The New Glarus Brewery Variety Pack

Inspired by my most recent brush with Spotted Cow, I decided to expand my New Glarus Brewery repertoire. Unable to choose just one of the available six brews at the local market, I decided purchasing the variety pack was the most prudent option.

Moon Man

Typically I tend not to be a fan of pale ales, New Glarus however, has again knocked one out of the park with its “No Coast” Pale Ale, Moon Man. Easily the most enjoyable of the variety pack, Moon Man offers an unassuming bold taste that won’t be the focal point of a meal.

This New Glarus pale ale is a great beer to be matched with any meal that is big on taste. Although I’ve only paired it with a classic Wisconsin cookout feast of brats, burgers, and multiple kinds of cheeses, I can only dream about how well Moon Man and a delicious plate of stir fry would taste.

8 mugs out of 10

Fat Squirrel

Extremely bold on flavor, this nut brown ale doesn’t quite live up to the standard set by Spotted Cow or Moon Man. Where those previous two beers have excelled, Fat Squirrel attempts to be too ambitious. Brewed with six different varieties of malts, this heavy on flavor beer ends up tasting overly oakey.

Fat Squirrel isn’t completely without its merits but my general consensus is that this brew just has way too much going on for its own good. Although this beer would be great as a change of pace brew, unless you are truly a nut fanatic, Fat Squirrel doesn’t have the ability to become anything more than a novelty beer.

6 mugs out of 10

Stone Soup

Have you ever had one of those cold days where you just roll out of bed and feel the need for a swig of something to warm up you up? If you can ignore the alcoholic overtone in that previous statement, Stone Soup, the self-prescribed “Sophisticated Abbey Style Ale,” is sure to send a jolt of warmth through your bones on even the coldest of days.

Thick and robust, your stomach will be filled with a strong blend of spices that can only be truly appreciated when this beer is enjoyed by itself. Recommended primarily during the late fall and throughout the winter, Stone Soup is a perfect beer to solve the winter chills.

7 mugs out of 10