Wisconsin isn’t home to many things:  Cows outnumber the people and, after Milwaukee, the cities are few and far between.  Despite this, the fine folks of Wisconsin do a few things really well: sausage, cheese and, most importantly, beer.

After crossing into Wisconsin from Illinois we made a beeline towards New Glarus, a small town about an hour south of Madison.  New Glarus is often called Little Switzerland due to its foundation by Swiss immigrants in the late 19th century.  The town is beautiful, full of Swiss architecture, food and festivals.  Besides the strong Swiss heritage, it was the German influence that lured me there.

Just outside of downtown is a small, squat building with a sign reading New Glarus Brewing Company.  You may never have heard of them since the beers aren’t sold outside of Wisconsin, but these brews might give you just the reason you need to head to America’s Dairyland.

New Glarus Brewing is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Daniel and Deb Carey.  One visit to the brewery—or their website for that matter—showcases two passionate individuals who give a damn about delicious beer.

Dan is a Master Diploma brewer and apprenticed at the famous Ayinger brewery near Munich.  His dedication and knowledge about brewing shows up in his beer. They are a delicious mix of classic German and adventurous American stylings.

We trudged through the self-guided audio tour—the fifty-plus pre-recorded sound bites gets a bit exhausting, not to mention the overly-excited voice of the local deejay who narrates—and went to the tasting room. 

Four samples at the brewery and ten bottles for home testing later I can safely say New Glarus is one of the best all-around breweries I’ve ever had.  A few of the beers I had were absolutely delicious and a good majority of the rest was far better than the top offerings of inferior breweries.

One of my absolute favorites was the Crack’d Wheat, a delicious love affair between a traditional German hefeweizen and American pale ale.  The beer pours a cloudy yellow with a large foamy head.  While it emits a strong banana and clove aroma, there is a hint of a strong hop bite.  The first sip reveals a deliciously balanced brew with the thick refreshment of a wheat beer but a ballsy-American sharpness.  Delicious.

Another beer I found fantastic was the Coffee Stout.  While most breweries offer some sort of stout or porter brewed/flavored with coffee, I’ve never encounter one as drinkable as the stout from New Glarus.  Pouring a heavy brown, the beer smells like a chocolate mousse with a roasty tinge.  The flavor is creamy, smooth and surprisingly balanced.  A slight bitterness matches the sweet, chocolately flavors and it goes down deliciously easy, not too heavy like others I’ve tried.  I may have to exchange this for my morning cup of joe.

New Glarus is gaining a reputation for their unplugged series and without fault.  At the brewery I sampled Dan Carey’s interpretation of a Berliner Weiss and was knocked down by its puckering tartness and dry drinkability. 

One beer I was a bit confused about is the Wisconsin Belgian Red.  I’ve read numerous things about this brew and was expecting a palate epiphany when I tasted it.  Unfortunately, when I sampled the beer I can’t say the heaven’s rejoiced.

The beer pours a murky russet brown – it’s the color of real cherry juice.  The aroma is super sugary and flavor is rich and complex, but a tad sweet for my taste.  The brew is impressive (one pound of cherries for every bottle) but I would have to be in the perfect situation to drink this. 

New Glarus says that they applied for a patent for the unique brewing process to make this beer and I understand why, it’s like nothing I’ve ever tasted.  Despite this, however, tasting it for the first time was like expected an intense, tangy Cantillon and receiving a white zinfandel. 

Overall New Glarus is a fantastic brewery.  Although I wasn’t prepared for the sweetness of their award-winning Cherry Ale, it was as interesting as their other brews were delicious.  Each beer I sampled blew my expectations out of the water and each bottle I opened felt like a wrapped gift, full of excitement and surprises.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to sample New Glarus any time soon due to their limited distribution.  However, I will spend the next few months plotting another quick stop in cow-studded pastures of Wisconsin.