This national success mirrors the continued growth of craft brewers in Wisconsin and neighboring states. In 2011, O'so Brewing in Plover opened a new brewery that will allow it to brew dramatically more beer. Madison's own Ale Asylum last fall announced a move that could quadruple its production. And Bell's Brewery last year began construction of an expansion that could allow the Michigan brewery to brew up to half a million barrels of beer by 2016.

What all of these brewers have in common, aside from visions of explosive growth, is a competitor in the final four of The Onion Beer Bracket, a March Madness-style beer tournament launched last month. Voters winnowed a Beer Baron-picked field of 64 to their four, and now two, favorites. (Voting in the championship matchup begins today; results were not available at press time.)

So how do the Fermented Four compare to the Final Four that will compete on the hardwood this weekend?

Bell's Two Hearted Ale was a No. 1 seed, O'so Night Train and Ale Asylum Hopalicious were 2 seeds, and Leinenkugel's Original was, ahem, a 13 seed out of the ill-conceived Macro region.

The actual Final Four? No. 1 Kentucky, No. 2 Kansas, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Louisville. So you could say I did almost as well with my seedings as did the NCAA selection committee … which everyone hates.