If you’re from the Midwest and you love craft beer,
chances are you’re at least a little familiar with the New Glarus Brewing Co.
and its benchmark brew, Spotted Cow.
From my own personal experience, whenever I travel to Wisconsin, I
inevitably wind up taking requests to purchase some Spotted Cow or another
highly sought New Glarus product. And
for my personal tastes, most of them happen to be quite tasty.
But what makes Spotted Cow so … ahem … sacred among area
beer aficionados? First, New Glarus and
its line of beers are somewhat notorious for their scarcity outside of the
state of Wisconsin. In fact, if you see
any of them in any bar or store outside of the state, call the authorities
because they’re breaking the law. So,
there’s that whole “Smokey and the Bandit” feeling of bringing a few cases
across the state line for your friends.
Then there’s the quality and craft of the beer. New Glarus is not new to the scene. The company was founded almost 30 years ago
by a master brewer and its signature Spotted Cow, a truly tasty farmhouse ale I
happen to love for its maltiness and fresh flavor, has been around since
1997. With a handful of year-round
offerings and an ever-changing line-up of seasonal and specialty brews, New
Glarus could be a large-scale … ahem … cash cow … but it seems content to focus
on quality over growth.
