New Glarus Brewing (2018)

Any rumors yet of what the Great Taste R&D release is going to be? I know they'll be announcing it soon, but I can't wait, I'm so excited, I'm so excited - I'm so, I'm so SCARED!!

 

Settle down, it's Vintage '17. The October release is the one to get excited about.

 

Since you're the guy who seems to know All The Things, do you know why NG hasn't (publicly, if at all) announced the R&D dates for 2018?

 

I cannot give you a definitive answer to that. In past conversations with my NG people, it seems things are always changing, beers aren't ready, yada yada. A piece of me believes they don't care either. They certainly do not rely on these R/D's to keep the lights on. They're fun, experimental beers for them so they just choose to be aloof about it? I don't know, just my thoughts on it.

 

Being aloof is definitely the New Glarus PR way. I just know in the past they've announced the dates, at least individually if not all at once, in advance of each R&D weekend. It helps for planning. But I could see them trying to tamp down the crowds a bit by keeping it ad hoc.

 

If this is true I am going to be a little sad.

 

It's basically confirmed to be Vintage '17. They do it every year.

I don't know why you'd be sad about it. It's one of the best lambic-style beers brewed in the country (no exaggeration). Just because it's not fruited doesn't mean it's not a great beer.

 

Just read through the last few pages and don’t see anything about SR ever dropping. Still waiting?

 

As early as Tuesday in MKE, as late as today in lake country. Woodmans in Kenosha had almost a pallet left on Thurs PM... limit 2 but the guy said they already went through multiple pallets since Tues.

 

If your in Kohler area Woodlake market had cases of it Sunday. I grabbed a few 4 packs.

 

Thanks guys. Looks like I’m going to drive around WI aimlessly this afternoon until I find some SR. I guess there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

 

I'm heading to Verona in September for some training at Epic, is there anywhere to pick up some of the NG sours around there, or am I better off just taking the rental car 25 minutes south to the brewery?

 

Check out the NG beer finder. https://newglarusbrewing.com/beers/beerfinder It should give you a good idea what's around the area. Of course, if you can swing a trip to the brewery, it's never a bad idea as it's a beautiful brewery well worth a visit.

 

Depending on what you mean by "sours," either is fine. Verona Wine Cellar is a pretty good store, and Madison West Woodman's is not far from there and has the best selection in the entire Madison area. Also near there is a Steve's on McKee.

Honestly, unless you want to see the brewery (which is gorgeous), you're better off going to one or more of the other stores simply because the brewery charges more than the stores so as not to undercut them.

However, if you mean their special releases (500ml R&D bottles like their Vintage [gueuze-style], Sour Porter, Champ Rouge, Gotlandic, etc.), those are brewery only. If you're talking about their fruit beers like Raspberry Tart, Wisconsin Belgian Red, Serendipity, and Strawberry Rhubarb, some of those can be found in the stores I mentioned, but they are decidedly not what I'd call "sours;" they contain a mild tartness at most and are not intended to be American wild ales or lambics or anything like that.

 

Oh, and if you mean Thumbprints (like Wild Sour Ale, Cran-Bic, and the like), those could also be available at the stores I mentioned, depending on inventory of course. Sorry if this is confusing, but New Glarus has five different series, and I wasn't clear on if you were aware that their fruit beer series aren't sours.

 

Thanks for all the info! I was not aware that their fruit beer series weren't sours, I mistakenly thought they were. I'll still seek them out though, and keep an eye on any others I can find. Any other must try local beers that I can't get in Ohio? I see that Hop Haus Brewing is in Verona also, is that worth a visit? Thanks in advance!

 

Funk Factory taproom in Madison is a must. They have been crushing it with their Saisons and MT beers. Highly recommend, it’s nothing like NG (which is an awesome town and the brewery and grounds are super cool), small place but they pump out awesome stuff.

 

In this case, I do recommend going to the brewery since their R&Ds are pretty damn excellent across a variety of styles. The Vintage '16 is one of the best lambic-style beers in the country. The R&Ds are the ones that are only available at the brewery.

Don't let the fact that the fruit beers aren't sours dissuade you. They are basically unquestionably the best examples of the non-sour fruit beer style, period.

I would personally not go to Hop Haus or Hop Garden (also close-by). Neither is considered great, though I cannot speak for Hop Haus personally. Instead, as @oconomwocian stated, Funk Factory in Madison proper is a must-visit and would be a much better use of your time. Their beers are generally in the lambic-style, and they hold up to the best sours in the country, no exaggeration or homerism. They are also the minds behind Untitled Art, who do some of the more hyped styles like milkshake IPAs, NEIPAs, pastry stouts, etc. These beers aren't as consistently awesome as the lambic-style beers, but they can be quite good and will be on draft at Funk Factory.

If you are a New England IPA guy, seek out beers from The Brewing Projekt at Woodman's or Steve's (especially Dare Mighty Things).

Lastly, I have not been there myself, but Working Draft in Madison is getting some buzz, so they may be worth hitting, too.

 

Wait, what's the story there? I didn't realize that, even though I had some of their beers on draft at FF. Speaking of...lol

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2096139777309587

 

Untitled Art essentially is Funk Factory. Levi Funk is behind it from a creative director perspective (similar to how Mikkel of Mikkeller doesn't really brew any beers but rather just draws up recipes). It may not be that well-known, but Levi doesn't really brew anything for Funk Factory. From my current understanding (please correct if I am wrong), the wort is brewed at Octopi, and Levi inoculates it in his mobile koelschip, ages it, and eventually blends it, which many including Levi would argue are the most important parts of spontaneous beer.