When in New Glarus, drink New Glarus beer

NEW GLARUS, Wis. — In this south-central Wisconsin town best known for its namesake brewery, I figured there must be a downtown bar dedicated to late-night sipping of the brew that makes this place a must-stop for Midwestern beer lovers.

There wasn't such a place. There were such places.

In this town of 2,200, all 12 bars — from the pizza place to the Swiss restaurant to the bowling alley — serve New Glarus beer. Most serve it on draft, if not several drafts. What is not on tap is usually in bottles.

Such devotion allows New Glarus Brewing, perched on a hill above town, to be open from just 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The rest of the time, the entire town becomes the brewery's pub. Since Deborah Carey started the brewery in 1993, New Glarus has become, without doubt, a town that loves its beer.

"We're very proud of what Deb has done," said Susie Weiss, director of the town's chamber of commerce. "When we have Polkafest or Oktoberfest, we only serve New Glarus beer. The only way to have another beer is to go into a bar and carry it out."

A night in New Glarus isn't long enough to hit all the bars or drink all the beer, but one Friday night, my drinking companion and I did our best.

After checking in at the Swiss Aire Motel (cheap, clean and simple personified), we shook off our 21/2-hour drive by strolling to the farthest bar we could find, Flannery's Wilhelm Tell Club, which, in true small-town fashion, was less than a mile away. In any other town, a bar like Flannery's would probably offer six lousy-to-fine draft beers whose identities you could guess without looking at the taps.

But Flannery's only offered two such beers — Coors Light and Stella Artois — alongside four New Glarus brews: Staghorn (an Oktoberfest), Totally Naked (a light lager), Fat Squirrel (a nut brown ale) and Spotted Cow (a farmhouse ale that is the brewery's staple).

Amid a crowd celebrating the start of the weekend, the bartender gladly poured us a short sample of each. For the full pint, I chose Fat Squirrel for its hearty, roasted balance; my companion picked Spotted Cow. I had sipped both those beers many times, but at Flannery's they came alive. Both were fresher and livelier than I knew they could be, especially the Spotted Cow. Out of Flannery's tap, Spotted Cow was a lesson on drinking locally: refreshing, earthy and bright.

Next we were off to Ott Haus, which might be a play on "outhouse," but it is also the name of the family that owns the bar. Unlike family-friendly Flannery's, Ott Haus is the kind of place where locals raise beers deep into the evening. We eyeballed the eight New Glarus bottles lined up beside the bar.

I chose the Black Top black India pale ale, the well-hopped seasonal at the time, and my companion chose Dancing Man, a surprisingly hearty wheat beer thick with banana and spice.

Rather than a second round at Ott Haus, we headed over to Glarner Stube, which is roundly considered the best restaurant in town. Its name translates to "The Living Room of New Glarus," and for good reason. The menu is full of savory Swiss dishes like Schublig ("mild spiced beef sausage … sure to please a true sausage lover"), Geschnetzelets ("tender veal slices sauteed with white wine, cream and mushrooms") and Roesti (potatoes fried with Swiss cheese).

With eight taps, Glarner Stube is home to one of the most comprehensive New Glarus draft lists in town. That night, the offerings included rarities like Chocolate Abbey (a light-bodied beer that walks a deft line between chocolaty and crisp) and Cranbic (a refreshing, light pink beer that's tart and sweet like the fruit from which it is derived).

Squeezing ourselves in at the wood bar bustling with locals and tourists, we ordered one of each. We also never enjoyed a 45-minute wait more. We downed our beers and then kept exploring: a Moon Man, New Glarus' crisp pale ale for me, and the Staghorn Oktoberfest for my drinking partner. Between us, we were up to nine New Glarus beers on the evening without ever setting foot in the brewery (though we got there the next day).

For my dinner of three large, gravy-covered Swiss meatballs, I went back to Chocolate Abbey to pair with the succulent meat. My co-pilot opted for the Fat Squirrel with her plate of tender scallops in a bright red pepper sauce.

Stuffed with beer and Swiss food, we figured a little activity was necessary to down one more New Glarus beer. In Wisconsin, of course, that means bowling.

We walked to Swiss Lanes, an alley stuck gloriously in the 1950s but updated just enough to offer one New Glarus beer on draft: Spotted Cow. We ordered a pint each, got our shoes, grabbed a lane and clinked glasses. Whether we were toasting New Glarus the beer or New Glarus the town, I'm not sure.

If you go

Just south of Madison, Wis., New Glarus is a 21/2- to 3-hour drive northwest of Chicago. Known for its Swiss charm (and beer), the town does brisk tourism business, especially during warmer months and festivals, so it's worth getting a room in advance. One of the great advantages of New Glarus is that almost everything is walkable.

There are several types of accommodations, including large hotels like Chalet Landhaus (608-527-5234, 801 Wisconsin Highway 69, chaletlandhaus.com simple motels like Swiss Aire (608-527-2138, 1200 Highway 69, swissaire.com and rental houses and cabins.

No visit is complete without eating Swiss food at Glarner Stube (608-527-2216, 518 First St., glarnerstube.com which has eight drafts dedicated to New Glarus beer. Other spots to sample the local brew include Flannery's Wilhelm Tell Club (608-527-2618, 114 Second St., flannerysnewglarus.com Ott Haus (608-527-2218, 406 Second St.) and Sportsman's Bar and Grill (608-527-2225, 506 First St.). For bowling, there's Swiss Lanes (608-527-2414; 1019 Highway 69). If you want to get close to nature, check out New Glarus Woods State Park (608-527-2335, W5446 County Highway NN), which has more than seven miles of trails.

Finally, be sure to visit the New Glarus brewery (608-527-5850, 2400 Highway 69, newglarusbrewing.com. Perched on a hill above town, it's part of a relaxing, pastoral scene that is perfect for sipping beer and boasts some varieties you probably can't find elsewhere. Don't miss the self-guided tour (do it with a beer in hand), and be sure to browse the ground-level shop that sells whatever New Glarus beer is available at the moment.

For more information, visit swisstown.com.

jbnoel@tribune.com

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Can't get to Munich? Plenty to drink at U.S. Oktoberfests

For dedicated beer lovers, fall conjures up images of Oktoberfest, and that means steins the size of toddlers, boisterous drinking songs and waitresses in dirndl skirts.

But attending Oktoberfest in Munich,Germany — the biggest beer festival in the world (this year Sept. 17-Oct. 3) — also involves distance, time and expense.

Fortunately for those whose budgets and schedules preclude the trip, there is plenty to do — and drink — in the U.S. during the fall beer festival season. Think of it as Oktoberfest in America. The festivals can be rambunctious parties, where you have to shout to be heard. Or they can be quieter affairs, with the hum of mingling and a focus on the task at hand: drinking beer.

So many beer festivals are bubbling up throughout the U.S. that domestic fans now have a dizzying year-round array of choices, said Eric Shepard, executive editor of trade publication Beer Marketer's Insights.

"It's gotten so popular, I don't know of any place that doesn't have one," he said, citing the success of craft beers as the reason.

Here's a look at the phenomenon and some of the festivals going on in the U.S. this fall.

FESTIVAL BASICS: Breweries, brewers guilds, and local groups of enthusiasts hold the festivals. Tickets can range from $20 to $100 or more, depending on what is offered. Tickets may cover drinks or they may be good for entry only, and you have to pay separately for your drinks, said Julia Herz, craft beer program director for the Brewers Association, which represents most of the nation's craft brewers.

OKTOBERFESTS IN AMERICA: Here are a few of the biggest and best-known Oktoberfests in America.

—Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, Sept. 17-18, Cincinnati. The southern Ohio city gives a nod to its German roots with this festival — http://www.oktoberfestzinzinnati.com/ . It bills itself as America's largest Oktoberfest, with half a million attendees. There's a full weekend of festivities, starting with the fifth annual Running of The Weiners at noon on Sept. 16, where dachshunds run in complete hot dog regalia (costumes provided). For humans, there's a beer stein race and beer barrel roll. The actual beer festival, which is sponsored by brewer Samuel Adams, begins Saturday when a parade of German-Americans wearing traditional garb taps the kegs at each festival tent. Admission is free and beers are purchased at each tent, for either $4-$5 for a small, or as much as $11 for a large souvenir mug. Make sure to stick around for Sunday's "World's Largest Chicken Dance." The name says it all.

—Oktoberfest by the Bay, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, San Francisco. The scenic waterfront location is not found at its German ancestor's fest, but Oktoberfest by the Bay keeps the German tradition alive. The festival — http://www.oktoberfestbythebay.com/ — features "sizzling oompah music" (as its web site boasts), native dancing and of course, beer. Entry is split into sessions, either day or night. Tickets are $25 for any session, but that only covers your admission. VIP tickets for $65 include a buffet and a beer. Most beers are $6 and food ranges from $3 to $11. The final day of the event marks the 122nd anniversary of German Day in San Francisco.

—Soulard Oktoberfest, Oct. 7-9, St. Louis. This festival — http://www.soulardoktoberfest.com/ — is held in the back yard of one of America's most successful brewing companies,Anheuser-Busch, which was founded by German immigrants. The city's strong German heritage is on display at the festival, which promises 2,000 kegs and 14 bands. The event includes contests for brat-eating, stein-holding and strongest barmaid. Entry is $5, although if you're wearing German attire, you get in for free. (That means lederhosen, not T-shirts by the German brand Adidas.) Food and drinks are separate. For $40 to $75, depending on the day, you get VIP treatment with all-you-can eat bratwurst and other food, beer, special parking and, perhaps most important at a beer festival, special access to bathrooms.

—Samuel Adams OctoberFest, Sept. 9-10, Boston: Perhaps the best-known craft brewer is throwing a German-style festival to formally mark the release of its Samuel Adams Octoberfest, an autumnal seasonal beer, and kick off what it calls the "OFest" season. The brewer and event organizer beersummit.com are hosting the two-day event, which begins with a ceremonial tapping of the keg. On the 10th, festival-goers can partake in 10 hours of drinking, bands and even test how well — and how long — they can hold their steins. Tickets are $16.25 and include a stein and first beer. Details at http://www.beersummit.com. —Other Oktoberfests worth checking out include Germantown Oktoberfest, Oct. 1, in Germantown, Md., and HOToberfest, Oct. 1, Atlanta, billed as the nation's largest consumer-judged beer fest with more than 250 craft beers.

OTHER BEER FESTIVALS: Not all fall beer festivals are Oktoberfests. Here are a couple of others:

—Great American Brew Festival, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, Denver. This festival, run by the Brewers Association, is "cosmic," Shepard says. There are 2,400 beers served in the festival hall from 465 brewers. With some 49,000 attendees each year, it's considered the largest, ticketed beer festival in the U.S. Unless you have your ticket, you won't be one of them. This year, tickets for the 30th annual festival sold out in a record one week. Tickets should go on sale next year in late July. Bookmark their site, http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/ .

Attendees come wanting to taste as much as possible, so the organizers have breweries pour drinks one ounce a time, rather than the typical four-ounce pours found at most other beer festivals, Herz said. "With the multitude of beers, people have to pick a strategy to work the room," she said.

—Belgian Beer Fest, Sept. 9-10, Boston. This event focuses on all beer Belgian, a breed of beer known for its strong flavorings and potency. The event is run by Beer Advocate, a global network of beer enthusiasts, so the emphasis is on the unique. The festival starts Friday with "Night of the Funk" which features food and 50 "funk-a-fied" beers, according to the website http://beeradvocate.com/bbf/ . (The site also advises bringing Tums to cope with all those unique flavors.) It's sold out, but there's still availability for two tasting sessions on Saturday. Both feature more than 200 Belgian beers, from the strong pale ale "tripels" to the tart, fruity lambics. There are also American-made beers inspired by Belgium. Tickets are $50 for either session. There are also special forums with brewers and other industry insiders available to VIP ticket holders only. Those tickets, at $65, are also sold out.

SOLD OUT? VOLUNTEER! Don't be dismayed by sold out events. Look into volunteering. Festivals need of dozens if not thousands of volunteers, and they're usually compensated in free tickets and beer. Ryan Katz, a beer enthusiast inIndianapolis, Ind., volunteered with a group in 2009 to work at the Great American Beer Festival. He spent two full days with a group of friends, pouring beer for breweries.

"We could take breaks and try other beers," he said. "And they had no issues with us drinking the stuff we were pouring either."

Contact the organizers of the fest where you'd like to volunteer. At the Great American Beer Festival, the need is big: they had nearly 3,300 volunteers last year. There's already a waiting list for this year, though.

STAY CURRENT: To keep up with the latest happenings — and drinks — in the beer world, visit Beer Advocate's extensive calendar: http://beeradvocate.com/events/calendar .

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Drink like an American in Frankfurt

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Ask two people for advice on any city and you'll receive two very different view points, reflecting their various tastes, interests and backgrounds. So when I received nearly identical lists of Frankfurt's must-try bars from two people - one in the bar industry, one ad exec/former expat - my antennae went up.

While weekdays may find these bars full of local business types, "The local Germans leave Frankfurt on the weekend to live in the country - leaving Frankfurt to the foreigners," says William Perry, who lived in Frankfurt for two years working as the European Creative for GM and now lives in the United States.

Both Perry and Berlin-based bar expert Bastian Heuser honed in on the following three bars:

Roomers Bar (http://www.roomers.eu/), located within the Roomers hotel, part of the Design Hotels chain, the lounge is known for its sleek decor and pricey drinks.

Gekkos (http://www.gekkos-bar.com/) meanwhile, is an "American-style bar and lounge" within the Hilton Hotel. The drink selection runs to classic cocktails and the bar lays claim to the largest American whiskey collection in the region.

In addition to whiskey-centric drinks like the boozy Brooklyn (Rittenhouse rye, Noilly Prat vermouth, Picon Amer, and Luxardo Maraschino), travelers with well-padded expense accounts will also want to accept the invitation to "Pimp Your Drink" - tipples made with special reserve whiskies, Dom Perignon, and other precious ingredients - and the price tags are roughly triple or quadruple the price of regular cocktails.

Jimmy's (http://www.hessischer-hof.de/de/jimmys-bar-frankfurt) at the Hotel Hessischer Hof is another "American-style bar," with live jazz instead of late-night DJ action. Here, the heavy leather chairs and old-school bartenders invite patrons to enjoy fine cigars and order another round from the Fizzes and Flips and Sours that round out the cocktail menu.

So if whiskey gets top billing in American-style bars, what is the drink of choice in more typical German haunts? According to Heuser, the Aperol Spritz (Aperol topped with sparkling wine or soda) is a top choice, as is wine - which is drawing in more tipplers even at the expense of the selection of excellent local beers.

RECIPE: BROOKLYN COCKTAIL This classic cocktail, a variation on the Manhattan (which uses sweet vermouth), is served at Gekkos.

2 ounces Rittenhouse Rye 1 ounce Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth 1 ounce Amer Picon (a French amaro) 1 ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a Maraschino-soaked cherry.

(Edited by Peter Myers and Paul Casciato)

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