New Glarus Brewing Company

A word of advice, if you show up on the weekend you will probably need to bring your own chairs, as every table has a party sitting at it. Then you can find somewhere in the shade to sit. The other note of caution is don’t make this the only place that you visit on the weekend during the summer, because there is a good chance you won’t find a parking space. You may go down the road to Monroe or go back into New Glarus proper for something to eat and a New Glarus brew.

New Glarus is an excellent destination brewery. I am definitely new to the fan club — I didn’t grow up in Wisconsin, so I have only recently had access to their beer. Some friends in graduate school would cart cases and cases from their family homes and they were excellent evangelists. Now that we live closer, my husband and I are definite fans. We finally made the pilgrimage last weekend for the Beer, Bacon, and Cheese festival. We made sure to get to town early so we’d be able to experience the brewery its self, minus all of the crowds that are inherit to beer festivals. The brewery is GORGEOUS! I assume they must have an indoor space somewhere (I mean, Wisconsin is cold in the winter), but on a gorgeous early summer day, they have a really beautiful al fresco space. There are several beer depots where you can get refills. You buy a glass and tickets at a little hut, then fill up your lovely branded glass with delicious nectar of the Gods :). I was a little bit disappointed with the selection… they only had something like 6 beers on tap including Spotted Cow and a few other standards, but they were all really solid beers and the size of the pours (if you’re drinking a regular glass instead of a taster) is large enough that I definitely drank my fill. Two Women and Bubbler, I think, were the only two I didn’t recognize. Since we were there the whole weekend, we got to try some other things that were on tap other places, and the bottle shop had a ton more options. We walked out with two cases and plans to come back and get a keg. New Glarus seems to me to be the type of place that only releases something because it’s good, and not just because they made it. My mother-​in-​law who ONLY drinks IPAs that taste like spruce trees would have been pretty disappointed, but my German-​beer loving husband and my sour/​fruit/​funk-​loving self were both exceedingly pleased. We’ll definitely be back when they release Pie Lust. We also scored two bottles of their 2015 R&D Gose (I already drank one).
The outdoor space is extremely expansive. I could totally see having a wedding there. You could fit a ton of people. It’s on top of a hill and the views are beautiful. There are brick and concrete structures and picnic tables that provide little shady spots for you to enjoy your beer. The lines were minimal and the people serving the beers were friendly. I felt a little lost when I first walked in because I didn’t really know what we were supposed to do and some directive signage would have helped. The people selling tickets were pretty helpful, though. I’m sure we looked like idiots, but they took pity on us.
Finally, I don’t think I will come back for any more festivals centered around New Glarus brewing. The level of fandom, deserved though it may be, is just too much for me. I’d definitely rather have a nice quiet shady spot with my husband and friends than be standing in line with a ton of rowdy strangers and I am not ashamed of it :)

Wonderful experience on a quick overnight to New Glarus specifically to visit the brewery. Arrived pretty early in the day and was able to spend a little over an hour on the property.
They have spent a lot of money on this endeavor and it shows. There is plenty of parking available and a really nice beer garden with a Swiss motif prevalent everywhere. There is a good gift shop too if that is you thing. After taking a few minutes in there we took the self-​guided tour. As far as breweries go it is pretty generic. VERY clean and lots of shiny equipment and we were able to look thru windows into offices and labs to see the workers in action. Not exciting, but its always interesting to compare one brewery’s operations to another. Took a lot of photos of the inner workings of the facility, but there are already a ton of those already posted.
As for the beers, there are some that I like more than others. The Spotted Cow is what they are most known for, but my favorite is the Moon Man (hops and more hops). For a fee you are given a wristband with perforated sections that you peel off for each beer that you would like to sample and between the two of us we were able to try what was on tap this particular day. After the tour we took our samples and sat at one of the tables making small talk with another table there and enjoying the view of the countryside (the brewery sits up high and off the road a bit). My interactions with the staff were brief and to the point. I didn’t asked a lot of questions as I like to wander around and figure things out myself. I liked the low energy experience.
Would highly recommend an overnight or weekend in the New Glarus area with this stop as one of the main goals.

New Glarus Brewing Company sits on the side of the highway atop a hill with a beautiful view. We are visiting from California and this was recommended as a stop and we are so glad we stopped by! We did the self-​guided tour after getting some drinks outside. You have two tasting options, either one large glass of a single beer or a small glass of three samples. Both options allow you to keep the glass! We opted for the sample size glass and were able to try all six that were on tap that day by sharing. In addition to the shop and self-​guided tour, there is another mini warehouse where you can buy the packaged beer. All in all it was a visit that is as fun and relaxing as you choose to make it. Highly recommend their fruit beers!

For 12+ years I had family that lived within about 25 minutes of New Glarus and I never made the trip for some reason; no good reason, just some reason. Finally took the drive from MKE last weekend and was not disappointed. While I typically drink other breweries beverages, I respect what New Glarus Brewing does for their community and the concept of single-​state distribution.
I liked that the tour was a self-​guided event with extremely friendly, knowledgeable Subject Matter Experts throughout to answer questions. Tasting options were a little less inclusive of their broader product line than I would have liked.
The property is amazing, and it’s relatively easy to find even without GPS. I look forward to returning in warmer weather with a picnic of some sort (which they are fully allowing of in their patio area). The beer depot is extremely convenient for both those persons who don’t want to do the whole brewery tour and tasting thing, as well as for those who want the full experience.

One additional note is that the town of New Glarus is very proud and supportive of this brewery and their Swiss heritage. There are an abundance of antiquing, eating, lodging, and of course drinking options for whatever your interests are before or after the brewery experience.

This place is beautiful and very cool! Let me count the ways:
Adorable beer garden
Great gift shop
Awesome bar with lots of beer (if you are into that kind of thing)
Lots of parking
Shiny Shiny equipment
Worst part: The Tour!
The tour is self-​guided, which is fine, but only if there are informational placards or employees around to ask questions.
This place has neither.
So you will start and end your tour with the exact same knowledge about beer making.
Sure the equipment is shiny and new and well organized, but they make no attempt to educate you.
And, as we all know: Education= Appreciation= More beer sales
Amirite?

Did the three hour hard hat tour with friends… Be warned, there is no beer until the end?! Seems a couple tastes along the way would have helped us keep good ‘spirits.’
What to expect? A low tech low energy explanation of everything beer. We met lots of interesting experts along the way from the brew master, laboratory techs, and even Dan Carey — the owner!
(Dan’s favorite New Glarus beer is Moon Man and his favorite non New Glarus beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale — getting this answer took some arm twisting!).
End the tour with cheese and one hour of pretty much unlimited tasting!
Come armed with questions!
Definitely a good time!

New Glarus is a really gorgeous brewery, spread on some beautiful land with picturesque outdoor seating. My fun stops there for New Glarus. I found the staff in the taproom to not be friendly or helpful, they have 6 regular-​run-​of-​the-​mill beers on tap in the tasting room, and their prices for grab & go are absolutely horrendous.
When I went on a Saturday afternoon, it was fairly busy but there aren’t any indoor tables and very few fold-​up seats around. Most people were standing around, holding their beers while others made circles of fold-​up seats so they could at least sit with their friends. BYOF — Bring Your Own Food.
The beers I tried on site were: (one of which I haven’t ever had before mind you)
Raspberry Tart — My favorite sweet & tangy, holy fruit explosion! 4 of 5 bottlecaps
Moon Man, Spotted Cow, Two Women, Fat Squirrel Ale and Apple Ale are all subtle flavor profiles and they just aren’t for me.
New Glarus gives you a bracelet when you do a tasting –it’s fluorescent like one of those clubbing bands. Each time you get a sample (a bracelet allows for 3), they take off one notch. This seems like a lot of hub-​bub to me for 3 small tastings. And these bracelets are über annoying. I would think they could make a beer holder for the three tiny beers and just let people have them all at once.
On a positive, you get to keep your pint glass or tasting glass… or both if you buy both! But for $ 8 a pint. I better darn sure get to keep that glass! And for fruit beers, it’s $ 9.50. That’s higher than pints at other breweries for sure. Their tasting for 3 beers is $ 8 and again you keep the glass, so not bad at all. I don’t get the disparity.
Do not buy your beer to go from the brewery! My advice is to go to Woodman’s and pick some up. 6 packs were $ 14.99 at New Glarus and at Woodman’s I got two six packs for $ 7.99 each, plus the bombers were also half the price that they were at the brewery. Ugh. I hate price gouging! And people love driving to New Glarus as they will only sell within Wisconsin so it’s like this special treat for out of towners. Not cool to take advantage of those that don’t do their research.
The town of New Glarus is adorable and the restaurants have a better selection of NG beers at better prices… so weird. The brewery is beautiful but I definitely will not be going again due to their lame selection, overpriced everything, disinterested employees… Saddest brewery I’ve been to!

In summary, this is how Disney World would make a brewery.
It is immaculate, stunningly large and spotlessly clean. There are information placards around for self-​guided tours. They have the most pristine brewing facility I have ever seen in over 250 breweries and brewpubs visited around the world. The copper kettles on display are beautiful and fully functional.
NG is split into multiple sections among its grounds. First, there is the actual bottle shop where you can buy bottles to go — a lot of them. Cases and cases of their core and seasonal brands. Plus, a hefty number of their fruit beers in 750mL bottles and, if you are lucky, 500mL bottles of their limited releases. Prices are super reasonable. Staff is very nice.
There is then a more touristy gift shop that looks straight out of Disney. Lots of glassware, shirts, breweriana, and even cheese.
The real «meat» of the NG experience is the courtyard where you have to first wait in line to get your glass and ticket for a beer. Once you pay for your glass and ticket, you have to stand in a second line to get your full pour of beer. The price seems higher, but you get to keep your glass, which is a very nice logo’ed, custom pilsner flute. With beer in hand, mosey on down into the gift shop’s back area to find the start of the self-​guided brewery tour. Staff in the area were enthusiastic and answered all questions.
The facility overall looks like a Little Switzerland from Disney’s Epcot or a village from Magic Kingdom. That isn’t to say it is corny, it just looks too perfect for a brewery. In stark contrast, our visit to Madison’s Capital Brewery the next day was back to a more familiar filthy mess of most brewing facilities.

I just don’t get why everyone is nuts about this place. The lines really killed my buzz.
The grounds are beautiful. I’ll give them that. I suppose if you are really laid back and don’t feel like drinking you could just enjoy the scenery and a picnic. I wanted to try the beer though.
There is 1 line for tickets then another for the beer then another for beer to buy for home. We actually each wanted to try 1 more and said forget it because the lines were huge at that point. Maybe because it was one of the last nice Fall days. Not sure.
I would come here once (you almost have to) but then find smaller places where you can actually get served at lower prices.

Oh my god, this place is truly heaven on earth. New Glarus is easily one of the most beautiful breweries I’ve visited. The old European theme going on is just incredibly well done. As you drive up the winding road to the brewery, it’s easy to forget you are in rural Wisconsin. The front entrance is well landscaped with beautiful plants and a few waterfalls.
We arrived and purchased our drink glasses ($ 8 and you get to keep it as a souvenir) and then took a seat in the beer garden, overlooking the countryside. Basking in the October sun on an unseasonably warm day, it was a perfect pairing to my delicious, ice-​cold beer. I partook in two Spotted Cows as they are my favorite but husband branched out and tried Two Women and Moon Man.
The self-​guided brewery tour was great. I love being able to move about at my own pace and read (or not) about certain points throughout the brewery. I’ve been on enough tours to know how the whole brewing process works.
At the end of our visit, we stopped in the beer depot and spent an embarrassing amount of money but hey, you can’t buy this stuff back home! One of my favorites was the Raspberry Tart. As a huge fan of raspberry, this stuff is perfectly flavored and dangerously delicious. We also purchased cases of Spotted Cow, Fat Squirrel, some Scream IIPA, and a few others.
Without a doubt, we’ll be back despite the long, three hour drive.

I was up for a road trip, so when a friend suggested on a whim that we drive to New Glarus to check out the New Glarus Brewing Company, I said «yes» faster than I could say «Spotted Cow» as I am a big fan of this beer and drink it whenever I am north of the border!
We got a late start and knew we would be getting here just about the time they closed at 4pm but we went anyway although the order of our visit was probably backwards. Follow the address here as you may see another building along the way that may have you thinking you have arrived, but continue on and you will see the brewery on the hill just outside the town center.
Given it was 3:53pm, we raced into the store and bought the cases of beer we had come for. I’m sure it was our fault as no employee wants to see someone come in and start asking questions at the end of their shift, but the worker here was not particularly friendly or welcoming. Her body language and lack of help had one in our group saying he wasn’t going to buy anything, even though that was the whole reason for coming here. I bring that up as a contrast point as even though the time was getting later throughout the rest of the place, EVERYONE else we ran into couldn’t have been friendly, or more helpful so I am so appreciative of the other staff who made our visit so nice and welcoming.
In fact, when we went upstairs thinking we would be met with the same attitude as the woman in the store, the woman in the gift shop was exactly the opposite. She sent us into the tasting room to buy a beer ($ 8 a glass and they had 4 – 5 on tap AND you get to keep the glass) and then invited us to do the self tour, beer in hand, and then enjoy it out on their patio. Thanks to this amazing employee, the tonality of our entire visit changed, I only wished I had gotten her name to thank her!
The brewery is quite nice, but if you really want to learn about brewing and the care that goes into the product here, you should really make a reservation for a guided tour.
We finished walking through and then made our way out to the patio to enjoy our beer watching the sun set (it was Fall) and then made our way into town to redeem the coupons we had gotten for free beers at several places in town.
This location is lovely, the views from the patio terrific and best of all? I had a cold Spotted Cow in my hand. Now that’s a perfect afternoon in Wisconsin!

I had New Glarus beer a few times when people I knew brought it back from trips to Wisconsin and when I visited Madison last year, but I had never visited the brewery. I was excited to go last month but was also expecting a typical brewery. I’ve been to so many that I thought I knew what I would get.
I was blown away by New Glarus. It sits on the edge of a cute Swiss town. I almost felt like I was driving in Europe when we got there. When you drive up to the brewery (which sits on a hill), you feel like you are driving up to a winery (or a castle). We made it to the top of the hill and the brewery was beautiful and charming. The buildings were made of stone and it felt almost like entering a secret place.
We got four small tastings and walked around to explore while we tasted. The back patio has amazing views overlooking the town. There are several picnic tables and places to sit among what appears to be ruins of an old house. It would be a great place to hang out on a sunny day. The self guided brewery tour was pretty cool as I’m not a fan of going on long brewery tours since I’ve done that a lot.
Now on to the beer… they are especially known for fruit beers and make them really well.
The Wisconsin Belgian Red ale is my favorite. You can’t drink a lot of it because it’s pretty sweet but it’s really smooth.
The Serendipity is a fruit beer that is full of flavor and different than what you normally get.
The Spotted Cow is an extremely popular lighter beer. While this isn’t my favorite type of beer, it’s good for what it is.
I also had a seasonal double IPA that was really good.
The place is beautiful and makes good beer. I highly recommend stopping by if you are anywhere near it!

What if they built a brewery in Disneyland?
That’s kind of what I think about when I think of this amazing place. If you don’t know New Glarus, you should. They’re famous for their Spotted Cow and fruit beers, and rightfully so, but they do not distribute any of their products outside of the state of Wisconsin. So when you’re near their brewery (located about 30 – 40 minutes southwest of Madison) you should go.
I’ve been twice now, taking my wife on the most recent visit, and it’s always such a treat. You go through the town of New Glarus, which bills itself as America’s Little Switzerland because of all its Swiss chalets and influences. You keep going, and this enormous, colorful brewery rises on a hill.
It’s hard to describe just how big and beautiful this place is, with a big outdoor area that overlooks the surrounding countryside. You can buy here, either in full pints or in the best possible deal: $ 8 for three six-​oz samples. The price includes a self-​guided tour through the brewery, and they give you a coupon for a free pint of their beer at several local places in town. You can’t beat the price on that.
There is also a large gift shop full of interesting and entertaining items, most of them (natch) beer related. And you can’t leave without visiting the beer depot downstairs, where you can buy any of the New Glarus beers in season. I always stock up on the Belgian Red and Serendipity, and I picked up some Raspberry tart last time. Can’t wait to break those open.
I’ve been to many breweries over the year, probably way too many. But this one is truly special and unlike just about any other place I’ve ever been. Put it on your bucket list (then fill that bucket with New Glarus beer).

We all need a little charm in our lives and I guarantee that if you love beer and you love culture then New Glarus Brewery is going to charm your pants off with its historically Swiss heritage. Drinking a good olé beer here while enjoying the scenery and atmosphere will transport you into another world where nothing evil exists. I sound cliché, yes, but this brewery is a gem and sits atop a hill with the best view. The Swiss-​influenced architecture of the buildings is definitely something worth seeing. Needless to say, you will get the full experience when coming to New Glarus Brewery: the beauty of the environment and the buzz of the beer.
There is nothing better than getting some of the best beer from the source so indulge a little and get a couple of freshly brewed beers. Trekking up to New Glarus Brewery is a sweet little treat for all of us Chicagoans who appreciate the best of the best when it comes to craft beer, When you go to New Glarus you must get some beer from their tap while you wander around the inside and the outside of the brewery, but before you leave remember to stop at the to-​go area so that you can have some beer for the road… no, I’m not approving drinking and driving. Guys, I know the beer is to die for, but you must wait to get home to crack a cold one open. Anyways, the beer to go isn’t exactly cheap, but like I said, it’s a sweet treat that you can’t get anywhere but the cheese state. I believe that you can buy a six pack (of their year-​round brews) for about $ 12, but be aware that if you’re buying an bombers or seasonal brews the cost will go up a little bit. Believe me though, as a beer connoisseur, this beer is the beer to break your wallet out for.
Now, let’s rewind a couple of steps… when we walked into the New Glarus Brewery, we were able to buy an $ 8 beer glass that could be filled with any choice of their beer. Not only did I get to keep the New Glarus beer glass (which, by the way, is a pretty freaking cool glass that I will officially drink all of my beer in when I’m chilling like a boss at home) but I was able to get their Oktoberfest on tap at the time that I’d gone. I know that they don’t carry Oktoberfest all year round, but man their Oktoberfest is one hell of a good one. So is their Apple Cider! Oh my goodness. Their apple cider is some of the best that I’ve had! Once my fiancé and I had our beers in hand we were able to walk around the campus, watch some yodelers play and walk through the brewery on the self-​guided tour. I actually quite enjoyed the self-​guided tour because I was able to wander and look at everything at my own pace so if you enjoy taking pictures of the entire brewing process then this type of tour is made for you. We were able to see the bottling process, machinery and the distillers — all of which were so clean they glistened. You could definitely see that the brewery is managed well and that it is kept clean.
Also, if you are the biggest New Glarus Brewery fan of them all then you buy yourself several souvenirs — all of which I greatly envied and would have bought if my money grew on a tree. All in all, it’s a wonderful place to visit and get a buzz going. If you love craft beer then you really, really need to get your butts in gear and drive to this little treasure in the hills of Wisconsin!

I hate to do this, but I really wasn’t super impressed with New Glarus!
The actual building and grounds it resides on are not to miss– beautifully kept and great views. Top notch.
… but that’s about where the ‘cool factor’ ended for me.
The «self-​guided» tour is seriously lacking. You can walk around and see things, but you really don’t know what they are for. There are labeled doors like «quality assurance», etc, but a little explanation of what is done here would’ve been much more helpful! You can breeze through it all in 10 minutes or less if you want.
The beer itself was just ok. I tried 3 different kinds and none of them blew me away. I ended up dumping half of my beer because it wasn’t sitting well. The glass you get to take home was cool though!
Their gift shop had a lot of nifty items related to New Glarus, cows, and Wisconsin in general. It all has an inflated gift-​stop price tag too, though, so be prepared!
Lastly, the beer depot– It’s a great place to stock up if you want cases of beer. They have the supply to meet that demand. If you’re looking though to just get a few items, you’re much better hitting up the Cenex/​New Glarus Pride gas station down the street– ALL the same beers at least $ 1 less. The fruit beer I got was actually $ 2 less, and you can literally see the brewery from that gas station. We were a little miffed to see that.
Plus, only open til 4… meh, I’ve experienced better.

I’ve long-​awaited a visit to see this amazing brewery. I was disappointed by only having a self-​guided tour and not having any informational plaques or a handout.
The gift shop had some neat stuff, including cheese, New Glarus gifts and lots of glassware. The patio of the hilltop brewery is also very picturesque. We had a good time checking it out.
Unfortunately, the feature of the visit (the beer) is overpriced. $ 8 for a pint of beer is overpriced in Wisconsin, even if I keep the glass and refills are $ 5.50. This is your own brewery! You should practically be giving away your beer!
I will say that I understand the motive. Giving away glasses means a nifty souvenir with no glass washing. There’s also minimal waste as there doesn’t need to be any cup disposal.
My suggestion is to visit if this is a beer you admire but to pass if you don’t have any mental investment in this beer.

One of the best breweries in the Midwest and worth the drop just 25 miles southwest of Madison. Try the staple like the spotted cow or a seasonal like the Belgian Red. Come get a self guided tour thru the brewery or schedule one with the store. It’s big and impressive that teaches the basics and very informative.
Patio is also impressive. One of the best I think. Relax in the indoor tap room or outside on the beautiful large patio that is built along side a hill and provides an overview of New glarus WIS. Come on certain weekends and enjoy a brat or pretzel while you’re out there.
Fun, good beer, and great place to visit.

The tastings are $ 8 for a sampling of 3 beers, and the tasting location was beautiful. I found this part of the visit well worth the money.
But, the biggest reason I would not recommend visiting the brewery is that they will overcharge you for purchasing the bottle beer. A 6-​pack of bottled beer will cost you $ 18, whereas you can purchase the same 6-​pack at any local grocery for under $ 8. I have emailed them about the pricing issue, and they claimed «We purposely support our Wisconsin Retail Partners by not undercutting their pricing». I guess their definition of «not undercutting» means adding $ 10 over the price of anyone else.
They don’t have pricing labeled anywhere in their bottled beer store, so you won’t realize your mistake until after you’ve already checked out. And woe is you if you decide to email them about it, since they are less than sympathetic once you have paid for their over-​priced bottles.
Take my advice: If you want to buy a selection of their bottled beers, head to the nearest Piggly Wiggly in Monroe, Brodhead, Evansville or Cross Plains. You are guaranteed to find a better price anywhere other than the brewery.

So much attention to detail!
The beer is exceptionally good and I’m willing to bet that very few people have their first sips of New Glarus Brewing Company beer while at the brewery. Living out of state but a native to the area, this place is my homeland’s claim to fame, but I had not yet been to the new brewery! Needless to say, when we pulled into the parking lot I had to punch my husband in the shoulder for not bringing me here sooner!
The landscaping is wonderful and perfectly inviting (props for complementing the area’s topography through the use of limestone), and I love the creativity of the hidden ruins and tap rooms.
Since most people who visit this brewery already have an allegiance to the brand, learning more about the company and it’s history is always a perk. For that reason, I do wish there were more informational placards around the grounds to explain the Bavarian Village ruins and rinsing station (what village was it imported from? what setting was it previously used in?). I also would love to see more food trucks — what a great venue for a food truck festival even!
Getting to keep the pint glasses was a cool perk (especially since my beer was $ 6 and the glass alone was $ 8 in the gift shop — so it’s kind of like I bought my beer for $ 2. whaaaaa?).
At the end of my visit I found out that they offer three-​hour (!!) hard hat tours by reservation. So in the spirit of Arnold Schwarzenegger… I’ll be back. Many, many times over.