How New Glarus Got Big by Staying Small

In 2002, Wisconsin’s New Glarus Brewing Company, makers of the beloved Spotted Cow farmhouse ale, announced it’d be pulling out of the Illinois market next door. Six months later, it was gone. The decision shocked and even angered some folks on the wrong side of the Cheddar Curtain, and flew in the face of the contemporary expansionist wisdom of that era in the industry. But brewmaster Daniel Carey simply couldn’t brew enough to keep up with the demand in the state next door, so along with his wife, founder and president Deb, they decided not to. Twenty years later, we spoke to Daniel about how New Glarus grew on its own terms, and became a touchstone for an industry looking for ways to sustainably retrench as growth slows in the process. Don't forget to like, review, and subscribe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.