Midwest
White Elm Brewing Co. | Fluffaluffagus Stout
February 14, 2020 | Lori Kitzing
When you walk into a White Elm Brewing Company taproom in Lincoln, Nebraska and ask for the Fluffaluffagus, you’ll notice a few things about this beer. First, Fluffaluffagus is very fun to say. Second, this is a beautifully dark beer that pours with a tall, tan head. Third, as you lift the glass to your nose for a sniff, you’ll note that it smells familiar. Perhaps like a cereal you ate as a kid. No (you go in for another sniff) not the cereal. It smells like after you ate the cereal, and all you had left was the reward of the marshmallows floating around in the last of the milk.
Imperial Oak Brewing Buys Brixie’s | Second Brewpub Coming Soon
February 11, 2020 | Mathew Powers
Suburban Chicago’s Imperial Oak Brewing will celebrate its 6th anniversary this May, and that will be the last one as a single-location brewery. Imperial Oak will open a second location about ten miles north of its current taproom this summer; the brewery purchased Brixie’s Craft Beer Bar, a family-run bar that first opened in 1934.
Imperial Oak (Willow Springs) joins several other of Chicago’s west- and south-suburban breweries that opened in a roughly fifteen-month stretch from late 2013 though early 2015 in expanding, and in the process have grow into name-brands. Imperial Oak, Hailstorm, Pollyanna, Noon Whistle, and Werk Force have all expanded their original spaces, and some are now adding second and third locations.
Old Nation Brewing Company | Boss Tweed
February 10, 2020 | Jessica Spengler
I realize I always go on about how hard it is for breweries to stand out in Michigan because there are so many of them. But Michigan is fifth in the nation with more than 300 breweries, so it’s not hard to imagine how easy it is for a brewery to fall through the cracks. In 2015, this was likely on the minds of Travis Fritts and Nate Rykse when they founded Old Nation Brewing Company in Williamston, Michigan. As it turns out, they had absolutely nothing to worry about, even after a bit of a slow start.
Event Preview | 2020 Uppers & Downers
February 6, 2020 | Mike Zoller
What started out as a beer festival for coffee beers has evolved into a full-blown celebration of coffee and all the unique ways it can be used in a wide variety of liquids.
After yet another successful event last year, Good Beer Hunting’s Uppers and Downers returns to Thalia Hall on February 23 with two sessions bringing together some of the most iconic coffee roasters, breweries, and distilleries under one roof.
Box of Chocolates Beer Collaboration | Four Chicago-Area Breweries Celebrate Valentine’s Day
February 5, 2020 | Mathew Powers
Move over Cupid. Oswego Brewing, Riverlands Brewing, Skeleton Key Brewing and Wolfden Brewing have concocted the perfect method for which to achieve romantic bliss: the Box of Chocolates Beer Collaboration. The multi-brewery Valentine’s Day beer package is more than just a treat, though, because the beers also serve as beautiful demonstrations of the versatility of stouts (or stout-like ales), which is fitting for February (a.k.a. Stout Month).
Wooden Hill Brewing Co. | Code 3 Juicy IPA
January 30, 2020 | Max Sundermeyer
We hear and see them every day. Maybe you’re on your way home from work, and they come into your rearview mirror. Perhaps you’re lying in bed at night, and you hear their faint sound in the distance.
Ultimate 6er | Beer and Dip Pairings
January 29, 2020 | Ana Plefka
Super Bowl Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year. My friends and I gather for an evening of celebration and friendly competition: the annual Dip Party. The football plays on mute for any plus ones who care about sports, and the game is only un-muted for the half-time show. Everyone attending brings a homemade dip and dunker, with first, second, and third place prizes based on a popular vote.
From sweet to savory, nostalgic classics to fresh takes, the party is all about the dip — a quintessential snack at any gathering. And as dip is the perfect party food, beer is an obvious beverage choice. This is especially true on Super Bowl Sunday when the industry is inundated with heightened awareness for beer’s biggest players. Whether enjoying a small spread or hosting a dip feast of your own, below are fail-safe beer pairings for some classic party dips.
Land-Grant Brewing | Stargazer Black IPA
January 29, 2020 | David Nilsen
Land-Grant Brewing Company in Columbus, Ohio, has launched a new beer celebrating the career of astronaut and Columbus resident Dr. Katharine D. Sullivan.
While Dr. Sullivan had been to the Land-Grant taproom before this partnership, she’s not normally a big beer drinker, says Land-Grant co-founder and Creative Director Walt Keys. He points out though that the accomplished astronaut is “always up for trying new things.”
The State of Independent Hop Farming
January 28, 2020 | Max Sundermeyer
Mighty Axe Hops is an 80-acre hop farm located near Foley, Minnesota, roughly a 90-minute drive northwest from Minneapolis. It’s the largest hop farm from Michigan to Idaho and grows 13 varieties of hops.
An Ode To Label Art | Fair State Brewing Cooperative
January 24, 2020 | Max Sundermeyer
It’s no secret on this site that I’m a fan of Fair State Brewing Cooperative. Whether classic styles like their Pils or Hefeweizen, their famous Roselle kettle sour or their beautiful hazy creations like Spirit Foul and Mirror Universe, the Minneapolis cooperative cranks out some of the best in the area.
But as much as I appreciate the beer coming out of Fair State, I always admire what’s outside the can. To celebrate Beer Can Appreciation Day, let’s take a deeper dive into Fair State’s label art.
Wild Mind Artisan Ales | Electric Factory
January 24, 2020 | Max Sundermeyer
One of the Twin Cities’ best-kept craft beer secrets sits in the middle of a South Minneapolis industrial district. Where I-35 meets Highway 62, amid concrete contractors and industrial steel fabricators, you’ll come across Wild Mind Artisan Ales.
Inside Revolution Brewing’s Barrel Program Ahead of Cuvée De Grâce & Ten Year Beer
January 22, 2020 | Mike Zoller
From late September through the end of February Revolution Brewing’s Marty Scott has one thing on his mind – barrel-aged beer. As the brewery’s Barrel Program Lead, he’s been … Read More
Beer School | An Overview of the Country’s Best Beer Education Programs
January 16, 2020 | Rachel Morrison
Beer School is officially in session. To ease your nerves on the first day, I’d like to remind you why you’re here – for the love of beer, of course. No matter how technical beer school can get, just keep that in mind.
Today is about answering some questions about yourself. What do you want to do with beer? Why are you here? Is this something that you’d like to use as a future fun fact about yourself during an awkward work ice breakers or would you like to use beer school as a stepping stone for your future in beer? Let’s get started.
Rhinegeist Brewery | Calfé
January 16, 2020 | Brian Haitz
This Calfé Milk Stout will lift your spirits and warm your bones. Brought to you by Rhinegeist Brewery, this brew is everything a milk stout should be: dark, roasty and creamy.
Great Lakes Brewing Company Announces 2020 Release Lineup
January 9, 2020 | Karen Mills
Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) recently announced their lineup for 2020. Some of the highlights from their announcement includes canning Dortmunder Gold Lager, Great Lakes IPA, and Mexican Lager with Lime, as well as two new Legendary Series offerings and a Limited Release bottle series.
HOMES | Raspberry & Lime Sherbet
January 9, 2020 | Jack Raymond
From what I can gather, HOMES doesn’t give a rat’s ass about pleasing the masses. Visit their ultra-mod taproom in Ann Arbor—golden-age hip-hop bumping, precious little bao for the eating—and you’ll notice a distinct lack of styles to try. No ambers, no browns, no stouts, no wheats. Their draft list features almost exclusively fruited sours, such as their Sherbet Series, hazy IPAs and maybe a stray sour IPA for good measure.
Grand Armory Brewing | Wheezin’ The Juice IPA
January 8, 2020 | Aimee Jackson
In the midst of the busyness and stress that comes with being an adult, the moments when you can let loose and feel like a kid again are truly precious. I enjoyed one of those experiences with my husband a few years ago when we made the spontaneous decision to participate in the “Sleepwalker Run” in Grand Haven, MI at the end of January. The Sleepwalker Run, which takes place this year on Friday, January 24, consists of either a .62 mile sprint or a 2.62 mile run in your pajamas through downtown Grand Haven. It’s a part of the town’s annual Winterfest, which occurs Jan. 23-26, 2020.
A few years ago, my husband and I decided to check out the Winterfest events on a whim. We felt like little kids as we ran through downtown in our long john underwear and roasted s’mores on a giant parking lot bonfire. Afterward, we went to Grand Armory Brewing Company to indulge in some of our favorite food and beer.
Revolution Celebrates Legalized Marijuana in Illinois with Legal Hero
January 7, 2020 | Mike Zoller
Recreational marijuana became legal in Illinois on Jan. 1, 2020 and it was a big deal. People lined up early in the morning, waiting for hours in order to be one of the first to legally purchase weed in the state, not unlike a beer release. Several breweries were preparing to release a special beer to mark the landmark occasion; the first one released was Revolution’s Legal Hero.
Lil Beaver Brewery | Citraic
December 30, 2019 | Dave Drury
Lil Beaver Brewery comes from Bloomington, Illinois—a town nearly smack dab in the middle of the state—and has been brewing up tasty treats since 2017.
They are fresh off their great performance at FoBAB, when we listed them as one of the best newcomers, and are finally starting to expand more and more throughout Illinois. The vast majority of their brews are Stouts but they have also made a name for themselves producing some tasty hazy Pale Ales and IPAs. Read More
The 2019 Best of Chicago Craft Brewing
December 27, 2019 | Mathew Powers
As the Chicago-area craft scene inches its way towards 200 breweries, the annual task of summarizing the year’s best beer stories has grown ever so daunting — and exhilarating. To peer through one’s pictures of the beers, events, and interviews and re-discover the year in beer offers a reminder of how enriching the job of a beer writer can be. Indeed, the pick the minds of brewers and industry folks, and drink the fruits of their labor, is satisfying to no end. Mike Zoller, Chicago and Midwest Editor and I, Chicago writer and National Content Editor, decided to provide some of our highlights this year. Without further ado, enjoy our 2019 Best of Chicago Craft Brewing
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