Beer Review - New Glarus IPA

 

A first for Beer Reviews Magazine, where I’ll be reviewing a craft beer (and I’m excited to highlight a local Wisconsin cornerstone)! 

This one comes from New Glarus Brewery, but not the most well-known Spotted Cow. 

Instead, I’ll be reviewing their new IPA. But first, a little background. New Glarus Brewery, located in the picturesque Wisconsin town of New Glarus, stands as a model of regional brewing excellence and community spirit. 

The brewery, founded and operated by Dan and Deb Carey, has carefully blended Swiss architectural heritage with Wisconsin’s rolling landscapes to create a destination experience for beer lovers. Visitors are treated to inviting courtyard spaces, self-guided tours through gleaming brewing facilities, and a robust retail offering, all reflecting the region’s charm.​ 2025 brought a notable chapter in New Glarus history, with a $55 million renovation expanding and modernizing the iconic Hilltop campus. 

This upgrade includes a larger beer garden, new brewing and distilling spaces, a museum detailing the brewery’s story, and improved guest amenities, all reinforcing New Glarus’ ethos of hospitality and tradition. Importantly, despite these enhancements, New Glarus maintains an exclusive “Only in Wisconsin” distribution, keeping its beers a cherished local secret.​ Now, to the beer itself.

The New Glarus IPA is the brewery’s entrant in the American IPA tradition, earning recent acclaim for its balance and drinkability. 

At 6.75% ABV and 60 IBU, it marries classic American hops with fresh German and local varieties, resulting in a deep golden, clear pour. Notes of mango, apricot, and pine are immediately expressed. Restrained hoppiness for an IPA with a well-balanced mouthfeel and light maltiness. 

This is a pleasant, easy-drinking IPA which presents the hops without being too intense. The mouthfeel is equally balanced, complimented by the light malt notes. While it does lack some of the intensity and complexity some may look for in an IPA, this is a great entry into the style and something that someone who doesn’t usually drink IPAs could enjoy. 

I would recommend this as a crowd-pleasing and welcoming IPA, which is typical of the balanced and inviting style which makes New Glarus Brewery, and the community itself, so notable.