No, I have stayed away from that beer because of the potential of the cat pee taste from that hops. I probably should try it just because Founders is likely very capable of controlling it. However, I wouldn't put it into the ubiquitous category because I've never seen it on a tap list. I did think of a Founders beer to call ubiquitous - All Day IPA. It's even in stores such as Target. I see it frequently on tap lists too.
I think I’m somewhat spoiled here in Vermont. I can get Heady Topper and Focal Banger and Sip of Sunshine at any grocery store. And the liquor store now regularly carries Hill Farmstead 4-packs. And overall, there is still an over abundance of new beers.
My place in MD, I’m not spoiled. We have a quantity over quality issue (tons of breweries within 20 miles of me), some not that good, most are ok to solid beer makes, but none are outstanding. /world class level. Most locals are overpriced, good quality beers from further out tend to be old on store shelves. I love Spotted Cow and most other New Glarus beers whenever I’ve had them.
Yes. I live in the SF Bay Area and travel at least once a year to Seattle, Denver, LA, San Diego, and Oahu (most areas multiple times). Seattle and Denver are my favorite, but I can find great beer in all of those area. Plus, I have a son in Denver who is more into craft beer than I. He is coordinating a bottleshare at one his friend's brewery when we visit Memorial Day Weekend. He is an amazing son!
I long for anything from New Glarious. That state is just not on my to do list though. Connecticut is full of fresh Sip of Sunshine. All the time BTW. I'm not spoiled. Still love it.
In Austin that would be Electric Jellyfish from Pinthouse Pizza. Even places that mostly only have the AB/Inbev stable will have Jellyfish on tap. It is a really good beer, but it is hard not to ask, "Anything else local?"
I appreciate that New Glarus sells so much Spotted Cow they can afford to make all the other delicious beers they offer. And they’re quite good with almost everything they make.
So true, but that's not how I interpreted the OP. As you know, we're blessed to have beers like Georgetown's Bodhi ipa and Boneyard's rpm ipa available most everywhere most of the time.. In fact, the place I'm at right now has both beers on tap. I like them both, but often times I'll see them on the menu and think "I can get these beers any time I want. They'll always be available for me... I'm going to go ahead and try something else, even if maybe it turns out not to be as good as the rpm or bodhi." Not sure I'd do that everywhere, but as you alluded to, it's pretty hard to go wrong when ordering a "new to me" beer out here in rhe PNW. So why not try something new?
Sure. I just don't think we have a rough equivalent, let alone a close match, for the ubiquity of Spotted Cow. I was thinking Mac n Jacks Amber, but I don't think I see it as much as I did even 5 years ago.
Isn’t it a state law that if you live in Wisconsin, you MUST drink Spotted Cow? Don’t hate on people trying to be good, law abiding citizens. We lived in Mankato MN for 18 years, from 1999-2017. During that time, I became a full-fledged beer nerd, circa 2005. I had a REALLY good beer store 3 minutes from my house, and probably around 2010 or so, I paid the store a visit. And they had 6ers of Spotted Cow. For real. I bought two, then made sure the blinds on our house were always closed for the next week while I finished those magnificent bottles off, and then weighed going into the witness protection program. PS: they never appeared again. I felt like I was in an episode of The X-Files. IJS.
Here's how spoiled (or honest?) I am: I think Spotted Cow is one of the most overrated beers in the craft beer world, especially amongst the Beer Advocate set. I'm sorry, it's just not nearly as stellar as y'all are making it out to be. Part of that is that it's a light cream ale -- about as bland a beer style as there is. But I'm all about perfection in subtler categories, and Spotted Cow just isn't. I know everyone holds New Glarus up as a unicorn brewery. In their defense, visiting them (especially in warm months when the outdoor beer stands are open) is a special throw-back treat. And Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart are two of my all-time favorite beers -- absolutely exceptional. If you want to tell me Spotted Cow is a stellar corn lager, I guess I won't put up a fuss. But past that it's simply not special.
Spotted Cow is good. And the fact it allows New Glarus to make excellent beers like Belgian Red, Raspberry Tart, and Strawberry Rhubarb makes it just a bit better in my mind. But I do tend to agree it’s overrated. And this thread really isn’t about Spotted Cow. It’s about other good ubiquitous beers from around the country/world that people take for granted.
