Founder and president
New Glarus Brewing Co. | New Glarus
In a quintessential entrepreneur story, Deborah Carey and her husband, Dan, built a brewing company from scratch. After selling their home, raising seed money and crowd-sourcing the rest, the couple negotiated to rent an abandoned warehouse in New Glarus in exchange for stock in what would become New Glarus Brewing Co. After rolling out its first barrels in 1993, the company’s popularity later skyrocketed thanks to its Spotted Cow farmhouse ale. Today, New Glarus ranks 11th among the top 50 largest craft brewers in the U.S., according to the Brewers Association. The brewery produces about 250,000 barrels of beer annually. It is also one of the older craft brewers in the country, having established itself decades before the explosion of new microbreweries in the 2010s. The company’s Bavarian village-like facility in New Glarus draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, a tourism boon to Green County.
Carey is acknowledged as the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the U.S. She was recognized by former President Barack Obama and the White House as a Champion of Change for her entrepreneurship and was a guest in the first lady’s box at Obama’s 2013 State of the Union Address.
Education: Bachelor’s, Carroll College (Helena, Montana)
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Manufacturing | Food & Beverage
Founder and president
New Glarus Brewing Co. | New Glarus
Deborah Carey and her husband, Dan, founded New Glarus Brewing Co. nearly 30 years ago. As a gift to Dan, Deb raised the capital for the startup brewery, and in 1993 the couple negotiated to rent a New Glarus warehouse in exchange for stock in the fledgling company. The couple sold their home, raised $40,000 in seed money, and, after approaching local news outlets about the business idea, they brought in another $200,000.
Today, New Glarus ranks 12th among the top 50 largest craft brewers in the country, according to the Brewers Association. In a state known for its beer, it ranks second among all breweries, trailing only Molson Coors in production. It produced about 230,000 barrels of beer last year.
It is also one of the older craft brewers in the country, having established itself decades before the explosion of new microbreweries in the 2010s.
Best known for its Spotted Cow label, New Glarus limits its distribution to the state of Wisconsin. In the mid-2000s, the company opened a new $21 million Bavarian village-like facility in New Glarus, which draws over 100,000 visitors annually.
Deb serves as president, while Dan is master brewer. She was recognized by then-President Barack Obama and the White House as a Champion of Change for her entrepreneurship.
Education: Bachelor’s, Carroll College (Helena, Montana)
