By Jenn Peitscher –
Where do you Wonder?
The most obvious answer would be nature, right? But could that be in the woods of a brewery?
I experienced the surprise of wonder in the cool crunch of the leaves at the New Glarus Brewery.
So our visit began with a rushed dash from our stay in the country to the town of New Glarus. And as we found 
talking to many locals and visitors, the term “New Glarus” does not mean the brewery, as it had in my narrowed view of this amazing area of Southern Wisconsin. New Glarus encompassed many quaint shops and restaurants, but in our minds, it was all about the craft brewery. Nonetheless, the brewery was top on our todo list for our trip.
We met Drew on our arrival and he took us through what would normally be a self-guided tour. This was our family’s second day in the area, and I think our kids were curious about how the conversations would go.
We were in awe of the brewing process, but what stuck with me was the female leadership. The stigma of brewing in my mind was always the “man’s business.” And Drew was telling us all about Mrs. Carey. So, of course, you can find out about all the details on Wikipedia, but in the age of a woman’s spark of the spotlight, I was intrigued by her sense of starting something that was new, up and coming, and a woman conquering a man’s world!
Thank you Deb for your inspiration!
Then on to the tasting. We visited the brewery on a beautiful autumn day. The temp was in the 50s and my expectations of tasting in the beer garden were surpassed by the view. We explored the various paths while my son peeled the bark off of a large walking stick size branch, which turned into a taekwondo style performance.
The kids enjoyed a refreshing root beer from the cooler as I went from a Cherry Red Ale to the Laughing Fox. After the walk, we found a table, by the kids’ choice, to enjoy our final drink while embracing our future plans.
What New Glarus was inspiring in us was that we loved being environmentally friendly, one with nature, and prosperous. This brewery was doing good for our Earth by minimizing shipments by their catchphrase “Only in Wisconsin.” They provided many other aspects that toyed with our families’ appreciation of enjoying the wonder of each day. Cheers to our first visit to the New Glarus Brewery and many more to come.
To add to the enjoyment of a beer at the headquarters, we received a token for a beer out in the community. So, after leaving the brewery, we hopped on the Sugar River Bike Trail for a quick ride before our dinner at Sugar River Pizza Co. The ride was beautiful and we hopped right off the trail to enjoy our Mediterranean Specialty and BBQ Pulled Pork Pizzas. These were paired with New Glarus Brews including my new favorite, the Two Women Lager. The service here was delightful!
So now when asked if I’d like to try a Spotted Cow, not only will I say yes, but, I will also be brought back to the crisp, open air feeling I had when sampling the newest brew at New Glarus Brewery. Our family can’t wait to return to the city to revisit the brewery, Sugar River Pizza, and to try out many of the other local establishments in New Glarus.