Wisconsin, as we all know, is famous for two things — cheese and beer. As the state capital, Madison has a lot to live up to. Luckily for University of Wisconsin students, two local breweries are located right downtown and offer up some of the finest beer in the state.

Closest to campus is the Angelic Brewing Company at 322 W. Johnson St. Open since 1995, the Angelic boasts great beer, some of the best “bar food” in the area and local music almost every night of the week.

The Angelic features about five beers on tap at any given time. Currently, patrons can choose from the Purgatory Pale Ale, Trident Tripel, Avalon Blonde, Pagan Porter or ’99 Schilling Scotch Ale. The selection is apt to change without notice, but in general there’s a good selection of dark beer, lite beer and something in between.

The standout favorite among those currently on tap is the Trident Tripel. If you’re looking for a great beer that will keep you both full and buzzed all night, this one’s for you. Boasting three times the ingredients of normal beer, the Trident is also triple-fermented, which means it has triple the alcohol content. It’s only brewed once a year, though, so get it while you can.

If it’s outstanding flavor in a lighter beer you’re looking for, head for the pale ale. My drinking buddy ordered a pint of it on a recent Tuesday night and reported the flavor to be strong, if not a bit overpowering. The menu describes the ale as having a “crisp yet floral taste and aroma,” which is definitely a spot-on description.

As for myself, I went for the Pagan Porter. It was everything anyone could want in a porter, plus a little more — it had the perfect combination of flavor (significant without being too strong), texture (extremely smooth going down) and temperature (not ice cold, which added to the texture). The downside, if any, is in the carbonation. Porters should be served with less carbonation than other types of beer, but the flatness in this case was a bit too much.

At less than $3 a pint, the Angelic should definitely make your list of places to check out. Even if you’re not a beer person, the food alone should be enough to draw you in — wraps, burgers, pasta and more are available throughout the day, and a full menu of late-night items also awaits you. Local bands are featured almost every night of the week, so you can enjoy a little background entertainment as well.

The other contender in the downtown battle of the breweries is The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company at 123 E. Doty St. It also has a second location far off in the suburbs at 2980 Cahill Main in Fitchburg, but for simplicity’s sake, we stuck to the downtown, more campus-friendly location.

One of the most unique aspects of the Great Dane is its atmosphere. There are four distinct areas — the restaurant portion, the bar portion, the basement bar and the outdoor patio. In the restaurant, patrons can enjoy all the home-brewed beer they can handle while also ordering from the late-night menu, which includes everything from fish ‘n’ chips to burgers to Cajun chicken sandwiches. There’s also a more extensive menu during the day, featuring classic pub food like bangers ‘n’ mash.

For the late-night crowd, the bar area is probably the best bet. About 14 beers, give or take, are available at a time, and they run the gamut from the Landmark Lite to the Emerald Island Stout (which is almost black in color).

There’s also a rotating selection of cask ales and specialty brews, like the Oktoberfest brew being served right now. It’s one of the finest red beers available in the region, so take advantage of the opportunity before it disappears for another year.

One of the defining features of the Great Dane is its adherence to the German Purity Law of brewing, which states that beer can have only four ingredients — water, malt, hops and yeast (except for wheat beers, which can have wheat). Every variety of Great Dane beer is brewed with this rule firmly in place, and the result is authentic German beer with distinct flavors and a quality unmatched anywhere else in Madison.

Crop Circle Wheat is one of the pub’s most popular selections and is made with imported German yeast and hops for an authentic flavor. It’s robust and unique, and the lemon wedge served with it perfectly sets off the flavor. Peck’s Pilsner is another winner. Named after the owner of Madison’s first public house, it’s filling, strong and flavorful.

If the beer isn’t enough for you, the Great Dane also features antique pool tables, a gorgeous wood décor and classic dartboards for your enjoyment.

If these two breweries were truly going head-to-head, the Great Dane would win based purely on scope of operation. However, since both are downtown, offer home-brewed, delicious beer at student-friendly prices and keep Madison a unique place to drink, both deserve a gold medal.