What Are the Rules When it Comes to New Glarus Beer? (2024)

FAQs

Why is spotted cow beer illegal? ›

Spotted Cow is described by its makers as a “traditional farmhouse ale, hand-crafted and unfiltered with complex flavors.” The owners say they don't want — or need — to deal with the byzantine tax and distribution systems that come with selling their beer outside their home state.

The brewery made the choice to pull out of Illinois sales effective 2003 leading to the sale of New Glarus beer 'Only In Wisconsin' today. The move was made due to insufficient capacity to fill both Wisconsin and Illinois markets.

The brewery does not distribute any of its beer, including Spotted Cow, out of state. Nor does New Glarus Brewing ship its beer. You can buy Spotted Cow in Wisconsin and take it out of state for personal consumption or to share, provided you're not selling it to anyone.

Service dogs are allowed inside the brewery and all other pets are welcome outside in our beer garden with a leash. Hard Hat Tours Tours are only offered on Fridays at 1:00 PM CST (excluding National Holidays.)

Why Wisconsin: At one point in time, Spotted Cow beer was sold in Illinois. The small brewery struggled to keep up demand in both states + pulled back distribution to make sure locals had plenty in stock. But don't worry, it's perfectly legal to take it to friends and family in other states — just don't sell it.

States that can't sell Samuel Adams Utopias include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.

Appeals court upholds dismissal of investor lawsuit against New Glarus Brewing. A Wisconsin appeals court has upheld a lower courts rejection of an investor lawsuit against New Glarus Brewing Co. and its majority shareholder, founder and CEO Deb Carey, that could have forced a sale of the brewery.

A question we see all the time from our fans is “Where can I buy Spotted Cow outside of Wisconin? “ It seems to be fairly well-known fact that Spotted Cow isn't distributed to any stores outside Wisconsin state lines.

Most beers don't improve with age, so only buy enough to last a month or two. Lastly, there's nothing harmful in old beer, it just doesn't taste the way the brewer intended. Do you have a question or concern about your New Glarus beer experience?

Spotted Cow is a beer so good that it makes people desperate. Minnesotans have been known to smuggle kegs of the New Glarus elixir across the border, and coasters lust over the thought of getting their hands on a bottle of the Wisconsin-exclusive farmhouse ale. It's basically the Heady Topper of the Midwest.

Is New Glarus worth visiting? ›

This is a very interesting place to visit. The guide for the tour knows a lot about the many things in this house and... Welcome to America's Little Switzerland, in New Glarus, Wisconsin! Our charming village offers unique boutiques, museums, a wide range of restaurants, as well as wineries and the famous brewery.

Spotted Cow

Farm Cask conditioned ale has been the popular choice among brews since long before prohibition. We continue this pioneer spirit with our Wisconsin farmhouse ale. Brewed with the finest American malts. We even give a nod to our farmers.

New Glarus Brewing's Hillside location is completely closed on weekends since the Covid-19 pandemic. There is just not enough parking, Carey said.

Deborah Carey, Founder/President, New Glarus Brewing Company

As she worked on a business plan, her husband Dan, a master brewer, gathered the materials, grains and equipment needed for start-up. In 1993 they negotiated to rent a warehouse in New Glarus, exchanging the lease for stock in the New Glarus Brewing Company.

Spotted Cow is made by a New Glarus, Wis., brewer, and it is illegal to sell it in Minnesota. A search warrant filed in Hennepin County says an employee of Maple Tavern in the Twin Cities suburb of Maple Grove made beer runs to a liquor store in Hudson, Wis., to buy kegs of Spotted Cow.

Spotted Cow was available in Illinois until 2003, when the Careys decided to pull distribution from outside Wisconsin. The seven-person sales team struggled to keep pace with demand, but more importantly, “bigger” was simply never the goal.

Coors, ubiquitous potion of good time brohood, was once illegal in certain states. The movie was made in the late '70s, and at that time, Coors was actually a regional product. It was made in Colorado, but because it wasn't pasteurized and contained no preservatives, shipping could get a little tricky.