Think & Drink Programs
Our Thursday Think & Drink programs feature a range of historical and maritime experts. It is the first Thursday evening of every month, starting at 6:30 pm. Admission is free in person and online, and there is a limited cash bar that features a specialty cocktail and non-alcoholic alternative related to the theme of the talk. Doors and bar open at 6:00 pm.
This year’s theme is ice. Ice is a defining feature of maritime history and the history of Wisconsin. From the glaciers that carved the geology of our state to traditional indigenous ice spearfishing to submarines surfacing through Arctic ice to popular winter pastimes, there are so many fascinating stories that have been frozen in time.
January 2nd – The History of Iceboating
Drink Pairing: Skeeter Cocktail
Even frigid temperatures and frozen over lakes can’t stop Wisconsinites from enjoying lake life. Those who love the high octane thrill of an iceboat skimming a lake at over 50 mph wait for those freezing days with baited breath. Learn from experienced iceboating experts Deb Whitehorse and Mike Peters about the long history of ice boating and how it became a favorite wintertime activity here in Wisconsin.
To access the live stream of this event, please register here: https://forms.gle/KzrqwiMDVX87NTgs8
February 6th – Polar Badgers: Observing the Meteorology and Climate of Antarctica
Drink Pairing: Polar Ice Margarita
After the heroic age of Antarctic Exploration ended in the early 1900s, an international agreement was made to reserve the Antarctic continent for scientific research. In the late 1970s atmospheric scientists developed an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) that could survive Antarctica’s harsh winters. The AWS program was transferred to UW-Madison in 1980 and since then Badgers have been able to observe and characterize some of the world’s most extreme weather events. Join Dr. Matthew Lazzara and Two Rivers’ own Lee Welhouse as they explain what it is like to live and work in Antarctica and how studying the world’s coldest climate can help us better understand earth’s past, present, and future.
To access the live stream of this event, please register here: https://forms.gle/uxk9C2uZNJ6y1fA5A
March 6th – Menominee Winter Traditions
April 3rd – Lake Ice and the Loss of Winter
May 1st – Madison Gay Hockey League
June 5th – Operation Habakkuk: The Iceberg Aircraft Carrier
July 3rd – SCICEX: Submarine Arctic Science Program
August 7th – Green Bay Packers Ice Bowl
September 4th – Ice Exoplanets: Key to Alien Life?
October 2nd – The Geology of the Ice Age Trail
November 6th – The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald: A 50 Year Retrospective
December 4th – Surfing on Lake Michigan
Past Topics
Did you know that you can watch previous Think & Drinks?
2025 - Ice: Stories Frozen in Time
2024- Great Women of the Great Lakes
- Women on Submarines
- Lady Lighthouse Keeper: The Extraordinary Life & Times of Georgia Green Stebbins
- The History of Female Pirates
- From the Sea to the Stars: Astronaut Laurel Clark
- The Wreck of the RMS Titanic
- The Music of Victory at Sea
- We Do This for the Water
- Spooky Lakes: Environmental Education Through Art
- WAVES and SPARS: Women of the US Navy and Coast Guard in WWII
- Keeping Girls Afloat: Black Girls Dive Foundation
- Historic Housewives of Manitowoc
2023 - Untold Stories of WWII
- Wounded Veterans in Parks: Underwater Archaeology and USS Arizona
- Native Americans in World War II
- The Ghost Army
- Prohibition, Propaganda, & War
- King Neptune’s Court – Gender Expression in the US Navy
- Wheels of Courage- How Paralyzed WWII Veterans Invented Wheelchair Sports
- The Belles of Baseball – Racine’s Champion AAGPBL Team
- 125, 284 – Japanese Internment, Racism, and Americanism
- Eating for Victory – Food Stories from World War II and Beyond
- Underground Resistance – The Story of Mildred Fish-Harnack
- Disney & Dolphins – Insignia that Defined the Silent Service
- The Final Resting Place of USS ROBALO
Sponsorship Opportunities
Help us to continue offering these programs for free! Program Sponsorships are available! Visit our Sponsorship page for more information.