Features
Great Lakes Brewing Cans Are Now Available!
June 1, 2017 | Kevin Risner
The wait is over! Great Lakes Brewing Company cans are now available for purchase. The brewery made an announcement in March that it would begin packaging some of its products differently. GLBC has been creating a solid product for 29 years, and what better way to continue this legacy than by promoting some of their newer offerings just in time for the summer season?
Great Divide’s Denver Pale Ale Artist Series #2 Featuring John Vogl
May 31, 2017 | Tristan Chan
Last June, Great Divide took their iconic, but somewhat dated Denver Pale Ale and reimagined every aspect of the beer. Not only did its 20+ year old recipe receive a facelift, evolving from an English to an American-Style Pale Ale, but it’s label design was re-imagined for a newly introduced canned format.
Paying homage to the artistic roots associated with its new Barrel Bar location’s home in the River North Art District, Great Divide’s yearly rotating Artist Series features the work of a new local illustrator each year.
Colorado’s Elite Brands Named 2017 Craft Beer Wholesaler of the Year
May 25, 2017 | Tristan Chan
During this year’s Craft Brewers Conference, held in Washington D.C., Colorado’s own Elite Brands was recognized as the 2017 Craft Beer Wholesaler of the Year. Elite Brands, which has been in operation since 2003, earned the distinction over 59 other nominations, for excelling in the categories of: Distributor Commitment, Sales Planning/Execution, Building Craft Awareness, Quality, Capacity and Infrastructure, as well as Culture.
Birds Fly South Hosts The Funk Collective Festival as Alternative to Wicked Weed Invitational
May 24, 2017 | Danele Bova
Birds Fly South Ale Project announced on Tuesday that they will be hosting The Funk Collective Festival as an alternative to the Wicked Weed Funkatorium Invitational.
The Future of The Unknown Brewing Co. and Their New Head Brewer
May 24, 2017 | Johnathan Pylant
Last month, The Unknown Brewing Co. announced Chris Wertman is stepping up and taking the helm from brewery owner Brad Shell as the brewery’s new head brewer. Wertman, a U.S. Navy veteran who served two tours in Iraq, is no stranger to leadership roles, demanding workloads and challenging jobs. Through sheer initiative, drive and discipline, Wertman has fast-tracked himself from keg washer to The Unknown Brewing Co.’s second head brewer in less than a year.
Fast Facts on Ravenswood’s Newly Branded Malt Row District
May 22, 2017 | Taylor Laabs
*Feature image courtesy of Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
Ravenswood is embracing the vibrant beer culture within its Northside neighborhood by re-branding a two-mile stretch of road into Malt Row, which will feature six local breweries along with one distillery. That two-mile stretch, mapped here, will expand from Balmoral Avenue to Irving Park Road.
Stranahan’s Distillery Teams Up with Denver’s Brown Palace for 125th Anniversary
May 17, 2017 | Tristan Chan
Colorado has long exuded an air of intrigue and mysticism for its gruff Wild West ways. It is perhaps this pioneering attitude, but also rough and tumble mindset, that has helped perpetuate today’s deeply rooted fascination with handcrafted brewing and distilling culture.
A Former World of Beer Drink It Intern Shares His Experience
May 16, 2017 | Ben Lolli
The World of Beer franchise is becoming well known for their “Drink It Intern” program, and the 2017 summer interns are already underway. Here’s how it works: First they choose three winners. Then they travel around the country, and internationally, to document beer stories. Note my use of the word “document” and not just “drink beer and Instagram.” As a member of the first class of Drink It Interns, I can say the experience is just as amazing as it sounds, but there is a lot of work involved. Thousands of people entered, and hopefully, this will explain a little of how this process all works.
Trade Flagships, Not Whales
May 15, 2017 | Scott Johnson 8
Beer is a luxury. An accessible luxury like a movie ticket or restaurant visits, but a luxury nonetheless. It’s really difficult for me to splurge up to fifteen dollars on a 22 oz. bomber of beer unless I’m sure of the brewery’s quality or the style makes the price worth it (imperial stout or gueuze). I much prefer making a decorative mix-six for the same cost, giving me more beers to experience all at once. The love of finding new beers is what led me to beer trading in the first place.
7 Reasons Why We Love Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake
May 11, 2017 | Cory Pelc
After four years of planning and community meetings and construction buildout, Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake (Denver) celebrated its soft opening and staffing training kickoff this week with a ribbon cutting and champagne saber’ing from the American crime fiction writer and essayist, James Ellroy (the bloke that penned LA Confidential) and Vice President of Operations for Alamo Drafthouse Denver, Walter Chaw. The stylish theater chain for new & classic films will also feature cocktails & creative bites served seat-side by BarFly and chef Seth Rexroad.
Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake opens to the general public and is full operable starting May 15th. You can still go to showings this week but they are training staff and there may be some hiccups in your service as they workout the kinks.
Beer & Book Club | A Man Called Ove
May 11, 2017 | Dan Olds
Welcome to the 4th installment of the Beer and Book Club Series. I take serious thought into the beer and book I choose to pair. They can both be so complex that it can be challenging finding two that adequately complement each other but stand out in their own way. The book I chose was different from my usual genre of reading but the beer was a infusion of my two favorite reading beverages.
Chicago’s Great Central Brewing Co. is Changing Contract Brewing Perceptions
May 2, 2017 | Mathew Powers
Feature Image: James Nichols, Great Central Brewing Co.
If craft brewers had escaped from their 20th century oppression (on the way to the fermented promised land) with a set of rules on stone tablets, there’s a good chance it would have included the commandment “thou shall not contract brew.” But, are all contract brewers the same? One visit, one conversation with Chicago’s brand new Great Central Brewing Company (GCBC), and it’s likely you’ll realize that perception and reality rarely match. I know, because I did just that a few weeks ago.
The Science of the Cooler and Why You Should Love Your Local Specialty Beverage Buyer
April 27, 2017 | Jordan Palmer
So I’ve got 30 minutes to kill. The oldest son is safely absorbing useful information at his tutor’s home which happens to be three floors above the Whole Foods Market in the Central West End. Lucky for me this particular Whole Food Market happens to have a wonderful beer bar, with some excellent beers on tap.
Heineken Ad Proves We’re Not All That Different, and Beer Brings People Together
April 27, 2017 | Dan Bortz
Featured Image Credit: Heineken.com
We all have different opinions and different views of the world, but it is key that we learn to have open and honest discussions about those differences. If no one is willing to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, you end up with a divided nation full of people who are more interested in stalling their opponents’ agendas than in finding a path toward the common good. The new “Worlds Apart” video from Heineken posits that beer can be key to discovering that common ground. Read More
Beer Shed Building: Watch These Two Guys Refurbish an Old Shed into an Awesome Backyard Beer Getaway
April 27, 2017 | Ben Lolli
Picture Tree House Masters meets Man Caves in this summer’s newest home improvement series, Beer Shed Building with Ben & Toby. That is the idea at least. A show where two guys repurpose old sheds into backyard pubs.
Craft Beer’s Identity Crisis
April 27, 2017 | John Baum
Peanut butter, chai tea, lemongrass, oranges, roadkill, lemons, gunsmoke, dill: these are a few of the featured ingredients in craft beers on display at my local bottle shop. The variety does not stop there. How about a triple-pale ale, dry-hopped, cosmic-toasted, sour-peat-pilsner-stout loaded with enough alcohol to sterilize a barbershop comb? Is there a “normal” in beer anymore? And when did the word “infused” become the craft beer buzzword? Everything is infused.
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Ultimate 6er | Feeling Nostalgic About Pop-Punk Music
April 26, 2017 | Lora Kormos
I recently attended 2 sold out nights of New Found Glory’s 20 years of pop-punk anniversary tour in Philadelphia. I was feeling a little nostalgic to think this band has been around for 20 years now. They had performed during the first concert I ever went to. Completely unsure of what to expect at my first concert, I stood in a mosh pit with platform sandals on. Years later, I learned not to wear that same footwear attire to a concert ever again. Read More
Half Acre Beer is Experimenting with Mixed Fermentation
April 25, 2017 | Taylor Laabs
Featured image courtesy of Half Acre Beer Co.
Half Acre Beer Co. is expanding and it’s a good sign for Chicago craft beer drinkers. Their new Balmoral Brewery space, a massive 60,000 square foot expansion, is getting closer and closer to opening to the public. Not only does this mean more real estate, but it also means more opportunities to brew beer, including the newly announced mixed fermentation program at their original brew spot in Lincoln Square.
The Beer Industry’s Creativeness to Help the Earth
April 24, 2017 | Brian Phipps 1
Photo Courtesy of Saltwater Brewery
If you haven’t had your share of planet friendly posts this weekend, we’ve got you covered. In honor of Earth Day, we are highlighting the ingenuity and creativity of the beer industry’s actions to help the Earth. Some of the eco-friendly initiatives are implemented for the brewery’s love of the environment. Others are formed out of necessity. By protecting the environment and minimizing resource usage, breweries protect their access to future ingredients to make our future beers. Read More
Vinyl & Beers | Milli Vanilla-i and Other Tales
April 20, 2017 | Karl Kalinkewicz
As with all great vices, we tell ourselves that as long as we are contributing something positive to the world, then we can indulge our heart’s desires. At least that is what I have convinced myself with Vinyl and Beers, that I can drink as much beer and buy as many records as I deem necessary for the sake of beauty. Being fully committed to my art, I pair a record from my collection with every beer I drink at home, and these are their stories. DUN DUN.
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