USA: New Glarus Brewing doubles capacity

New Glarus Brewing Co., located in New Glarus, Wisconsin and the 16th largest craft brewery in the US is doubling its capacity to more than 400,000 barrels (470,000 hl) by adding 16 fermentation tanks. The $12 million investment became necessary after the company experienced 10% growth in 2016 and forecasts another 10% in 2017. In 2016 the 24 year-old brewery sold 214,000 barrels (251,000 hl).

The fermentation tanks holding about 580 barrels (681 hl) of beer each were manufactured in Germany and will be operational early next year. “There are not many places that manufacture tanks like this and the domestic manufactures here in the United States are really booked up from the explosion of the craft brewing industry so it's not unusual to see tanks come through here from Europe,”said Jeff Fleming with the Port of Milwaukee, counteracting possible discussions arising from the America First policy by US-President Donald Trump.

In addition to the new fermentation tanks, New Glarus is currently also expanding its tasting room and Beer Depot, which sells to-go beer, with completion expected next month. “As the brewery grows, there’s always a bottleneck — something holding us back from making more beer,” says New Glarus founder and president Deborah Carey.

For a further expansion, New Glarus recently bought 40 acres of nearby land, which might be used for a hop barn, hop freezer and possibly a home for the brewery’s distillery.

The New Glarus Brewing Company was founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey as a gift for her husband and brewnaster, Daniel. In May 2006, New Glarus Brewing broke ground on a new $21 million facility on a hilltop on the south edge of the village of New Glarus. The facility was designed to look like a Bavarian village and has become a destination for tourists who visit New Glarus. Since then the brewery has been enlarged several times to fit the increased demand for its beers.

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