New Glarus 2023

Looks amazing however I’m not a fan of the “employee owned” label unless the employees own over 50% of the business which I strongly doubt they do. Their ownership is about as significant as mine in owning Microsoft because I have a share of their stock…

 

Yeah, that statement really doesn’t mean much. How are the employees getting 100% ownership and what’s to stop them from immediately cashing out to InBev?

 

Might be idealistic or naive of me, but it's hard for me to see Deb and Dan selling NG. They seem to legitimately enjoy being in the middle of the company's business, and I have to imagine the lifestyle they're used to in NG-proper is part of it; if they don't even feel the need to expand to other states, it sort of feels like they're happy with where they're at.

Also, the pilsner is very good, and I'm hopeful it'll return yearly (especially if they're not giving me Kid Kolsch all the time).

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2023/06/04/new-glarus-president-deb-carey.html

 

SYAC: Deb is assembling a team of employees to take over for her and Dan when they retire.

 

How bout those Bears?!

Anyho, their Pilsner is killer!!!

 

That New Glarus piece was all fluff. Deb has no public succession plan nor does she need one. It will literally be like the HBO show Succession with people fighting for control of the empire if no one is named…if the Carey’s died tomorrow New Glarus would be sold to big beer…

 

Wonder if I can get Deb to consider allowing the future CEO position to be remote; I'd be happy to add some FIB perspective to their business, and I think being the head of the brewery would give me a great excuse to visit the town more often...

 

If you have enough money to buy out their majority shares I would expect they’ll give you any role you want.

 

New Glarus has the annual beer poll up again. It’s been too long since NG did a barleywine.

https://newglarusbrewing.com/pages/beer-vote

 

Edel Pils is apparently back (depot-only). I've never had it (don't think), so I'm curious how salty I should be that I may or may not make it to NG this year?

 

Edel Pils is good, but I reviewed it back when craft lagers weren't readily available -- as they are now.

 

“Noble pils” in description. ill be needing some of this

 

From the above:

In Craft Brewing history, that is usually considered to have been Carol Stoudt, of PA's Stoudt Brewing Co., opened in 1987 and closed in 2020.

From the above:

Depending how their particular ESOP is written, of course, but only if that is what the employees elect to do (it's happened before in the brewing industry, most notably at New Belgium).

 

I'll be the nth person to say the new Pils is great. Had to grab 2 cases while in Madison last weekend.

 

I’ll be the next nth person to say the Pilsner is great. I hope it sticks around all summer so I can grab some more. They teased another surprise seasonal on their podcast today. Wonder what it is… but hope it doesn’t displace Pilsner.

After feeling “meh” about NG for a while, I’m back on the bandwagon. They’ve been on quite the streak lately. (I also rediscovered Two Women of late, after many years of taking for granted the expertly subtle lager that it is.)

 

I think that outside their amazing fruited beers and sours, this is the thing about them that some craft beerheads miss. A lot of their beers (especially the year round ones) aren't big or flashy, but they're consistently well-made, and just good beers.

I can see people thinking NG is boring, but after a few years of chasing hazy bois and pastry stouts it's been refreshing to turn to NG and see their latest release be something as subdued as a simple Pils.

 

Totally agree. I’m not even a hazy/pastry/DIPA guy. In fact, I seek out well executed traditional styles more than anything.

For me the “meh” came from feeling the seasonals were only a half degree different from the core and each other for a while. Who knows if that was perception or reality. That changed for me with Gyrator most recently. I think the Pils does represent a difference in the portfolio, too. And I really got into Bubbler this winter. (I wish they had a rotating wheat something in the lineup all the time. I keep requesting them in the vote. There are so many different ones to choose from!)

Anyway, as someone who loves a solid, well built pils, count me happy!