I always thought the bratwurst was sort of a fixed thing, a recognizable member of the sausage kingdom, as distinct in form as kielbasa or a hot dog. Then, I encountered the Nürnberger-style bratwurst on a trip to Germany: finger-sized sausages typically eaten in threes on round bread rolls. How was this street food snack related to the grilled backyard love of Wisconsin? And what about cooking them in beer?
German Roots
Starting in waves that date back to immigrants fleeing political turmoil in 1848, Germans settled in large numbers in Wisconsin and naturally brought their culture, food, and beer with them. More than a century later, we stand around in parking lots before football games, grilling up batches of bratwursts.Frederick Usinger left Germany in the 1870s, as the family tells it, with $400 in his pocket and a bunch of recipes. He found work in a butcher shop in Milwaukee, and by 1880, he married the niece of the owner, bought the shop, and moved into an upstairs apartment. The building still stands, and Usinger’s still occupies it, above what is now a bustling take-a-number deli counter on the ground floor.
