Visitors take a closer look at the copper brewing units at the New Glarus Brewing Co., which has been ranked the nation's 19th-largest craft brewer. The company's newer, larger brewery is expected to attract 150,000 visitors this year. Credit: Associated Press

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Four years ago, when New Glarus Brewing Co. opened its second brewery in the southern Wisconsin community for which it's named, Deb Carey figured her business could finally take a breather from years of continual rapid expansion.

But New Glarus Brewing in August completed a new warehouse while installing more brewing and packaging equipment, and has now started two other projects that will add more office and lab space, and a larger gift shop. All three additions together amount to around a $7 million capital investment, funded by excess cash from the brewery's ever-growing beer sales.

Not bad for a craft brewer that continues to stick with its strategy of selling only within Wisconsin, despite the nearby lure of the Chicago area. New Glarus sold the equivalent of more than 100,000 barrels last year, and expects to sell more than 120,000 barrels in 2012, said Carey, president and co-owner. It is the nation's 19th-largest craft brewer and the largest in Wisconsin, according to data compiled by the Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Association.

New Glarus, with 70 employees, continues to grow as more drinkers are discovering its brews, even though the company does virtually no advertising, Carey said. Some of that growth is occurring because of the consolidation of brands under the nation's two dominant brewers, Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors, she said.

"When all these beers are brewed by just one or two international brewers, the quality goes down," Carey said. "And that's all there is to it."

New Glarus also is drawing more drinkers who often prefer imported beers but sometimes find those brands aren't fresh, Carey said.

"It's hard for imports to compete when they have to travel over the ocean to get here," she said.

Good rating

New Glarus Brewing, where Carey's husband, Dan, is the brewmaster and co-owner, routinely wins accolades for its beer from craft brew fans.

At beeradvocate.com, New Glarus carries a rating of 95, putting it within the range for a "world class" rating - the website's highest ranking.

Also, Deb Carey is known for her leadership within the Wisconsin Brewers Guild, including its efforts to fight legislation it views as unfriendly to craft brewers. In 2011, she was named national runner-up Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The company's most popular beer remains Spotted Cow, an ale.

But New Glarus has made more than 30 different brands, many of which are seasonal or have had limited runs.

And its most recent growth is driven in part by the company's newer year-round beers, They include Two Women, a lager that draws its name from Carey, one of the few craft brewery presidents, and Sabine Weyermann, managing director of Weyermann Malting Co., the Bamberg, Germany-based firm that provided malt for the beer.

Another brand now sold year-round is Moon Man Pale Ale, which Dan Carey developed after he and Deb were talking about what she considered the baffling popularity of pale ales.

"For the most part, I find them a little bit painful," Deb Carey said, noting that the beer style sometimes has a bitter, astringent aftertaste.

The result was Moon Man, which Dan Carey created after spending more than a year researching different hop types that could remove the harsh aftertaste while preserving the pale ale's floral bouquet. The beer is named for a pet cat belonging to one of New Glarus' brewery workers, with the Moon Man label featuring his paw prints.

Drawing a crowd

Some of the sales growth is occurring as people who drink Spotted Cow are discovering New Glarus Brewing's other beers, Carey said. Rather than pay for advertising, the company is counting on word-of-mouth to help draw more customers, she said.

Some of that word is generated by visits to the company's hilltop brewery in New Glarus, a small town about 30 miles south of Madison.

At the company's original brewery, which is still used 19 years after New Glarus began operations, there were typically 25,000 visitors annually.

This year, the newer, larger brewery will likely draw around 150,000 visitors, Carey said. Some take free self-guided tours, while also visiting the gift shop and the tasting room, where samples can be purchased.

Trolley service

The flow of visitors is so strong that New Glarus Brewing is now operating a trolley service that shuttles between the hilltop brewery on the outskirts of town and downtown New Glarus, where visitors are encouraged to park.

In addition, some New Glarus Brewing fans will pay $20 apiece to take the "hard hat tour," a guided, behind-the-scenes look at both breweries that ends with several samples.

Some visitors are from just across the border with Illinois. New Glarus Brewing was there from 1998 through 2003 before pulling out when it couldn't keep up with skyrocketing demand, which was hurting its relationships with Wisconsin customers.

Others arrive at New Glarus from faraway places, including overseas, Carey said.

"People come from all over the world," she said. "It's crazy."