The Capital Times has a piece stating that 2005 was a banner year for Wisconsin's craft brewers.
While overall beer production was flat in Wisconsin in 2005, the craft brewing business is booming.
The New Glarus and Capital breweries are basically at capacity.
The New Glarus Brewing Co. enjoyed the strongest growth, with its production up 52 percent last year to nearly 40,000 barrels, according to new figures from the Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association.
To meet demand, the Green County brewer is pursuing a new $10 million facility on the south edge of town across from New Glarus Woods State Park. The new 35-acre site will be modeled after a German village with work expected to begin this summer.
"It's going to be very dramatic and very beautiful," said brewery president Deb Carey.
Capital Brewery in Middleton saw production rise 10 percent to over 16,000 barrels. Brewery president Carl Nolen said the growth was driven largely by its flagship Wisconsin Amber.
"Right now our biggest challenge is a capacity issue," he said, meaning Capital can't make enough beer to meet demand.
For that reason, the Middleton company is now focusing on just serving its Wisconsin distributors. That is the same strategy the New Glarus Brewing Co. embarked upon several years ago with great success.
"It's Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin," said Nolen.
Ooh! Not only did my beer-drinking friends in Chicago lose New Glarus, now they're losing Capital as well. Bummer. But it does gimme more leverage when it comes time to barter for a couch to crash on.
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