Ultimate 6er | The Weirdest Beers from Dogfish Head

Delaware-based Dogfish Head isn’t shy about experimentation. As one of the largest national craft brewers on the market, founder Sam Calagione and crew always seem to be on the cutting edge of innovation when it comes to mixing in wild ingredients, whether its lobster, wasabi, or the two active ingredients found in Mace spray. Dogfish Head continues to make it clear that nothing is off limits when it comes to brewing beer – here’s a look at their six wildest creations.

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As Craft Beer Goes Mainstream, Lagunitas Stays Weird

Tony Magee started his brewery dream back in 1993 in Lagunitas, California. The goal was to create bombastic beers that teemed with the plentiful hops found on the West Coast, and to have a lot of fun doing it. Originally an Illinois native, Tony has grown into somewhat of a national celebrity when it comes to craft beer due to his unique brewing practices that led to creations like Undercover Shut Down Ale, his outspoken personality, and the great beers his brewery(s) have produced since his early days.

Now, Lagunitas Brewing Company is an international power, its IPA is the current #1 best seller in packaged formats and they produced around one million barrels of beer last year. In many ways, Magee’s creation is the perfect example of craft beer’s explosive growth over the past two decades. But then again, Lagunitas is an outlier in the current craft beer environment. They’re not like your standard brewpub or trendy hazy IPA factory. If you’ve visited their massive 300,000 sq. foot Chicago brewery facility, decorated with secondhand furniture and mind-melting dog murals, you’d recognize that. As craft beer infiltrates every last avenue of American consumerism, Lagunitas has found a way to stay weird. I asked Karen Hamilton, Lagunitas’ Communications Director and Tony’s sister, how they’ve been able to stay true to their brand for 25 years.

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The Founders Factor | How All Day IPA Became a National Hit

Founders Brewing has been around for more than 20 years, but they didn’t find their staple beer until 2012. Since its introduction, Founders’ easy-to-drink All Day IPA has been a smash hit. The beer hit a nerve for many people across the U.S. due to its outright drinkability and convenient packaging formats, making it a beer that could be consumed on land, on water, and anywhere in between—and sales have reflected that. Five years since it was released nationwide, All Day IPA just had its most successful year ever, growing an incredible 50.3% in 2017. All Day is now the 3^rd best-selling IPA in the nation, an incredible feat for any beer over such a small period of time. The crazy sales numbers of its stalwart beer have lifted Founders to new heights, with volume sales up 51%, but if you ask co-founder Mike Stevens about All Day, he’ll say that the session ale has only begun to reach its potential.

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A Look at What Minnesota Craft Brewers are Doing for Super Bowl 52

Next Sunday, the champions of the NFC and AFC will convene on Minnesota’s U.S. Bank field for Super Bowl 52. And while the Eagles and Patriots are sure to provide a lot of on-field entertainment, the trip to Minneapolis will also offer both fervent fan bases a chance to experience Minneapolis’ dynamic craft beer scene. Whether you’re a football fan or just a lover of craft beer, a variety of downtown breweries will be rolling out the red carpet to impress this sudden surge of visitors. Here’s a quick look at what to expect.

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Fast Facts on Surly Brewing’s First-Ever Variety Pack

Coming off a strong 2017, Minnesota’s Surly Brewing is betting on its growing momentum with the release of an ambitious 2018 release calendar. Along with two new year-round offerings, Hopshifter IPA and +1 Golden Ale, Surly also intends to appeal to the curiosity of the average craft beer drinker with their new Innovation Series, which will feature the likes of Damien and Furious Black in tall boys, and the announcement of their first-ever Variety Pack. The Variety Pack has become a popular format for other large Midwest brewers like Revolution and Summit, so it makes sense that Surly would dip their toes into this popular packaging venue. Here are the details.

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Creature Comforts Brewing Co. | Koko Buni Milk Porter

Athens, Georgia-based Creature Comforts Brewing Co. has made a name for itself through by creating artfully balanced beers. The beer they brew is not intended to be overpowering, but is instead focused on highlighting each element of the beer—in perfect unison. A testament to their mission is their popular winter seasonal, Koko Buni Milk Porter, which promises balanced notes of coffee, cocoa nibs and toasted coconut.

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Three New Hazy IPAs You Can Find Nationwide

Let’s face it, the haze craze is here to stay. Amid slowing sales in the craft beer market, the incredible popularity of the Hazy IPA has butted the trend, as its juicy approachability captured the hearts (and wallets) of both brewers and consumers across the country in 2017. What started as murmurs among beer blogs is now a nationwide phenomenon and can be lauded (or scoffed at) as one of America’s major craft beer creations over the past decade.

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Summit Brewing Adjusts to the New Age of Craft Beer

Minnesota can attribute a lot of its craft beer heritage to St. Paul-based Summit Brewing. Founded in 1986, Summit is Minnesota’s second oldest brewery behind Schell’s, with beers like its Summit EPA being a stalwart on local shelves for decades – even before “craft” preceded its title. Now, Minnesota and the larger Midwest markets are shifting. The Land of 10,000 lakes has 150 local craft brewers, which has led to a dramatic increase in competition from newcomers like Surly and Fulton. Summit felt the pains of this competition firsthand, as they recently announced layoffs amidst a decrease in production. So, how does Summit plan to rebound? We asked Summit’s PR/Content Coordinator, Brendan Kennealy, to find out.

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Surly Brewing Sees Longevity in the Chicago Market

While Surly Brewing resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, its second home lies within the Windy City. In a move to meet growing demand in the Chicagoland area, Surly is shifting its distribution relationship from Windy City Distributing to Lakeshore Beverage, which also distributes the likes of Bell’s, Founders and AB-InBev’s High End group to the Chicago region. While the shift in local distributors might not seem like much on its face, it’s actually an intriguing signal of Surly’s larger Midwest strategy and emphasis on gaining market share in Chicago.

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Creature Comforts’ Get Comfortable Campaign Aims to Make an Impact on Athens

Craft beer is leaving its adolescence stage and venturing into adulthood. The maturing of craft brewers bodes well for the average consumer, but it also opens the market up to judgement by a higher societal standard. Craft beer can no longer skirt by as an emerging economic trend; it is now a prosperous and influential part of the U.S. economy, and it deserves to be treated as such. Outside of bottle releases and new taprooms, craft beer can make a verifiable impact on their local communities through outreach programs and charitable donations. Athens-based Creature Comforts is doing just that through their Get Comfortable campaign.

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A Look at How the Craft Beer Market Could React to Stagnating Growth in 2018

It has been another exciting year for the craft beer market, and with more than 6,000 craft breweries operating in the U.S, it’s safe to say that craft beer has become a viable economic institution in the United States. That said, the beer market overall is stalling – with stagnant year over year growth across the larger industry. Bart Watson, the Brewers Association’s chief economist, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that “the total market growth for craft brewing production is slowing down… It’s still growing but not at the double-digit rates we saw over the past decade.” So, has craft beer hit a plateau that many predicted? Or do craft breweries find new avenues to expand and improve?

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Chicago Quick Sips | December 11

Quick Sips is our way of highlighting beer events, tap takeovers and other notable beer news around the city of Chicago. If you’d like to submit something to be included in the next Quick Sips, please email us at [email protected].

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Revolution is Rolling Out New Deep Wood Variants + League of Heroes IPAs

Revolution Brewing has ensured that craft beer lovers won’t go lacking for quality craft beer options this Christmas. After the recent successes of their League of Heroes IPA line and the first cans of their Deep Wood series, Revolution is back with more options from both lines – so get excited.

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First GABF, Now Netflix: On Tour Brewing is Featured in Season 2 of “Easy”

On Tour Brewing has quickly made a name for itself on the national craft beer scene. First, they won gold in the Very Small Brewing Company and Very Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year categories at GABF; now, their quaint brew spot in West Town is featured in Season 2 of the Netflix show, “Easy,” which is a Chicago comedy featuring the likes of Aubrey Plaza and Dave Franco.

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Founders Brewing Announces Year-Round Distribution for Breakfast Stout & Backwoods Bastard

It’s been a busy few weeks for Michigan-favorite Founders Brewing. First, they opened up a swanky new Detroit taproom; then, there was the release of their highly-coveted Canadian Breakfast Stout. Now, they’ve decided to one-up themselves with some high-octane distribution news: Breakfast Stout and Backwoods Bastard will be available year-round starting in 2018. Here are the details.

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Fast Facts on Cruz Blanca’s New Barrel-Aged Series: Luchador Club

Chef Rick Bayless’ revered Chicago-based Cruz Blanca Brewery and Tequiera is most-known for its contemporary Mexican cuisine and daring craft beer creations. Now, they’re getting into the barrel-aged game with the debut of their barrel-aged series: Luchador Club, launching December 2^nd. Cruz Blanca’s new barrel-aged offerings will add a unique, Mexican-infused element to Chicago’s vast assortment of barrel-aged powerhouses like Goose Island BCBS, Half Acre Big Hugs and Revolution’s Deep Wood series – and I for one can’t wait to try it. Here’s what you need to know.

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Founders Brewing | Canadian Breakfast Stout

Few things evoke childlike joy from fully-grown adults like old video games and rare beer. Recently I got to combine the two when I played Super Smash Bros with my friend while sipping on the 2017 version of Founders Brewing’s famed Canadian Breakfast Stout. As I sat there with my N64 controller in hand, taking in the maple syrup-laced decadence that has garnered this imperial stout high praise and a fervent following over the years, I fully understood why CBS had gained its “whale” status.

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Half Acre Beer Co. is Opening Early for the Premier League

Soccer and suds on a Saturday morning. It’s a weekly tradition for U.S. soccer fans as they head to their favorite bar every weekend to watch their designated Premier League team play. Now, Half Acre Beer Co. is getting involved, which should excite soccer fans in the Chicago area.

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Five Observations from a FoBAB First-Timer

I’ve been to numerous beer festivals, including the massive production that is Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp, but I’ve never been to a celebration like FoBAB, and now I think I know why. On a cold Saturday, I arrived to the UIC Forum to a line of at least 150 people, anxiously lined up for Saturday’s afternoon session, which didn’t start for another… two hours. Seeing this first-hand raised my eyebrows, but taking the first sip of barrel-aged beer a little past noon almost made my eyes water. This stuff was not for the faint of heart, and that high-octane appeal brought out only the most fanatical beer lovers to the 15^th annual Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers. After getting a good buzz from imbibing in a few more sub-5oz sips, I realized FoBAB was a different beer festival than anything I had experienced before.

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How CatsOnTap Cornered the Craft Beer Market

Chances are, if you’re familiar with the craft beer scene, you’ve also aware of craft beer’s obsession with cats. Whether it be beer labels, mascots or social media profiles, cats have become a huge influence on the craft beer scene, and brewers and patrons seem all the happier for it. One of the primary catalysts leading this feline-focused movement is CatsOnTap.

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