly on Home on the Square’s page. You’d be hard pressed to find a more beautiful selection with a feed adorned with plant drops, jewelry and home and gift items sourced from a mixture of the East and West coasts and Wisconsin-based artists and companies. For more information, visit homeonthesquare.shop.

   
 

Most Likely to
Travel the World

Cheryl Siemers,
5 O’Clock Somewhere Travel and Cruise

 

   

What would daydreaming about travel be like without inspiration from Cheryl Siemers of 5 O’Clock Somewhere Travel and Cruise?

    An industry veteran, Siemers loves to impart her knowledge and passion for travel and learning about new cultures and places into her hometown.

    She’s spent many years traveling the world over and exploring every nook and cranny of the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean as well as Dubai, Europe, South Pacific, Australia and many more countries. As the travel industry makes a roaring return, Siemers is working overtime to make sure her clients have the best possible travel experience.

    To book your next trip, visit 5oclocktravelandcruise.com.

 

Most Admired

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

    Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, a non-profit organization, has been a leader in the movement for profitable, environmentally sound, socially responsible, and sustainable agriculture since 1984.

    Stop by and see its beautiful East Troy campus, located at N8030 Townline Road – whether at an event, workshop, field day, art exhibit or a quick visit, the public is always welcome. For more information, visit michaelfields.org.