When’s the last time you were excited about a brown ale?
I’m not saying they’re lame, but they don’t carry the Wow! factor that other beers do in this age of extremism, envelope-pushing and creativity. They’re not sour. They don’t taste like a barrel. And they’re not a Cascade grenade.
Recently, I’ve tucked into a variety of New Glarus beers, and like all the rest, Dan Carey’s Fat Squirrel made me do a double take. Wow! That’s a really freaking good brown ale, thought I. Just great balance. But what really caught my attention was the amazing synergy taking place with they’re blend of hops “from Slovenia, Bavaria and the Pacific Northwest.”
If the only New Glarus beer you’ve ever heard of is the gold medal-laden, cherry-licious Wisconsin Belgian Red, or the flagship Spotted Cow, then I’m here to tell you that there’s plenty more where those came from. Mad depth, New Glarus has. Incredible beers, all. We toured the brewery in August, and sampled Spotted Cow, Organic Revolution, Road Slush Oatmeal Stout, Smoke on the Porter and Berliner Weisse.
Following our trip to Wisconsin, we brought home a handful of other New Glarus offerings, including Totally Naked, Edel Pils, Wisconsin Belgian Red, Raspberry Tart, Spotted Cow, Berliner Weisse, Uff-da Bock, and yes, that lovely Fat Squirrel. Wow Beers, all, from top to bottom.
Wow! That’s a really good brown ale. Wow! That’s a really good Pils. Wow! That’s a really good Berliner Weisse.
I just kept saying stuff like that as I worked my way through the fridge, allowing New Glarus to take me on a tour of brewvana.
