MONROE — Starting out modestly in a former plastics plant along the Sugar River near New Glarus in 1992, Master Brewer Dan Carey and President Deb Carey, the cofounders of New Glarus Brewing Company, have made a unique mark on Wisconsin’s brewing scene. 

And it is indeed a noteworthy considering that after their initial attempt, New Glarus has consistently limited distribution beyond the borders of Wisconsin. Still, earlier this month, the brewery — best known for Spotted Cow and other local-tasting brews — celebrated three additional accolades, securing gold, silver, and bronze medals from the World Beer Cup. 

But then again, the Carey’s are getting used to accolades.

“The World Beer Cup is the ‘big dog’ among all the competitions, and the competition gets stiffer every year,” Carey said, in a recent published report. “This year a total of 8,375 beers were entered by 1,761 breweries worldwide resulting in 349 winners. The cool thing was that we were able to pull off three of those wins.”

Here’s a breakdown of the recent wins:

●  Carey’s Kriek, a Gold Medal recipient in the category of Belgian-style sour brown ales, is naturally fermented in the brewery’s cool ship and matured with Door County cherries. Kriek launched in 2018.

●  Champ Du Blanc secured a Silver Medal in the same category. It is a sour blonde ale matured on white grapes; and it is reportedly inspired by Carey’s passion for champagne.

●  New Glarus’ Imperial Pilsner took the Bronze Medal. Currently available throughout Wisconsin, Imperial Pilsner is part of the brewery’s Thumbprint line of beer. It is really an amped-up version of old favorite New Glarus Pilsner.

Carey’s been on a roll for more than decade, creating a lot of buzz for her hometown. In 2012, New Glarus Brewing Company President Deb Carey met with President Barack Obama at the White House. She brought the president New Glarus beer and in return, was given three bottles of White House Honey Ale.