You might think of Belgium, Germany, or the Pacific Northwest when you think of great beer. But in 2024, a small brewery in New Glarus, Wisconsin, showed that great things can happen right here in the Midwest.
People love New Glarus Brewing Company’s craft beers, and they only sell them in Wisconsin. They just won three medals at the World Beer Cup 2024, solidifying their status as one of the best brewers in the world.
What is the World Beer Cup?
People from all over the world enter the World Beer Cup every two years. It’s so serious that it’s been called the “Olympics of Beer Competitions.” It’s the most famous beer competition, and there are categories for everything from American Wheat to Chili Beer to Belgian Fruit Ales.
The prizes are broken up into gold, silver, and bronze, and it’s an accomplishment to get even one. Getting three wins in one night? That is the stuff that makes brewing tales.
New Glarus Wins Big — 3 Medals in 2024
When the awards were given out on May 1, 2024, New Glarus Brewing won:
- Gold in Belgian Fruit Beer for Kriek
- 🥈 Silver in Belgian Fruit Beer for Champ Du Blanc
- 🥉 Bronze in Other Strong Beer for Imperial Pilsner
Breakside Brewery of Portland, Oregon, won the most awards overall with six. However, New Glarus stood out by winning all three Belgian-style categories with not one but two outstanding fruit beers.
You can read Mix 108’s broadcast for a full list of winners.
Why Wisconsin Should Be Happy About This Win
People in Wisconsin have known for a long time that New Glarus makes some of the best beer in the world. Now everyone else does too.
What makes it even more unique? You still can’t get New Glarus beer anywhere else. There you have it. If you’re a craft beer expert in Minnesota or Illinois, you’ll have to cross the state line to bring any home.
As one author put it:
“New Glarus beer is only sold in Wisconsin, so when someone comes to Minnesota with it, it’s very valuable.”
The brewery’s mystique and its fiercely loyal fan group have grown stronger because of how hard it is to get.
History and Thoughts Behind New Glarus
Deborah Carey was the first woman in the U.S. to open a brewery, and her husband Dan Carey is a master brewer who learned his trade in Europe. They started New Glarus Brewing in 1993 and have always focused on making small batches of high-quality beer with heart.
They have well-known beers like Spotted Cow, Moon Man, and Two Women Lager, but they’re also known for their creative seasonal beers and complicated Belgian-style beers, like Kriek, which is now known all over the world.
The brewery is also an important part of the community. It has a beautiful beer garden on top of a hill and a loyal following of beer drinkers in Wisconsin that not many craft brands can claim.
What Will Happen Next in New Glarus?
After winning the World Beer Cup, there has been no official word yet on new releases or plans for distribution. For now, it’s business as usual, with lines out the door for people who want to stock up on Kriek.
That’s it! These award-winning beers are likely to be in high demand all summer, especially from tourists and beer fans who make the trip to New Glarus.
What will happen next? This is still unknown, but don’t be shocked if your favorite Madison or Milwaukee beer shop quickly runs out of those winners.
Cheers to a big name in Wisconsin
This news is important to you whether you’ve been drinking Spotted Cow since college or you only learned about New Glarus on a road trip. It’s good for Wisconsin as a whole, not just the brewery.
Cheers to New Glarus Brewing for making beer that shows pride in your work, your town, and your roots. It’s now one of the best in the world.
Which New Glarus beer do you like best?
Have you tried Kriek or Champ Du Blanc, which have won awards? What do you always get when you go to the brewery?
What did you think? Tell us in the comments, and tag someone who still hasn’t been to New Glarus.
**This article was written by Kayla McFarland. AI tools were used lightly for grammar and formatting, but the ideas, words, and edits are all mine.**
