Midwest
Blackstack Brewing | Patent Pending
October 26, 2020 | Jason Ehrreich
Innovation is all around us, and there is so much innovation that goes into making great craft beer. Innovation can be the equipment at each brewery, or the hand-selected ingredients by the brewers, or those trendy new labels on each can. You find yourself wondering, how the heck did they do that, or what made them think of that? Doing a Google search for “beer patents” returns 603 patents just in the brewing process alone. If you keep digging down that rabbit hole, you will start to find other patents related to craft beer, items as genius as the Beerbrella. The beauty of craft beer, it will always innovate.
Phase Three Brewing and Affy Tapple Collaboration Beer | A Bushel of Apples
October 23, 2020 | Alex Sertic
Phase Three Brewing, located northwest suburbs of Chicago (Lake Zurich), is arguably one of the hottest breweries in the nation. Some of their beers lean to the obscure and experimental side (Crème Series, Nectar Series), but they also produce well-executed classics (Helles Lager, Märzen, Pils). that largely receive high grades among beer geeks and professionals alike. The brewery recently garnered attention for its collaboration with Affy Tapple: A Bushel of Apples. We talked with Phase Three about their brewery, the pandemic and the sweet, Halloween-treat beer release.
Halloween Beer Treat | Spiteful Brewing Mrs. O’Leary’s Chocolate Stout
October 23, 2020 | Mathew Powers
The famous Chicago Fire began on October 8, 1871, in a barn owned by Catherine and Patrick O’Leary. The city went ablaze for 36 hours, destroying 18,000 buildings and leaving 100,000 Chicagoans homeless. A frightful October story, to say the least! But, Spiteful Brewing has taken that story, mixed it with some cow-blaming folklore and turned into a sweet Halloween treat: Mrs. O’Leary’s Chocolate Stout.
GABF 2020 | Lock 27 Brings Medal Home to the Gem City
October 22, 2020 | David Nilsen
Last week, Lock 27 Brewing in Dayton, Ohio, won their first ever medal from the Great American Beer Festival for their Wolk (pronounced “Volk”) Witbier. But that wasn’t really the plan. They’d submitted the refreshing wheat beer and a handful of others mostly to get constructive feedback from the world-class beer experts who judge at GABF. Soon enough, an opportunity for growth turned into a chance to celebrate.
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing Wins Big at GABF
October 21, 2020 | David Nilsen
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing head brewer Chris Davison found out his brewery had won two medals at the Great American Beer Festival in the most 2020 way possible: over Zoom while getting his daughter ready for bed. The Columbus, Ohio, brewery’s team had a company Zoom call going while the awards were announced virtually from Denver. Chris had bedtime duties, and parenting supersedes brewing.
Deth’s Tar, Maple Deth Shine in Revolution’s Second Deep Wood Release
October 20, 2020 | Mike Zoller
As the temperatures dip and the days get shorter, barrel-aged season in Chicago continues to ramp up. This weekend, Revolution Brewing will host the second of four releases in their Deep Wood series. A trio of beers highlights this release with two familiar names and a new one to the series.
Halloween Beer Treat | 450 North Brewing Cotton Candy Watermelon Piña Colada Slushy XL
October 20, 2020 | Karen Mills
Cotton candy is one of those sweet treats that’s fitting for so many occasions: carnivals, backyard BBQs, birthday parties and, of course, the packaged version of this treat that you receive while trick-or-treating. 450 North Brewing Co. in Columbus, IN created this “adult” version of a favorite treat with an extra fruity profile of watermelon piña colada. It’s certainly a Halloween beer treat that is fun, light and refreshing to enjoy.
Chicagoland’s The Open Bottle Expanding to Lockport, Illinois
October 19, 2020 | Mathew Powers
The Open Bottle craft beer shop and taproom in Tinley Park, Illinois, has not only endured the challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak but proved successful enough to advance its pre-pandemic plans for opening a second location. This November, work will begin on its second location (a retail-ready store) in Lockport, Illinois, located near the intersection of I-355 and 159th Street.
BREAKING | Great Lakes Brewing Co. Launches New Canning Line, Warehouse Facility
October 15, 2020 | Kevin Risner
Three years ago, Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) made the leap and began canning various beers, including seasonal favorite Rally Drum Red Ale and an earlier offering, Turntable Pils. Starting in 2020, the brewery moved their flagship beer, Dortmunder Gold Lager, to cans, as well as their Great Lakes IPA. Another year-round superstar, Hazecraft IPA, soon found its way into the lineup as well. And just this week, GLBC shared more exciting news: a new canning line and warehouse facility recently opened in Strongsville, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. GLBC now has the ability to can its beer closer to home, and offer a larger variety of brands starting in 2021.
What We’re Cooking | Pilsner-Simmered Kielbasa
October 15, 2020 | PorchDrinking.com Staff
Beer and sausage are a happy pair any time of the year, but it seems that fall is when they really shine as a duo. Oktoberfest is an obvious occasion to head to the meat market and peruse the links hanging behind the counter. This recipe from our very own Ana Pelfka swaps a traditional German bratwurst or knockwurst for Polish smoked kielbasa, simmered in Revolution Brewing’s Rev Pils and served with caramelized onions and apples.
Ultimate 6er | Autumn Brews and Views in Wisconsin
October 14, 2020 | Paul Lewis 1
There are only a few short weeks left until the beauty of the fall has faded away and the realization that a Midwest winter is on the horizon. While many states in the Midwest still struggle with high cases of COVID-19 outbreaks, that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to safely enjoy Wisconsin’s autumn brews and views before brisk fall weather and and its beauty gives way to winter’s chill.
Hopewell Brewing Co. | Cold Brew Lemonade
October 13, 2020 | Mike Zoller
Sometimes you see a beer; read the description and have no idea what to expect but you know you want to try that beer. That was the case with Hopewell Brewing Company’s Cold Brew Lemonade beer that recently hit the market.
Goodwood Brewing | Sting Like a Beer
October 12, 2020 | Jereme Zimmerman
Kentucky’s Goodwood Brewing has a habit of brewing beers that are touched with wood at some point during the process. Sting Like a Beer spends quite a bit of time lingering in a brandy barrel before we get a chance to taste it. And boy is it worth the wait.
First Street Brewing Company | Popular Blonde
October 9, 2020 | Lori Kitzing
First Street Brewing Company of Hastings, Nebraska opened its doors in 2016. One of their most popular beers is named, rightfully so, “Popular Blonde.” Brewer and Owner Nathan wanted to make a beer to be served at his friend’s coffee shop. The Art Bar is located a couple blocks from the First Street taproom.
Maplewood Brewing & Distilling | Festbier & Fest Whiskey
October 8, 2020 | Mathew Powers
Maplewood Brewing & Distilling in Chicago, IL offered a dual homage to Bavaria this year with Festbier and Fest Whiskey, demonstrating its prowess in both realms of the imbibe world. Though Maplewood may have added distilling to its repertoire after opening its lauded brewery, creating spirits has always been part of the plan. Indeed, in 2016, Ari Megalis, co-founder and distiller, commented to PorchDrinking.com: “When we started, we almost considered only distilling, but it obviously takes some time before you can get your product on the market. But we love beer, and we ended up doing that, too. It worked out great because now we can do a lot of things with it.”
3 Floyds Brewing Announces 2020 Dark Lord Release Details
October 5, 2020 | Mike Zoller
Those looking to snag bottles of 3 Floyds Dark Lord this year will still have to make the trip to Munster, Ind. to get their beer, but things will be quite different compared to years past with Covid-19 protocol in place.
Reimagined 2020 FoBAB | Awards and Fundraiser Featuring 6-Packs To-Go and More
October 1, 2020 | Mathew Powers
With the 2019-20 global pandemic still at-hand, The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild has announced details for a re-imagined 18th annual Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB). Brewers from all over the nation have submitted beers for judging, and this year people can purchase 6 packs to-go, with 100% of the funds going to the host of FoBAB, the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. The money will ultimately support the broader Illinois craft-beer community.
Brewery Showcase | Rhinegeist Brewery
October 1, 2020 | Jereme Zimmerman
Cincinnati’s Rhinegeist Brewery was founded in 2013 as a step toward reclaiming the area’s German brewing heritage. Rhinegeist’s expansive 250,000 square foot brewery and taproom is housed in the former Christian Moerlein turn of the century packaging hall and over the years has grown into multiple floors throughout the building.
Oktoberfest Beer Showcase | Great Lakes Oktoberfest
September 23, 2020 | David Nilsen
Oktoberfest started as a wedding celebration in Bavaria in 1810. Two centuries later in 2009, Great Lakes Brewing Company brewmaster Mark Hunger tied the knot and poured his brewery’s Oktoberfest lager at his own autumn wedding reception.
“Picking the beer for the wedding was a no-brainer. From what I can remember, it was a hit,” he says with a laugh. “We went through a keg.”
The Midwest Guide To Märzens
September 22, 2020 | Alex Sertic
Even though this summer hasn’t been like any other before due to the pandemic, it is still sad to see this season go. However, as the days change from sunshine to the darkening of leaves, there are some things to get excited about! No, we are not talking about pumpkin spice lattes (even though they are a popular guilty pleasure)–we’re talking about Märzen beers. The dark brown color and rich, malty flavor brings about a notion of nostalgia that no other style of beer can induce. There is just something special about sitting outside on a chilly day next to a campfire with a Märzen in hand. This may sound crazy, but fellow Midwesterners prefer that coziness of fall to a lazy day on the beach–it speaks to the Midwestern soul.
Luckily, breweries across the Midwest have begun releasing a slew of their own incredible takes on this German classic. Some of these beers are widely distributed and some of them are more locally found. If you see any of these magnificent elixirs at your local bottle shop, pick them up before they are gone. So get your folding chair, grab a brat, get the campfire going and enjoy a delicious Märzen.
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