Earlier this week we published a series of game day guides which provide recommendations for activities in and around NFL stadia. I wrote the section for Green Bay, and I hope it’s helpful to anyone traveling to Lambeau for a game, but there is one specific thing I wish I’d spent a bit more time on: New Glarus Brewing Company’s Spotted Cow, which is one of the most popular beers in Wisconsin.
If you’re traveling to Wisconsin for the first time, you will eventually be confronted with a Spotted Cow, and it’s quite possible you are already familiar with it. Spotted Cow has gained fame via its in-state exclusivity and jaunty name. It’s a huge seller for New Glarus, and in the state of Wisconsin, it is nearly as ubiquitous as big brands like Miller Lite, if not more so. However, as is the case with anything in the history of the world that has any amount of hype, a lot of Spotted Cow discourse now focuses on whether it’s “overrated” or “actually good.” I hate discussions about what is overrated unless it’s about the Vikings, and so I wanted to write just a bit on what Spotted Cow is and isn’t.
What is Spotted Cow?
This is perhaps the most interesting questions, because even though New Glarus describes Spotted Cow as a Farmhouse Ale, it’s not really like a traditional farmhouse ale. Yes, it looks like one with a bit of cloudiness, but the taste is totally different. I’ve seen some describe it as a cream ale, but I don’t think that’s quite right either, and I think this is a big part of the original mystique of the beer. It’s really not like anything else, but it is quite good!
How did Spotted Cow become popular?
There is never just one answer to a question like this, but I think New Glarus nailed a few specific things all at the exact right time. First, as previously mentioned, Spotted Cow has a distinct flavor, which separates it from traditional American macrobrews like Bud and Miller. This was an important feature in during the craft beer boom when massive IPAs and Russian Imperials took off, and traditional American beers became uncool.
But, while Spotted Cow tastes like, well, something, it’s also only 4.8% alcohol, meaning that unlike the big IPAs, you could consume a bunch without suffering a massive hangover the next day. In IPA meccas like Colorado, New England, and the Pacific Northwest, drinking craft beer for flavor profile was culturally acceptable. Wisconsin is quite a bit different; if Wisconsinites are present at an event (like a football game) where drinking is appropriate, they will always be drinking. Sessionability is a key aspect of any popular Wisconsin beer, and New Glarus understood that.
They’re not the only brewery to pull this off, of course. Over in Michigan you could tell a very similar story about Bell’s Oberon and All Day IPA, but the third factor that made Spotted Cow this popular is simply Wisconsin itself. Spotted Cow is ONLY available in Wisconsin and it is a simple fact of demographics that in the United States, no state drinks more per capita. It’s not really even close. And so, the exclusivity to the state served to boost them in the biggest beer drinking market in the country via perceived loyalty to the state. Also, there is a fun jumping cow on the bottle.
But is it overrated?
Here’s the thing. Your reaction to any beer, or food item, or piece of art will be subjective, however no beer is likely to completely change your world view, and if you expect this one too, you will be disappointed. Spotted Cow is, in my opinion, a great summer beer, an outstanding option for any activity likely to go three plus hours (like a football game), and a perfect complement to most summer food items. But your mileage may vary!
All of that said, you should absolutely have one while you’re here because again, it’s definitely beer, but it’s not really like any other style of beer.
Should I try anything else from New Glarus?
Absolutely! While you may debate whether Spotted Cow is overrated, the New Glarus Brewing Company is certainly not. If you visit their brewery in New Glarus, Wisconsin, you will instantly be hit with winery vibes as it sits on a picturesque hill. It’s immaculately clean, and neat as a pin.
I used to live very close to Half Acre Brewing in Chicago (also one of my favorites), and while they make dozens of different beers and beer styles, there is a consistent throughline in the aftertaste of their stuff that is almost resin-y. It’s hard to describe, I’m not a professional beer taster, but it’s almost like they have a house style, and run variations. New Glarus has some of that. Moon Man, their “No Coast Pale Ale,” couldn’t be more different from Spotted Cow, but I can also sort of tell the same people were involved.
Speaking of which, you should also have a Moon Man. If there is any single New Glarus beer that that is likely to end the phrase “Spotted Cow is fine, but their best beer is actually…” it’s Moon Man. If Spotted Cow left you wanting something hoppier in the IPA vein (but not overpowering), this is that. Staghorn is an outstanding traditional Octoberfest, and Two Women, like Spotted Cow, is kind of weirdly unique (they call it a Country Lager). I don’t really care for their fruitier beers as I cannot really do sours and their ilk anymore, but some people love them, and New Glarus loves making them.
Does Wisconsin make good beer?
There are a ton of great craft and old school breweries in the state, but I do think it’s important to always keep in mind the culture in which Wisconsin breweries came to be. Wisconsin is full of the descendants of German and Irish immigrants who were accustomed to lower alcohol beers (Note: Remember, even Guinness is only 4.2% alcohol), and value extended drinking time frames. Some Wisconsin breweries do produce worthwhile IPAs, but most also offer pilsners, lagers, and other lower alcohol staples that don’t necessarily get as much attention in the rest of the country.
So, when you’re out at your first Packer game, please do grab yourself a Spotted Cow (if you’re old enough), and even if it’s not your thing, remember that if nothing else, it will leave you with room for a second choice.
(And as always, please drink responsibly, and do not drink to excess and then drive a car. We have ride shares now, people!)
