New Glarus Beer Bacon & Cheese Fest

Okay, while I was AT the New Glarus annual Beer, Bacon & Cheese Fest (BBC for short) I didn’t actually get to participate in it. Why? We had no idea the wristbands ($ 30) to participate in the event would sell out! Everything we read said you could buy the wristbands ahead of time online OR buy at the gate and there was no mention or warning that they might sell out so buy early. :-(Oh well, live & learn. So if you plan on going next year, buy your wristbands online well in advance. And book a room well in advance, too… because there aren’t many options within walking distance of the fest and we tried to reserve a room a month and a half out and everything was booked already.
But based on the huge crowd… the huge very inebriated crowd, I’d say it was a good event. It didn’t look at big with as many vendors as we expected but what we saw all looked good & clearly the free samples of beer were ever-​flowing. The Polka Fest was going on as well (free) so we got to enjoy that and checked out the local stores & the New Glarus Brewing Company down the road. That along with the quaint, easy drive through the rolling farmlands made it worth the day-​trip anyway.

For $ 30 dollars you can sample some of the best Beer and Food that Wisconsin has to offer. Why the heck didn’t I know about this sooner? And if that’s not enough, the festival is held in beautiful New Glarus, Wisconsin. The only negative to this public display of gluttony is the fest closes at 5 p.m. I’m not much of a drinker anymore and I’m definitely not a day drinker. So it tested my resolve to drink so early in the day. But regardless of the time of day, this festival was a lot of fun.
By far, my favorite beer was the Spotted Cow. I’m usually not a huge fan of fruity flavored beers, but there’s something about the Spotted Cow that just floats my boat. It is the perfect summer beer. There were many different food items to sample as well. There was soup and a variety of meats and sausages. Plenty of protein to keep you energized in your beer tasting endeavors. All things considered, it was a perfect way to enjoy a summer day.
Here’s the bottom line: This festival is one of the best kept secrets in the Midwest. Unless you’re a tree hugging, granola eating hipster, you will have a blast at this festival of decadence. And even if you are a tree hugging hipster, its worth the trip for the beer alone. Stay thirsty my friends.