New Glarus Brewing Company

How fun to finally visit spotted cow. New Galtus embraces cows around the city. I love the festive atmosphere and hope to come back. Sampled serendipity and it was fabulous. The staff were young and happy which made it fun. Thank you. Proud of my sign and my memories here.

Visited New Glarus for a beer tasting and had a great time! For $8, you get to sample three small beers and keep the tasting glass. Alternatively, for the same price, you can get a full pint of beer in a souvenir glass that you also get to take home. All seating is outdoors, which adds to the charm—it's a cute and relaxed spot to enjoy a drink.

New Glarus is a pretty drive from Madison. It's 35 mins on country roads cutting through corn fields. Quintessential Wisconsin scenery of rolling hills. When friends visit, I like this brewery. I last went from a friend from the Netherlands. Y'all think Wisconsinites know beer - try the Dutch and the Belgians 😉 We had a great time enjoying a variety of beer and the park-like grounds. Their Strawberry Rhubarb beer is a fav 🏕️🥾🔥⛺

Came on a Monday during July- hardly a soul around, and had the place pretty much to ourselves. Did not have time to do any tours, but was able to pick up some souvenirs. Absolutely beautiful grounds, with lots of areas to wander, tons of parking setup for tour buses, as well as a beautiful area to hang out beer-hall style! We've been drinking Spotted Cow for many years, so did not do any tasting. The place is clearly setup for masses of people- but what confused me, is when do these masses of people come, unless they are all retired people like me? ...Still amazed that a brewery could be closed on the weekend (which is why we had to come on a Monday before lunchtime).

Love Spotted Cow and for years always took some home with us when visiting Wisconsin ..this trip we were able to visit!! Did the self-guided tour and was great to learn more about their history. Tasting - 3 4 ounce tastes allows you to choose which beers you'd like to try, and you keep the tasting glass! They have an area where you can wrap your glass to protect it while traveling. Nice selection in the gift shop and area to purchase. Staff we encountered were friendly and knowledgeable. Great stop and we'll return when in the area again

My favourite museum/beer! It is so educational to learn how the beer is brewed and manufactured. There is bar and you can bring a pint of beer and walk around the museum. You can spend 2-3 hours here. There are so many souvenirs as well.

Check out the home of Spotted Cow!! Nestled on a hill top in a beautiful wooded area just outside of the village of New Glarus, is the brewery where the famous Spotted Cow beer is made and bottled. If you visit, you can take a self guided tour of the brewery. There is also a small museum where you can learn the history of New Glarus Brewing Company. They provide, for a small fee, a tasting, which includes a glass that you can keep. Enjoy your beer in the beautiful courtyard, then stop in at the gift shop and pick up some branded souvenirs. Don't forget, on your way out to stop into the beer depot and pick up a 6 pack or a case of tour favorite flavor to take home.

Visiting the New Glarus Brewing Company was not on our list when we were planning our trip to WI, but it should have been. Fans of Spotted Cow from our days in Ft. McCoy, we always tried to get a case to bring home. On our most recent trip to the Dells, some WI friends said you know the Brewery is not that far out of route on your way home. So a plan came together quickly. We were towing our camper, so this review is from that perspective. That being said if you are in a traditional car or truck, this place is a must stop by! When you enter the property there is a sign directing any vehicles over 8ft to the quick right, and there was a gravel area for buses and rvs. We were towing a travel trailer, about 27ft; so my husband backed it along the wood line. We were the only people parked there during our quick in and out. Maneuvering was no issue during our visit. If we would have taken the time to read more on their website, we would have understood the hike and climb to the brewery. That being said our fitness and health is good, so it was a nice wooded walk. The signs along the path encouraged you to keep going. As we walked we noticed the campus was designed to be a gathering place, with benches and picnic tables. Arriving at the sprawling building, our excitement took over and we wound up in the beer store prior to the gift shop and tasting room. But the workers there were super friendly and chatted with us. Our concern was how to get several cases back to our rig. Well great news, they have a gator ready to load up when we were finished shopping. Sadly this is not for transporting people, just fyi. After stocking ourselves with beer, we headed to the gift shop. We were already informed of their military and veteran policy of a free glass, and I think one beer (our drivers license has a veteran seal or id required). We opted not to drink due to being our travel day, but we took the token and glass as fantastic souvenirs. The gift shop was great, and as long time, long distance fans of Spotted Cows we were happy shoppers. Sadly we did not tour the brewery, but plan on to add it to future plans. If you have never visited the New Glarus website, you should and read about the history of the company. While we are taking home some delicious beers to enjoy, we know they won’t last. So, count yourself lucky if you can get a pint at your local fish fry watering hole or grab a 12 pack in Walmart. New Glarus Brewing Co is something WI should be very proud of.

My second time visiting New Glarus but my husband's first, I knew I had to take him to the New Glarus Brewery. It was a winter weather day so we didn't spend lots of time outdoors but I did make sure to show him the great view from the back of the brewery. It was pretty busy inside that day but the process for getting a beer was flawless. My husband got a pint and I got the tasting. Each was $8 and we got to keep the glass. Mine was a little glass of course but for $8, my husband's pint glass was a great keepsake! We sipped our beer and wandered around the gift shop looking at all the things we wanted to buy but reasonably settled on a few. Each time I went back for one of my tasting beers, the bartender was really helpful in assisting me on what beer I might like. Visiting the brewery was definitely the highlight of our day/night in New Glarus! We hope to make another visit one day!

My husband and I first visited New Glarus Brewing Co. more than a decade ago, when we were still just dating. Since then, we've visited several more times, including one winter visit when we stayed overnight in the town of New Glarus (see my previous review). My husband and beer-loving friends stopped by during his bachelor party, and we toasted with New Glarus' Belgian Red at our wedding. And most recently, we visited again, with our two kiddos in tow. New Glarus has a special place in our hearts and travels. It has consistently remained a quality, delicious, family-owned product, and we look forward to making visits part of our Wisconsin travels into the future. On our most recent trip, we stopped for a quick bite and drink in New Glarus' beautiful outdoor picnic area on our way to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I opted for a Raspberry Tart, a close cousin to my favorite, the cherry-filled Belgian Red. And my husband got a tasting that included a new favorite, the Edel-Pils German Pilsner. Having an outdoor area where our kids could stretch out a bit after being in the car for so long was much appreciated. We also noticed new trails and picnic tables near the trees that looked inviting. New Glarus seems family friendly, though heed the words on their website: "Anyone, regardless of age, who cries, spits, screams, fights or climbs on the machinery will politely be excused from our brewery tour." The kids got cow stuffed animals from the gift shop -- my son named his "Sausage" for some funny reason only known to him -- and my husband and I stocked up on some beer cases from the beer depot for the rest of vacation and beyond (you can only get this world-class beer in Wisconsin). One quick recommendation to the brewery: Please put changing tables in your bathroom. Even still, New Glarus will remain a favorite for years to come. We can't wait to go back!

As a Chicagoan I hear about spotter cow from all my friends but can never get my hands on it. So I finally decided to make the trek and see how it's made. I love brewery tours and have done them all over the country, this was the first free tour I've found. I would have liked to have a guide to tell me the ins and outs but can't beat free. The gift shop is where this place shines brightest, reasonably priced souvenirs, cold beer, and fresh cheese curds. They have a phenomenal buy a glass get 2 beers deal which you just can't beat. Beautiful surrounds with an abundance of outdoor seating. I will definitely be back again !

I used to love Spotted Cow and Totally Naked Beer when I used to drink. Imagine stopping here and not partaking. We did the self guided tour where you watch a short video and walk around and observe the brewing process from behind ropes and glass. The smell of hops boiling was really good. I purchased a Spotted Cow pickleball set, sign, magnet and sticker. The Brewery is beautiful and clean. The company is employee owned and has great benefits for employees. Definitely stop in before heading to Chicago.

This place is great! Drove a bit out of our way to stop in, but very glad we did. For $8.00, you get 3 tastings and a souvenir glass. They had 6 beers on tap, so we gave it 2 rounds. We all fell in love with the Spotted Cow, but everything we had, including the strawberry rhubarb beer, was good. Left with a couple of cases!

Great brewery with lots to choose from. My only critiques are that it's not open weekends and that when you order the taster you get one glass that you have to go back and refill instead of a tasting flight all at once. The brewery is located in a beautiful spot with gorgeous views and an expansive outdoor area. Super neat! Service was ok to me; nothing special. The location and views from this place definitely make it worth it. I recommend coming here for some beers and then heading into town for a meal at one of the local spots.

After hearing so many great things about New Glarus, my family and I finally decided to pay it a visit. The self-guided tour was laid out so well; it was interesting and super informative. I also loved how they structured the tasting - instead of getting one whole flight, you get a single sampler beer glass. You come up to the fill station when you're ready to try your next drink. Although this forces you to try one beer at a time, it helps you make the most of your time at New Glarus. For instance, in between trips to the fill station, I would head out to the picnic area with my family where we enjoyed each others' company with the beer and snacks. We tried the following: Totally Naked, Spotted Cow, Two Women, Fat Squirrel, Moon Man, Raspberry Tart. We also bought the spicy beer cheese spread, multi-seed crackers, and soft sweet potato chips. Totally Naked was a smooth, water-like drink whereas the Spotted Cow had a carbonated touch and was a bite more bitter in taste. Two Women was more refreshing and carbonated. The Fat Squirrel, my personal favorite, was smooth and had a nutty, hazelnut undertone. My second favorite was Raspberry Tart, which was kombucha-like and reminded me a bit of raspberry juice. The only reason why I'm giving New Glarus 4 stars is because I thought there would've been food/meals served here - but the snacks were great (don't get me wrong!)

I've been a fan of New Glarus beers for a long time, and since it's only available in Wisconsin, it's always a treat to get some when visiting. I hadn't made it to the brewery before though, so mostly had the popular, readily available varieties like Spotted Cow, Moon Man, etc. and love those. It was fun to visit and pick up an assortment of less common varieties from the shop. Black Currant 22 and Wisconsin Red Belgian (1 pound of cherries per bottle). were both great with cheese. Yes, they are fruity, but not overly sweet. I wouldn't drink one with a brat, but with cheese, they were great. The Staghorn Oktoberfest WAS perfect with some excellent brats we had for dinner one night and the Scream IPA was perfect with dinner as well. The self-guided tour was nicely laid out and it was very interesting to learn the history of the business and the process they use to make their beer. The grounds are beautiful and would be a delightful spot for a brew and picnic. The store is nicely set up and we found the selections that interested us with no problem and while we didn't buy any of the "experimental" brews, they do have those pricier very small batch options here too.

I don't know what else can be said that hasn't already, but here goes! My family and I take a little scenic road trip up here yearly in order to sample a few delicious beers right from the source, walk around the beautiful grounds and of course, completely fill up the trunk and fulfill family members' eager requests! We usually do the bracelet 3 beer tasting, which for $8 gets you a souvenir glass plus 3 samples of your choosing of the draft samples of the day (they rotate and are always plenty to choose from), as well as a token for a free beer at an area establishment (good way to promote business at the fantastic nearby restaurants). There is a gorgeous outdoor patio area with picnic tables, small trails, etc to really spread out. Our last visit was on a Friday morning not too long after opening (11am-ish) and by the time we left, the parking lot was full and cars were waiting for our spot - recommended to get here early, as they are still only open on weekdays. The beer depot has brewery-only releases that you cannot purchase elsewhere or might be hard to find (R&D releases, thumbprint series, etc), so this is one of our main reasons for stocking up right at the source - and the service has always been very friendly and helpful.

Great place to visit for a tour not sure about food but got flight of beer and did the self guided tour

Wonderful people and employees. The self guided tour is laid out so well. The employees if available will answer questions as you walk through. The story of Dan and Deb is right out of a book of how to find and achieve your dream and passion. The whole manufacturing process is so nicely laid out and clean. The taste testing is inspiring as well as fun; as you get to keep the glass. The outside is laid out for a relaxing walking trip of European building and place to stop and have a beer or take a sandwich/ lunch with and enjoy the scenery. A must see of a fairytale romance that not only blossomed as a relationship but a prominent enterprise which gives back to the community. Worth the stop!

Great product. Really nice beer garden. My only complaint is they are not open on weekends. The pandemic is over. Time to open up and let us weekend travelers in.

If you're in the area, this is a must-visit! Home to Spotted Cow, Fat Tire and others, the brewery is so very well done. It feels like you're entering an upscale private farm when you pull up to the buildings nestled back off the road. New Glarus Brewing has so much history to share with you as you walk through the self-guided tour. The building is very well done with plenty of windows and plenty of real people in action doing their thing for you to see. I did not get a tour with a guide, but I'm guessing it might be possible if you call ahead or perhaps they have them regularly scheduled but not when I was there. The tasting area was excellent, as was the retail area. One thing I really liked was that there were so many smaller offerings not regularly seen at a liquor store or grocery store. As I recall, they also had the cafe but it was closed when I was there.

One of the top Midwest breweries. Closed on weekends. Self guided tours..gift shop..beer shop. ,8.00 for 3 tastings or a pint with souvenir glass. Fantastic setting. Beer only sold in Wisconsin.

Kind of confusing to get to, but once here, I'm sure you'll enjoy the atmosphere. The on tap drinks were nothing more than you can get at a typical bar. I was hoping to try the one of the unique bottled beers that are sold in the bottle shop but they were only serving the typical: spotted cow, moon man, raspberry tart, etc Beware! If you have a car that is more than 14ft long (think pickup truck with a trailer/camper) you'll have to park near the road and hike up a well maintained trail to get to the beer garden.

A great place to visit and try some new beers. The self tour of the brewery was fins - especially watching the bottle conveyor belt zooming by with my favorite spotted cow beer. It was winter so the outside beer garden wasn't open and that looked more fun than the few tables and sitting opportunities provided inside. Definitely a fun thing to do with friends.

For moi, a longtime dedicated fan of New Glarus's year-round and seasonal beers, this place is the center of the hop universe. NGB's new headquarters complex is, in one word, spectacular. The brewery tour is self-guided, which is nice because you can go through at your own pace. Interpretive signs are posted throughout and workers are delighted to explain the brewing process and answer questions. In the tasting room, $8.00 entitles you to sample three beers and keep the souvenir glass. The Beer Depot has it all - pallets piled high with everything they brew, and the staff will gladly help you carry your purchase to your car. The entire facility is sparkling clean and free of clutter. An attractive outdoor Bavarian (Swiss?) beer garden hosts special events, weather permitting. But overall, the visitor experience leaves something to be desired. The sprawling multilevel layout may be confusing to first-time visitors. Oversize vehicles are not permitted to access the visitor parking lot; groups arriving by bus are expected to climb a treacherous flight of stone steps sans railings, then hike up a steep trail through the woods. NGB's website even states, "Buses are encouraged to visit one of the other fine Wisconsin Breweries with bus friendly parking." Holy (spotted) cow! I emailed NGB, suggesting they invest in a tram to shuttle visitors to the main entrance. No response. Folks, you gotta fix this! Though the facility is big and attractive, the smallish tasting room has no seating and there is neither a brewpub nor a taproom onsite (in other words, no food or free beer samples). But the product is stupendous, particularly their Thumbprint Series. I give the product 5 stars and the visitor experience 3 stars.

Great views, food service and great beers. Definitely visit this place in summer /spring. We tried Dancing man, Naked man and many others that I forgot. They also give a token with most purchases with which you can get a new Glarus beer anywhere in Wisconsin, which I think is pretty cool. The beer itself was good, and there was great atmosphere.

To be so far away from any place which sells New Glarus makes one from Skokie stock up at the Cheese Castle off of I-94 or buy a six pack while in Madison, WI, while on business. And after hearing about all of the positive stuff and seeing the wonderful pics, the day finally came to take a road trip out to New Glarus, WI. The drive was pretty, driving through the heartland of America, knowing that our patience would be rewarded with a beautiful brewery tour and wonderful beer. The place was a bit chaotic when we got there on Labor Day weekend, the place was packed and they even have an overflow parking lot for times like this. Perhaps they should have ushers or greeters (like at Walmart) so that folks don't have trouble finding the tour lines. Im amazed by the story of the husband and wife team and how they built New Glarus, talk about having some vision. The facility itself is very impressive and downright beautiful. Perhaps they're trying to pattern their architecture after the town of New Glarus, which was settled by the Swiss. The beer was of course, very fresh and you also get a New Glarus brewery coin which can be used at any restaurant in town (for a free beer). That's an awesome concept, so make sure to make it into town and spend some time there because you'll experience some of that Swiss culture, right in WI! Despite of all the positives, I would have to share some disappointment with the pricing at the Brewery store. Hence the 3 stars. It appears that everything was 30 to 50 percent more when compared to super market prices. I guess the argument is that it's fresher at the source. My thoughts are, I don't need my beer that fresh. I promptly went to a Woodman's, in WI and bought my New Glarus beer there. Overall, the brewery and town are a great combination.

The New Glarus brewery and the small downtown area of New Glarus are just an incredible day excursion a reasonable distance southwest of Madison. The brewery has to be the cleanest and modernized of the many breweries I've toured in our state. For $8 you may sample 3 pints of New Glarus products and keep the glass as a souvenir. While enjoying your beverage you may choose to explore the self guided tour of the brewery, spend some time in the gift shop or sit on the outdoor patio/terrace with a phenomenal view of the rolling hillside. There is no charge just to take in the sights. In addition to the gift shop of reasonably priced New Glarus gear, there's also an outlet area to purchase New Glarus brewed product. I'll have the occasional New Glarus beverage & now maybe even more frequently after viewing the A+ facility used in the brewing process.

This place is huge. I've been here a couple times. The people are always great and since they don't distribute out of state, there's no better thing than to visit the brewery. They have their beer to go in various sizes. I've picked up plenty of cases of Spotted Cow before.

Sunday afternoon in Fall = great time to come I drink slow, so I went straight for the beer tasting line so I could get the glass in my hand ASAP. After that I was good to go -- walked around the small shop, walked around their outside area with some questionable landscaping, and went on the self guided tour. I care more about taste than story, so it was nice to be able to just grab my beer and go explore on my own. I got the flight tasting, so I got to keep the little tasting glass and it came with a token to get a full beer in town. We were just passing through the area for the weekend, so we ended up keeping the token as a souvenir. We came here right after visiting downtown New Glarus where we saw some raspberry beer made by this place, which inspired us to come to the Brewery. I was disappointed to find the bottles on the ground floor were pricier than we saw in downtown and they didn't have ALL the flavors like I couldn't find the raspberry, *cry* Overall, still a nice place to check out and drink the beers.

One of the few reasons I miss Wisconsin: the beer....specifically the access to New Glarus beer. I finally got to visit the brewery for the first time and I was just blown away! I had visited the town of New Glarus a couple of time during my school years, but never once at drinking age. My friend and I drove over from Madison early on a beautiful summer morning. The fact that it was absolutely beautiful out only added to our wonderful experience. The grounds and facility look like they have been updated rather recently. Everything is shiny and clean. You enter in to the gift shop, where you can peruse the merchandise, begin a self-guided tour, or go out in to the courtyard to enjoy some beer tastings. We opted to start with a beer and some exploring of the grounds. They are lovely and make a wonderful backdrop to drink some local wine in. I really like sweet and fruity beers, and New Glarus makes some of my favorites! The Serendipity, Raspberry Tart and Belgian Red are my jams. Spotted Cow is the most popular, but is a little bland for my taste. For me, it benefits primarily by its scarceness/availability in my neck of the woods. After our samples, I decided on a full pour of one of my favorite fruit beers of the day, and we took ourselves on the self-guided tour. I didn't have high hopes, but it was fun to see and fun to walk around. If you have a tasting ticket with you in the tour area, you can get a fresh-off-the-line pour of Spotted Cow! The day we went, a food truck/mobile pizza place was set up in the courtyard and you could get food. It being on the calendar is why we decided to visit New Glarus on the day we did! Unfortunately....we dragged our feet for too long about when to eat and they had totally run out. You exit downstairs through the second retail area....only this is the IMPORTANT one. The beer shop! You don't want to miss this part! I really just enjoyed the ever-loving heck out of our visit here. I easily could have stayed all day, just sipping and sittin'. But we had other spots on our list to visit that day. I would absolutely recommend a visit to New Glarus Brewing Company to anyone!

You guys... I might need to move to Wisconsin because my tastebuds are missing New Glarus Beer! I was in town visiting family just south of New Glarus Brewing pre COVID-19 and we decided to stop by - it was a beautiful day to take in the location and try out some beer! They have a beautiful Brewery and land and I cannot imagine how amazing this location would be to hang out at during the warmer months. In reality, I'm not much of a beer drinker; and if I drink, it will probably be a sour fruit beer. Now NG doesn't have sours, but their fruit beer did not fail to impress and I keep hoping they will ship or start selling their beer near me. HINT HINT (I'm begging...). If you are hesitant on visiting..don't be, just go. I'm speechless right now and just don't think words will ever describe how I feel about their beer. Highly recommend the Raspberry tart (and if still available, the Berliner Apfel)!

Spotted Cow: This is relatively popular cask-conditioned farmhouse ale brewed in Wisconsin. New Glarus Brewing Company was founded in 1993 and they've been brewing their best selling beer since 1997. Spotted Cow is one of New Glarus' unfiltered brews, which means the brewer's yeast is still in it. The brewer's yeast will occasionally settle at the bottom of bottles, but it enhances the fullness of the beer's flavors. It's not a very bitter beer and it has a light and slightly fruity taste. If you're ever in Wisconsin I recommend grabbing one.

Great midsize brewery. You can grab a taster or a pint and take the self guided tour. Take the time to watch the interesting video at the beginning of the tour. The gift shop has the normal swag along with local munchies. The beer garden is huge and beautiful! The beer cave offers many choices for purchasing single bottles to cases. Every employee we encountered was helpful, cheerful, and professional. Interesting small town capped off a great day.

Visiting New Glarus Brewing Co. was my favorite part of our weekend in Wisconsin.   First off, this was the most beautiful brewery and grounds I've ever visited, and I visited some cool ones in Vermont.  You can literally spend all day here.  There's an outdoor tap patio, a beer depot where you get your to-go's, and all sorts of nooks and crannies all over the hill and forest area, to have a drink and hang out.   For about $9.50, you get a full pint of your choice of whatever they have on tap that day, you get to keep the glass, AND you get a coin in which to get a free beer at any restaurant in the downtown New Glarus area.  That's great value.  Or, I believe you can pay $7.50 for a single pint (without the glass or coin).  They have flight-sized samples too.   I came here just to try the Belgian Red, and holy crap it was GOOD.  I was expecting it to actually taste like beer, but it didn't.  And that's a good thing.  It tasted like tart cherry soda.  My beer-hating husband, who winces at the smell of beer, tasted the BR and said it was good.   I left with a six pack that day.  I didn't get to try the rhubarb, but I bought a 4 pack anyway - I'm sure it'll be good.     I will definitely be back if I'm up in the area again!

Brewery with a WORTHY patio! Took us two and a half hours from Chicago to get here. New Glarus is a smaller Wisconsin town that requires driving on back roads to get to. The land that this brewery is located on is iconic. New Glarus Brewing is one of the more picturesque breweries I've visited. The parking lot is a little chaotic. Keep in mind you have not only tons of locals that visit daily, but also travelers. The brewery is located on a hill. The main parking lot is located next to the entrance. The over flow parking lot is located parallel to that, and then I was told there was another parking lot at the bottom of the hill. We went on a Saturday at 2:00pm and snagged a parking spot in the main lot, but it was sheer luck. Walk up a set of stone stairs all the way to the top, to get to the tasting room. Take a Ralph. There is a staff member located at a register to give you your wristband for three tastings ($8), or the other option was to order a pint. Then, the bar was in the next room. The place filled up quick! On tap was Two Women, Moon Man, Spotted Cow, Cabin Fever, Belgian Red, and Totally Naked. Now... about the beer. It's a Wisconsin staple, and can ONLY be sold in Wisconsin. So, yes, that might be another reason why people travel to visit this gem of a brewery! Spotted Cow is most popular. Personally, my favorite is Fat Squirrel, which is out of season, and will continue to be out of season for quite some time (SAD FACE). Sharing the room with the Tasting Area, is a smaller gift shop that has apparel and nick knacks. If you exit the building where you came from and go straight, there is a bigger gift shop. Walk down the set of stone stairs, and the beer store is on the bottom level. I like this because you can mix and match bottles of four packs or six packs for purchase!! The patio.... my favorite part of this brewery, by far! It's dog friendly, which we did end up bringing our pooch, and saw other dogs, as well! There were even water bowls for dogs set out. The patio had picnic style seating and plenty of it! The view is great! There were even mini trails that we took our dog on a walk on with our tasting beers. So relaxing! This brewery is a must for the view, beer, patio, gift shop, beer store, and self guided tour. We spent an hour and a half here! It's a great day trip from Chicago!!!

Good beer but too bad you can't taste it there! It's never opened! Oh well there's other open places for your craft beer in Wisconsin! Don't waste your time going here people! You'll be disappointed! Don't make the trip there!

We've made it a habit to go up to New Glarus once a year for the past 4 years. (Yes, I now have 8 beer glasses from here.. if anyone needs an extra please take mine) I love this place. The patio is HUGE. So huge that the parking lot can be full, but then you wonder were all the people actually are. I do think that there needs to be a bit more seating though. My favorite part of this place is that the inside operations are available for a self-guided tour. So grab your beer & walk through the massive inside operations. We typically go on a Saturday, so there isn't a lot going on production wise. If you're looking for that, I recommend going during the week. Before you leave, stock up on the beer! It's.. honestly on the expensive side, depending on what you get. We always find a new favorite though.

Stopped in for a bit while passing through New Glarus and will definitely be returning. The self guided tour is really cool and immerses you in the whole process. The place has a definite winery "vibe" to it. There's plenty of gear and beer for sale in the store, including special R&D brews only available at the brewery. We'll definitely be back when the weather gets warmer.

Home of the spotted cow. It is a bit of a trip for me to get all the way up here, but man was it worth it. My best tip I can give you is get here early. they close down in the early evening, sadly I didn't check the hours before I came. This is a great place to check out one of the worlds greatest beers along with some of the most beautiful site seeing in Wisconsin. If you love beer, you MUST come check out New Glarus Brewing.

Driven out here 3 separate times in 2021 during their open hours, and they're never open. And don't bother trying on a weekend either, because they're not open! They don't answer the phones either and their automated messages are never updated. Super disappointing. Be careful before you make the drive.

I'm from Wisconsin, I have moved out in the past decade. This company tried to keep their beer in WI. They have cracked down in Wisconsin bars in major cities that took their beer out of Wisconsin. I used to frequent a bar in nyc (mad river) that used to sell Spotted Cow. They kept the traditional of WI alive for those that aren't in the state. They killed it. They could delay exclusive with those WI bars in other states, but instead wanted to be in control.....yet it's okay for them to ship their beer to "influencers". The rules work for them, but this is no longer a WI beer for me. They have SOLD OUT.

This place is sitting steady at 4 stars with 305 reviews. I think that's a fair assessment. For the longest time, I've heard great things about New Glarus. I've heard from friends, other Yelpers, and people at work. They all love it but I'm not sure how many of them have been here. Having a girlfriend from Wisconsin also has New Glarus in my ear from time to time. She brought me a 6-pack of Spotted Cow. I didn't care for it that much. It did have that clean taste that a lot of other basic beers from brewers lose. Let's start with the grounds. It reminded me of a recent trip to Asheville. New Glarus is a lot like Sierra Nevada and New Belgium there but it's much more local. There's plenty to do here. There's a gift shop, a separate place to pick up your tastings, and plenty of outdoor seating. It helps that you're up on a tall hill. There's not much to look at but it's still a fun overlook. It's my understanding that they sometimes have bands that play. They didn't on this day but I think on an autumn night, that would enhance the experience. They also have a large warehouse-like room where they keep all the beer for purchase. As you're leaving, just pop in, pick out your beer, pay, and leave. I think keeping the beer in Wisconsin is a benefit to New Glarus. It gives it an exclusive aspect that makes people love it. It also makes it uniquely Wisconsin. "What? Someone told me you're going to Wisconsin. Then you have to visit New Glarus!" With all of the fanfare, I expected a little more I think. Don't get me wrong, the beer certainly tastes like quality. My issues: (Minor but still noticeable) -- Most of the fruity beers have a low ABV. Some of them even taste like candy! I realize that having a low ABV keeps it tasting fruity instead of like alcohol but I'd like to have a few higher options. Even most of their special releases are low. I can't justify paying 10-15 dollars for a special release bottle when the ABV doesn't even reach 5%. -- At the brewery, you get three samples and a coin(to get a pint at a local restaurant) for 8 bucks. That's not bad but I do wish you could use the coin there. -- When stepping into the warehouse room where you pick out your beer for purchase, I was a little miffed. You only get to try three types with your tasting. The number of tastings is fine... it's just that on the day we were there, there were only 5 or 6 things to choose from. If it's your first time there, once you see just how many different types they have... it's mind boggling that you can't try more than their small tasting offering. With all of that said, I'm sure I'd spend a lot of time here if I lived in Wisconsin. It's both great and sad that this beer is only available in Wisconsin. People that surround me always praise Spotted Cow along with some of their other beers. I hadn't heard of Moon Man until traveling through Wisconsin and visiting New Glarus. Moon Man is the obvious winner for me for their regular year-round releases. That beer is delicious! If you're in Wisconsin, this is definitely a must stop even if you don't like their beer.

I have toured a ton of breweries - New Glarus beats them all! The views, the buildings, the beers are just amazing! Self guided tour, I have never seen such a clean brewery! Watch the movie in the tasting room, brought my aunt to tears (weirdo lol) but really a great story behind this brewery. I'd love to come back here when the yard is up and running. Prices in the gift shop are SO low - buy everything! Stop in the beer store & load up! It seems more like a family then employees, just a great brewery. Ignore Jose G.'s review he must be sad LOL!!!!

I lived in Madison for four years and now Milwaukee for two years -- I cannot believe that last weekend was my first time visiting New Glarus. I have been missing out! Not that this is the place you want to go to every weekend, or even regularly, but it is so special and definitely a must-see place when in Wisconsin. I would say the experience starts when you get off the highway and start heading through the back roads that are filled with farmland, silos and small churches. You are definitely not in a Metro area anymore. You will first pass by the old New Glarus brewery that opened in 1993 (don't get confused though -- this is no longer the main brewery!). After a few more miles down the road, you will hit the new New Glarus Brewery. You have to drive up quite the hill to get there but once you're at the top, it is beautiful. There is so much greenery out there to look at, take pictures in front of, and soak up while drinking delicious beer. I opted to get the "taster" wrist band which allowed me to try three sample sizes of beer for $8. The coolest part about being at New Glarus is that they have ALL of their different beers. I did not get a Spotted Cow, but instead, got a STEAM (DIPA) and a strawberry rhubarb. Both were very tasty and less common to find when in MKE. The gift shop at New Glarus was also awesome. There are so many memorabilia's for pretty affordable prices. Perfect place to grab a gift or buy something for yourself to help you remember a wonderful place/trip.

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 uber 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!

Worth the trip! I was in Madison for business and decided to take the trip down to New Glarus to take the tour and try it for myself. I had a great experience! The facility is clean and the tour allows great views and history. Spotted cow fresh from the tap is even better! Plenty to see. Great looking facility and great staff. Bought some souvenirs too. Thank you for treating this Veteran to a taste, that made my day!

Beautiful setting for this brewery. Excellent product that has stayed true to its Wisconsin roots and only sells in Wisconsin. For us out of staters it makes us cherish this product even more. Thank god I have a Wisconsin hook up through a friend! Otherwise, I would need a Penske truck to haul the pallet back, lol. Seriously, you should make a trip here. Everything is reasonably priced and very good quality! Spotted Cow, Two Women, & Totally Naked are my favorite. The brewery self tour was awesome. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and the structure of the brewery holds true to the Wisconsin landscape.

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!

Beautiful location!!!! Most definitely photo worthy. I have not done the tour here yet, but I absolutely love their beer. I am a pretty indecisive person and I also love variety; so, it's great that they offer a tasting option (3 tasting pours for $8). This makes it easier for me to decide what I want because I get 3 selections. You can also purchase by the pint for $8, with the refills only being $5.50. At first I thought it seemed a bit pricy, but once they told us we get to keep the glassware, it seemed worth it. I am not sure if they have an option where you can just buy the beer without keeping the glass or if you could bring back your previously purchased glass to use for the refill, but that would be nice. As much as I love the glassware, we only have room for so much of it! One of my very favorite beers (besides the Spotted Cow, of course) is the Raspberry Tart. It is just so refreshing and flavorful. I really like walking around while I'm enjoying my beer, though there are plenty of seating options if you want to get off your feet and relax. There are so many little paths to explore and so much landscape to look at. There are also many many photo opportunities, including the fun head-through-the-hole photo boards, pretty architecture and statues, fun signs, and beautiful nature. Between the delicious beer and lovely scenery, Wisconsin is so fortunate to have this brewery and I am so happy to live close enough to visit whenever I want!

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.

Such a fun experience! This brewery is totally worth the drive - I don't care where you're coming from (I came from 3 hours away)! Such a unique drive up to the brewery itself, the self guided tours are easy and fun, and you get a souvenir if you purchase a beer to walk around with and drink! The souvenir is a cool beer glass and you get 1 beer and a beer token to use at any bar in Wisconsin for a free beer - all for $8! AMAZING. I had the pleasure of meeting an employee of the brewery named Tom. He gave great suggestions for the best cheese curds in the area and was SO friendly and kind. He basically embodied the best parts of Wisconsin and made our self guided tour really special. You can tell that the employees of New Glarus really love being apart of something so special. I can't wait to visit again and bring my friends in the future! Oh- the beer selection is fabulous. Of course. Just get over here and see for yourself!

Certainly the fanciest looking brewery we've ever visited. And the cleanest, inside and out, as well. Big, beautiful facility. Well maintained & large stone-paved courtyard area with numerous places to sit and enjoy your brewskis along with the surrounding view as it is up on a hilltop. They are rather brave having all those paths with steps surrounding the courtyard, though, considering the amount of alcohol some folks are taking in. ;) The prices were decent, too. $9 to get a little tasting glass (you get to keep) and 3 beer samples. They have other options to purchase beer/glassware in the courtyard as well along with a gift shop, of course. Downstairs off the parking lot is where you can buy bottled beers in bulk (4's, 6-packs, case....). They only do the more in-depth guided tours on Fridays at 1 p.m. (at least as of this writing) and we were there on a Saturday so we just did the self-guided walk-through tour. The self-guided tour could use more placards explaining what goes on in the different areas and a few more TV's with a video playing perhaps of the different areas of equipment in action (we only saw one TV w/a video playing and we were there when the equipment was not in operation).

Local brewery where you can get fresh beer, a tour, and a souvenir from your time in New Glarus. They have a new rinse and water station where you can clean out your glass for tastings. They have a large facility where you can do a self guided tour around the building. There was plenty to see!! Beer comes in several flavors for every palate and I'm sure you can find something to delight you. Pricing was reasonable and even though you can buy the beer at any grocery, people were carrying out cases upon cases of it.

I visited New Glarus Brewing for the first time in around 20 years, and it was quite a difference. The last time I visited, the brewery was housed in a corrugated metal shed. Now, the impressive facility is a mile outside of town. The brewery and tasting room are designed in the style of a Swiss village, and the beer garden gives the impression of a cozy picnic spot in the ruins of an old church. In the tasting room, you can purchase the brewery's superior beers for $8 apiece, and you can keep the glass. My only complaint would be that the brewery could provide for a little more comfort for the crowd tasting its wares. There was very little room to sit indoors, so most people were standing. And the day we arrived, the mercury was sinking below 50, so drinking outside was chilly. With no heaters or firepits, New Glarus Brewing didn't make it very comfortable to enjoy their beer. I appreciated that each beer comes with a token so that you can get a free beer in the nearby town of New Glarus. It's nice to see the brewery supporting their neighbors this way.

Very much worth the drive to make a special visit. You see their beer all over the state, and here is the most you'll pay for it, but it's worth the experience. The brewery building is the most distinctly Midwestern kitsch imaginable, and the hilltop setting near a great little town is unusual. All brewery setups are essentially the same, but they could benefit from posting some info in the different areas for those who don't have the process memorized. It's nice to see a museum is coming soon, the New Glarus story seems special enough to explore beyond the one current sign.

A little torn on this place, i'll split the review right down the middle and give it a 3. Pros Beautiful large building, grounds are gorgeous with plenty of seating. I like the beer depot where you can go and pick up beer direct. lines can be long, but move quickly. service is super friendly, always willing to answer questions. clean restrooms. Cons A little pricy, especially for drinking at the brewery. They had standard New Glarus beers you could get at any Wisconsin liquor store on tap. Moon Man, Spotted Cow, etc. Only one beer in the beer depot was brewery release only, the rest get shipped all over. I've been to a lot of breweries, and the appeal to me is you go there to see where the beer is made AND drink their beer that is harder to find/only served at brewery. Its a nice place for sure, but whats the point of going to the brewery to drink spotted cow when every bar in town has it as well.

If you have any hesitation about visiting this brewery with your family...Please Don't! This brewery is very welcoming of children. I recently took my family of five and enjoyed the brewery's unique setting. The newer site on the hill is beautifully landscaped and you totally do not get the vibe you are visiting an actual brewery. Most breweries have that industrial vibe, not New Glarus! We took advantage of the free tour and enjoyed a beer as we walked around the brewery that was ridiculously clean. This is the cleanest brewery you will visit. You can bring food and enjoy the serene setting behind the brewery. There are plenty of picnic tables nestled in between their stone architecture on the hill overlooking the small town. Don't forget to visit the taproom! Pay 8 dollars , keep the nice glass, and return anytime for 5 dollar refills. They also have a pleasant gift shop and beer depot for you to purchase beer. My personal favorite is Dancing Man (Hefeweizen) and Scream (Double IPA). Hope you enjoy and I will definitely be back to this great brewery. One last thing they do close at 5 pm. So do what we did and bring lunch, eat outside with a beer, and relax. Your wife will like this place.