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"America's Little Switzerland" : New Glarus, Wisconsin
After moving to Wisconsin, I found that the town of New Glarus is most often identified as "that's the town where they make Spotted Cow Beer!" If you live in Wisconsin you know all about Spotted Cow...it's a very good tasting craft beer that is exclusive to Wisconsin. You can only find it within the borders of our beautiful state, but more on the beer later...the brewery is fun, but there is more to New Glarus then beer.
A recent trip with a girlfriend brought a weekend full of varied activities and culinary delights. It is surprising that a little town like this (population: 2,234) had so many unique and fun things to explore. The weekend went all too quickly and I may have to go again just so I can check out some of the things I missed.
When you first enter New Glarus, you realize it's unlike any little small town in Wisconsin. The details are uniquely Swiss and the flag of Switzerland is found flying in several places all around town. It was originally settled as a Swiss colony in 1845 and the Swiss influence is still predominant with the Alpine architecture, scrumptious pastries and or course delicious meats and cheeses.
My family always teases me that I make a point of always checking out the Visitor's Center at just about every destination. Even if it is not a National Park, Visitor's Centers can provide a wealth of information and usually the building itself can provide a unique place to visit. New Glarus was no exception and the old train depot was such a well preserved building to house the center. Of course there were plenty of brochures, maps and helpful information from the staff, but the building itself seemed as if I should be purchasing a ticket for my next train ride: complete with ticket windows. The building was originally built in 1887 and the railroad spur ran from New Glarus to Brodhead from 1887 to 1972. I can't seem to put my finger on it, but there is something so charming about an old railroad depot.
Another charming feature of public art all around town is the abundance of cow statues. They are life size and each cow is painted and decorated with a particular theme; usually representing the store and/or business that sponsors them.
Since this is the Dairy State, it is no surprise they choose cows for the artwork. Yet, I found out there is more to the story. Apparently the "Cow Parade" first was inspired by two New Glarus shopkeepers who saw the cow parade concept at the airport in Zurich, Switzerland. Since the cows are manufactured in Zurich, and New Glarus is in dairy country....it seemed like a perfect fit. When I spoke with the woman at the Visitors center, she gave me a helpful chart showing locations, and the story behind all 15 cows around town. Since they are all hand painted with custom designs, it takes awhile to produce each work of art. I ran out of time to "catch" them all and she informed me that they have plans for brining 9 additional cow statutes in 2024. It will be neat to see what designs they come up with!
Many folks do not know that New Glarus is not only home to a popular brewery, they also are home to a lovely vineyard: Bailey's Run. As far as vineyards go, they are relatively young: they opened their doors in May of 2018. They seem to have had quite a bit of success and they also established the property as a great live music venue.
My friend and I sampled a few of their wines and they were quite good. When visiting the winery, the view of the vineyards and the surrounding farmlands is wonderful and so serene, We were there on a Saturday night and it was crazy busy. I think I would have enjoyed a more relaxed visit if we had been there on an "off" night. A nice touch about the vineyard is how the name is derived. The owners pup: a "golden-doodle" is named Bailey and definitely has the run of the place.. A silhouette of Bailey is on every label. I thought that was a cute touch.
So probably one of the biggest draws to this southern Wisconsin town is the New Glarus Brewery. My friend and I went on a Friday afternoon and they were quite busy because we did discover they are closed on weekends. So if you are planning a visit there be sure that you check their web-site first to confirm their hours: www.newglarusbrewing.com Sometimes their hours vary for special events. I am so glad we were able to pay them a visit on our busy weekend...what a fun place to be and we were able to try some new blends of brew that we had not tried before. I am a new fan of their Oktoberfest...Yum.
I do enjoy several varieties of their beer, including of course Spotted Cow...what a cute and memorable name! Yet another characteristic of this beer that gives it an elusive quality is that it is only sold in Wisconsin. I guess they have plenty of success just selling it in their home state. In any case, makes it that much more special and "sought after".
It is interesting to note that this brewery cranks out on average 240,000 barrels of beer annually and their line up includes 14 different beer varieties.
So if you make a trip to visit New Glarus, be sure to check out the brewery...but stay for the picturesque scenery & walking trails, great restaurants, great shopping and BE SURE to check out the bakery in town. The crème horns are to die for!
Grüezi (Grüezi is the Swiss-German word for hello)
Happy Travels! Julie E. Smith
