History is Brewing at Old World Wisconsin

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Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to relive it, or so the saying goes. But for some, such repetition is a matter of choice and not always negative.

Consider Dan Carey. The craft brewer who, with his wife Deb owns New Glarus Brewing Co., learned a lesson in historic brewing at Old World Wisconsin in the mid-‘90s that changed the fortunes of his company.

Traveling through the Waukesha County open-air museum of state history and culture owned and operated Wisconsin Historical Society, the Carey family happened upon a recreation of a German farmhouse, complete with a kettle of beer covered with cheesecloth bubbling on the kitchen stove. The brewmaster paused over the tableau, wondering what farmhouse brewing in the mid-19th century was like, what ingredients the pioneer brewers used and, most importantly, what such a beer would look and taste like. Carey’s creative wheels started turning.

As a result, Carey in 1997 introduced Spotted Cow, a farmhouse-style ale that has become New Glarus Brewing Co.’s flagship brand, largest seller, and in 2009 was voted the “Best Drink in Wisconsin” by Bon Apetit magazine. The Old World visit was Carey’s muse.

Popular Attraction

Since then, Old World Wisconsin’s brewing program continued advancing and is now a popular attraction at the park, a collection of buildings that recreate various immigrant communities that helped settle the state. Along with agriculture and industry, brewing was and continues to be one of Wisconsin’s economic and cultural cornerstones, according to craft brewer Rob Novak, Old World’s Brewing Experience Coordinator.

“The brewhouse is really a stage,” says Novak, whose combined background in brewing and theater makes him an ideal director for Old World’s “museum brewery” experience. “I call it the ‘brew barn’ because physically that’s what it is, with two big barn doors and no indoor climate control. Its secondary purpose is to serve as an exhibit space, bar space and event space.”

Novak and his team of volunteer brewers utilize mobile brewing equipment, much of it donated by The Museum of Beer and Brewing, a Milwaukee-based traveling museum of volunteer brewers that in 2017 first started the park’s brewing program. The current brew barn, completed in February 2022 and operating under Novak’s stewardship, further solidified Old World’s brewing commitment.

Most of the brewing gets done during the summer season, which runs from Wednesdays-Sundays, June 14-Aug. 27, with Spring and Fall weekend-only seasons before and after those dates. Novak and his team brew every day the museum is open, making a different 5-gallon batch of beer each time, a process that takes about 6 hours over an open flame. As a museum brewery, Old World is not allowed to sell its beer, but it does offer free limited samples to visitors who gather to watch the process. It also provides beer for occasional dining events held on the grounds.

One exception to the no-sell rule involves the occasional partnerships Novak strikes with licensed breweries. Deusterbeck’s Brewing Co., an actual farmhouse microbrewery in Elkhorn, is a popular partner which has featured Old World beers on tap. “Last year we brewed a summery saison with a spiciness and orange peel that we really liked, and our partnership with Deusterbeck’s allowed us to bring it to a larger market,” Novak says.

Old World brews roughly a barrel of beer each week, which totals about 31 gallons. At 100 batches per year, that means an annual output of 500 to 600 gallons before the park closes for the season on Sept. 24.

Certain aspects of brewing have changed significantly over the years, but at its heart brewing is still brewing and beer is still beer, the brewmaster says. Novak, who also has worked with Milwaukee-area breweries Draft & Vessel, Black Huskey Brewing, and Raised Grain Brewing Co., has learned a lot from brewing processes old and new.

“I’ve learned that the key is to pay attention to the process, the ingredients, the beer and the fermentation,” Novak says. “Brewing is an important part of our state and connects people in ways that are easy to see. And you can have a beer with just about anyone,” he adds. “Maybe there’s a key to humanity here.”