| Type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | New Glarus, Wisconsin, United States |
| Products | Beer |
| Owner(s) | Deborah and Dan Carey |
The New Glarus Brewing Company is an American brewery founded in 1993. Located in New Glarus, Wisconsin, a small town south of Madison, Wisconsin, the New Glarus Brewing Company is a small independently owned craft brewery. They have been rated the 21st largest craft brewer and 32nd largest overall brewing company in the country, according to the Brewers Association in Boulder, CO, and over the years it has received numerous awards for its many different beers.[1]
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The New Glarus Brewing Company was founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey (making her the first woman in the United States to found and operate a brewery) and her husband Dan Carey. Before starting the New Glarus Brewing Company, Dan Carey was an experienced Diploma master Brewer. He began as one of the youngest brewers in America successfully building his first brewery in Helena, MT at twenty three years of age. He studied Food Science at UC Davis and was Valedictorian and Technical director of his Siebel's Institute of Brewing Class. He served a Brewing Apprenticeship at Ayinger Brewery. He designed and built 48 breweries while working at JV Northwest and was a Brewing Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. New Glarus Brewing Company brewed their first beer in October of that year and began selling their product in December. They brew a variety of beers today, with their Spotted Cow label leading in sales.
The brewery began in an abandoned warehouse with used brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey removed Copper Kettles from a brewery in Germany that was slated to be demolished. When the retiring brew master learned his beloved brew kettle might live on, he sold all of his equipment with an estimated value of $1 million to the Careys for its scrap value of just over $24,000 US.
New Glarus Brewing company beers are sold exclusively in Wisconsin. From 1998 to 2002, New Glarus Brewing Company brews were also sold in Illinois, with a majority of its sales throughout greater Chicago. Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc. purchased River City Wine and Spirits and told the small New Glarus Brewing Company that they would no longer distribute their products. When New Glarus Brewing was told to pay $20,000 to recover the right to reassign distribution and after already having difficulty keeping up with demand in Wisconsin, New Glarus Brewing decided to cease sales in Illinois altogether and hasn't returned since.
In May 2006, New Glarus Brewing Company broke ground on a new $21 million facility on a hilltop on the south edge of the Village of New Glarus, Wisconsin. The new 75,000 sq ft (7,000 m2). facility will increase production to 100,000 barrels. Production at the company's old facility had topped-out at over 65,000 barrels a year. The new expansion will enable the company to keep pace with its current demand and expand production of its 'Unplugged', fruit, and barrel-aged beers. The new facility was designed to look like a Bavarian village and is a popular destination for tourists who visit New Glarus. The number of employees is expected to nearly double from about 35 to 60. Construction was completed on schedule and the first brew at the Hilltop plant was November 15, 2008.
The Green County, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation says the brewery has a direct and indirect economic impact of about $40 million a year.
The company's best selling brand is Spotted Cow, a cask conditioned farm house ale, sweetened with corn. The Wisconsin Belgian Red, a fruity Belgian lambic-style ale brewed with Montmorency cherries from Door County, Wisconsin, has won numerous awards in beer competitions around the world, and consistently ranks in the 100th percentile (highest possible average rating) among the critical beer drinkers at RateBeer.com. The Uff-da Bock is also popular; it is a bit stronger than most bocks.
New Glarus Brewing Company brews a total of eight regular beers that are available year-round. In addition, the company produces seven rotating seasonal varieties, including a winter Coffee Stout, lighter summer offerings like Dancing Man Wheat, and a fall Staghorn Oktoberfest. "Unplugged" beers are released four times a year. These are limited-release brews by Owner/Brewmaster Dan Carey.
New Glarus Brewing Company has been one of the most award-winning brewers of its size.[2] The New Glarus Brewing Company won two bronze medals at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival in Denver.[3]
New Glarus beers are distributed exclusively in Wisconsin. Most grocery and convenience stores in Wisconsin carry Spotted Cow and a few other varieties. Wisconsin Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart are only available in 750 mL bottles and quarter-barrels (29.3 L); the rest are sold in standard 12 fl oz (U.S.) bottles, by six- and four-packs or cases, and in quarter- and half-barrels. Most bars will have Spotted Cow on tap. New Glarus beers are distributed by seventeen independent wholesalers in the state of Wisconsin.