Spotted Cow Beer: Milwaukee's Best-Kept Secret?

Spotted Cow beer is a product of the New Glarus Brewing Company, a craft brewery located in New Glarus, Wisconsin. The company was founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey as a gift to her husband, Daniel, an experienced master brewer. Spotted Cow is their best-selling beer, accounting for about 40% of all the beer New Glarus makes in a year. It is a cask-conditioned farmhouse ale, with a 4.8% ABV. The beer is only available in Wisconsin, and you can find it in most taverns, grocery stores, and bars.

Spotted Cow beer is brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company

The recipe for Spotted Cow was inspired by a trip to Old World Wisconsin, where Dan Carey spotted a pot of beer in the corner of a German farmstead. He crafted the beer with the idea of an 1850s-era Wisconsin farmer of German heritage in mind, using high-quality hops from the Czech Republic and grains available on Wisconsin farms, such as barley, wheat, and corn. The beer is unfiltered, giving it a hazy appearance, and the yeast is left in the bottle to enhance its fullness of flavor.

Spotted Cow is a naturally cloudy farmhouse ale, although many refer to it as a cream ale. It has a unique blend of Pilsner malt, white wheat, and caramel malt, and the water used comes from a well on the brewery property. The hops are carefully selected from Europe each year, and the beer is fermented with a German ale yeast. This combination results in a fun, fruity, and satisfying ale with hints of peach, apricot, and strawberry, balanced by a crisp, tart finish.

The popularity of Spotted Cow is evident in its wide availability across Wisconsin. It can be found in bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and other retailers throughout the state. It is sold in various packaging options, including 12-pack and 24-pack cans, 6-pack bottles, and 24-pack bottles. While it is not distributed outside of Wisconsin, it can be purchased within the state and taken out for personal consumption.

It's a farmhouse ale, not a cream ale

Spotted Cow is a beer from the New Glarus Brewing Company, based in Wisconsin. Although many people refer to it as a cream ale, the brewery itself calls it a farmhouse ale. In fact, the brewmaster of New Glarus, Dan Carey, has expressed that he would like people to stop trying to assign labels to it.

The distinction between a cream ale and a farmhouse ale is important to Carey, and there are several reasons why Spotted Cow fits into the latter category. Firstly, it is unfiltered, which is a key difference from cream ales. Secondly, it is brewed without corn, which is a common ingredient in cream ales. Thirdly, it lacks the phenolic quality indicative of farmhouse ales/saisons. Carey also highlights the beer's subtle fruitiness, mild sweetness, and mild haze, which contribute to its unique character.

The inspiration for Spotted Cow came from a trip to an open-air museum, where Carey discovered a German farmhouse with beer bubbling on the stove. This sparked his interest in creating a beer that those 19th-century German immigrants might have enjoyed. He used Pilsner malt, white wheat, and caramel malt, along with water from a well on the brewery property, and the finest Saaz hops he could find in Europe. It is fermented with a German ale yeast, contributing to its distinct flavour.

So, while many people may refer to Spotted Cow as a cream ale, the brewmaster himself considers it a farmhouse ale, and there are several factors that support this classification.

It's available in cans, bottles and on tap

Spotted Cow beer is available in cans, bottles, and on tap in Milwaukee. The New Glarus Brewing Company, which is based in Wisconsin, sells Spotted Cow beer in a variety of packaging options, including cans and bottles. The beer is also available on tap at bars and restaurants in the Milwaukee area.

Spotted Cow beer is widely available in Wisconsin, and you can find it at many establishments with liquor licenses, such as bars and restaurants. It is also available at liquor stores and other retailers in the area. The New Glarus Brewing Company's website provides a beer finder tool that can help you locate specific locations where the beer is sold.

The beer is known for its unique blend of Pilsner malt, white wheat, and caramel malt, and it is fermented with a German ale yeast. It has a cloudy appearance due to being unfiltered, and the brewer's yeast can sometimes settle at the bottom of bottles or cans. Spotted Cow beer is also known for its fruity notes, with hints of peach, apricot, and strawberry, as well as a smooth drinking experience.

If you are looking to purchase Spotted Cow beer in cans or bottles, you can find it at retailers such as Total Wine & More, which offers a 6-pack of 12oz bottles. It is also available at Aman's Beer + Wine in Wind Lake, WI. Additionally, you can visit the New Glarus Brewing Company's website to purchase the beer directly from the brewery or find other retailers in your area.

It's only sold in Wisconsin

Spotted Cow beer is only sold in Wisconsin, so you won't be able to buy it in Milwaukee unless you're buying it from someone who has brought it over the state line. The New Glarus Brewing Company, which makes Spotted Cow, has been true to its "Only in Wisconsin" tagline since 2003. The company does not distribute or ship its beer out of state.

The company's philosophy is based on individuality, cooperation, and the use of 100% natural ingredients to produce world-class, handcrafted beers for its friends in Wisconsin. Spotted Cow is the company's best-seller, making up about two-thirds of the 245,000 barrels brewed annually by New Glarus. It's so popular that, in Wisconsin, you need to go out of your way to find an establishment with a liquor license that doesn't sell it.

Spotted Cow is a naturally cloudy farmhouse ale, although many call it a cream ale. It's unfiltered, which gives it a hazy appearance. It's made with Pilsner malt, white wheat, and caramel malt. The water comes from a well on the brewery property, and the hops are the finest Saaz available during selection each year in Europe. It's fermented with a German ale yeast. The yeast is allowed to remain in the bottle to enhance the fullness of flavours, so it's naturally cloudy. You can expect Spotted Cow to be fun, fruity, and satisfying.

It's the company's best-selling beer

Spotted Cow beer is the best-selling beer of the New Glarus Brewing Company, a Wisconsin-based brewery. The company does not distribute any of its beers outside of the state, so you will have to be in Wisconsin to get a taste of Spotted Cow or any of New Glarus' other beers.

Spotted Cow is a popular beer, and you will have to go out of your way to find a bar or restaurant with a liquor license that doesn't sell it. The beer is a blend of Pilsner malt, white wheat, and caramel malt, with water sourced from a well on the brewery's property. The hops are the finest Saaz available during selection in Europe, and it is fermented with a German ale yeast. The beer is unfiltered, giving it a hazy appearance, and it is naturally cloudy as the yeast is left in the bottle to enhance the fullness of its flavours. Spotted Cow is usually described as fun, fruity, and satisfying.

Spotted Cow is available in a variety of packaging options, including 12-pack and 24-pack cans, 6-pack bottles, and 24-pack bottles. You can find it in most taverns, grocery stores, and liquor stores across Wisconsin, and it is also available to purchase online from select retailers.

If you are in Milwaukee and looking to try Spotted Cow, your best bet is to head to a local tavern or liquor store and ask for a bottle or can of this iconic Wisconsin beer.

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