Midwest
Saint Errant Brewing | Cauallier
November 19, 2019 | Ana Plefka
It’s November in Chicago and stout season has arrived and it’s not just because Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers (FOBAB) brought a deluge of fabulous new barrel-aged beers. Rather, the 3-5 inches of snow and single-digit temperatures are really putting the city in the mood for a beer as dark as the sky at 4:45 p.m. (sigh)
Luckily, Saint Errant Brewing has an indulgent option for Chicagoans: Cauallier, an imperial stout brewed with cacao nibs and roasted peanuts. This brew starts with a dense black pour, visually preparing you for its richness. With a burnt but chocolatey aroma, the first sniff does its job of pulling you in with sweet, warm vanilla notes while still letting you know this imperial means business.
Chicago Quick Sips | November 18 Chicago Beer News & Events
November 18, 2019 | Eric Oliver
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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Chicago’s Luna Bay Booch Co. Looks to Make its Mark in Busy Craft Beer Market
November 15, 2019 | Taylor Laabs
Drink good, feed good? That’s the vision behind Chicago’s first local hard kombucha maker, Luna Bay Booch Co. While Chicago is home to the nation’s most craft breweries per capita, the city’s appetite for lighter alternatives like White Claw and Truly Spiked Seltzer is also clear. So, why not hard kombucha as well? Kombucha continues to increase its popularity in the health and wellness market, especially among younger drinkers, creating a myriad of adjacent business opportunities for courageous thinkers like Luna Bay Booch Co. founders Bridget Connelly and Claire Ridge. The two saw the opportunity to bring hard kombucha, a popular product on the West Coast, to the Midwest by creating a local, Chicago-based brand that targets Chicago drinkers looking for a break from a beer along with those wellness-focused folks looking for a fun, spiked alternative to their favorite antioxidant-laden kombucha beverage. To find out more about the upstart hard kombucha business and what Chicagoans can expect from Luna Bay Booch, PorchDrinking spoke with Bridget.
Preview of GABF Gold Begyle BBA Imperial Pajamas | Nov 15 Release
November 14, 2019 | Mathew Powers
The GABF Gold Medal awarded to Begyle Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas validated what many already knew: in a town abound in exceptional bourbon-barrel-aged beer, Begyle’s has risen to become one of the best. The 2019 release on Friday, November 15, will be the first for the Community Supported Brewery (CSB) since winning the medal. They graciously hosted PorchDrinking a couple of days early, offering to provide us with a few tastes and plenty of discussion about its barreling program.
Staff Picks | The Festival of Barrel-Aged Beer’s (FoBAB) Best of the Best
November 14, 2019 | Mike Zoller
Once again the UIC Forum was packed with breweries from all over the country pouring some of their best barrel-aged beers at this weekend’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. In 17th annual showcase of country’s elite barrel-aged beers, Bottle Logic repeated in taking home Best-in-Show honors for Arcane Ritual.
Revolution’s Gold Medal Beer FoBAB Winner V.S.O.R. Releases Friday
November 13, 2019 | Mike Zoller
Before Revolution Brewing releases the next two entries in their highly vaunted Deep Wood series, they’ll already be able to boast a FoBAB gold medal for one of those two. Very Special Old Ryeway (V.S.O.R.) and Straight Jacket will be released at the brewery after V.S.O.R. earned top marks in the Other Strong Dark Beer Category at this weekends Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers.
Forager Brewing Company Launches Humble Forager
November 12, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
Last month, Forager Brewing Company‘s head brewer, Austin Jevne, took to social media to announce the brewery’s latest adventure: a new brand and distribution brewery, Humble Forager Brewery.
Contract brewing out of Octopi Brewing in Waunakee, WI, Humble Forager will use some of FBC’s favorite recipes to create a series of rotating pastry stouts, hazy DIPAs and fruited sour ales. The beers will be distributed to bars and liquor stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota and select locations in the Southeast in early 2020.
2019 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB) Awards Complete Results
November 9, 2019 | Tristan Chan
Over the past 17 years, Chicago’s Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers has quickly established itself as one of the preeminent showcases of barrel-aged beers in the country. This two-day festival not … Read More
Maplewood Set to Release First Barrel-Aged Cuppa Beers
November 8, 2019 | Mike Zoller
Known for their thick body, heavy adjuncts and deep flavors, the Cuppa beers from Maplewood Brewery and Distillery enter a new chapter tomorrow with the release of their first barrel-aged versions in the series.
Founders Brewing Reopening Detroit Taproom Pledges Donations Through 2022
November 7, 2019 | Tristan Chan
Over the year, Founders Brewing has drawn public criticism for its handling of a racial discrimination case involving former employee Tracy Evans. The case resurfaced last month when leaked testimony … Read More
New Holland Brewing | Dragon’s Milk Reserve Oatmeal Cookie
November 6, 2019 | Jessica Spengler
It’s that time of year again! The fall release of New Holland Brewing’s Dragon’s Milk Reserve is here! This time around the beer is a comforting treat with a warm, wholesome and tasty appeal: Oatmeal Cookie.
Three Renowned Midwest IPA Makers Got Together and Made a Coffee Stout
November 5, 2019 | Taylor Laabs 1
Surly Brewing’s Furious IPA is one of the most well-known beers in Minnesota. The hazy IPAs, most notably Dreamyard IPA, coming from their Northeast neighbors, Modist Brewing, are some of the most popular in the state. Not to be out-done, Chicago’s Mikerphone Brewing’s musically-inspired IPA and stout releases frequently generate lines around the block. So, when Surly recently brought brewers from Modist and Mikerphone to their brewhouse to make a new collaboration beer, the result had to have been an IPA, right? Wrong. Instead, the latest, and perhaps most adventurous edition of Surly’s BC Small Batch series is Magic Formula for Peace, a coffee stout made with citrus.
Illinois Breweries are Preparing for FoBAB
November 4, 2019 | Mike Zoller
In any industry, to be recognized for exemplary work is an incredible feeling. To win a medal at the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB), one of the country’s premier barrel-aged beer festivals, is a massive accomplishment.
Join PorchDrinking’s Crispy Cocktails & Cider Unofficial FoBAB After-Party
November 4, 2019 | Tristan Chan
This Saturday, the PorchDrinking.com crew will be out in full force covering The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild’s Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers(FoBAB) in Chicago. As our team has detailed throughout the … Read More
Market Garden Brewery | Prosperity Wheat
November 4, 2019 | David Nilsen
Market Garden Brewery in the historic Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, has made a name for itself on the success of an unlikely flagship beer for a modern craft brewery. Prosperity Wheat is a Bavarian-style Hefeweizen, and it won the gold medal for the style at the Great American Beer Festival last month.
Founders Brewing & Tracy Evans Announce Settlement Agreement
October 31, 2019 | Tristan Chan
While the aftermath of last week’s leaked litigation between Founders Brewing and former taproom employee, Tracy Evans, continues to be felt among the Founders staff, at beer festivals, bars and … Read More
5 Questions With Brink Brewing’s Head Brewer, Kelly Montgomery
October 31, 2019 | Taylor Laabs
Winning something once is tough. Repeating that successful feat is an even tougher task. So, when Cincinnati-based Brink Brewing won GABF gold for “Very Small Brewing Company” for a second consecutive year, a lot of people took notice – myself included. As a young operation, volatility and uncertainty are commonplace. Making good beer, consistently, at a profit, is an arduous task that not many can master. Building a loyal drinking base and gaining accolades for your creations become even more difficult as you try to keep your core business afloat. This is what makes the work of Head Brewer Kelly Montgomery even more impressive. To find out more about the success of their small but stout operation, their reaction to GABF gold, and what comes next, we posed 5 questions to Brink Brewing’s Kelly Montgomery.
Cruz Blanca’s Luchador Series Continues to Fly Under the Radar
October 31, 2019 | Mike Zoller
Chicago’s barrel-aged beer selection is second to none when it comes to quality and quantity. While it’s easy to get lost in the releases of Bourbon County or Deep Wood, there are many smaller barrel-aged releases that deserve the attention of the craft beer market. For the second year in a row, Cruz Blanca’s Luchador Series brings big flavors and unique adjuncts to a set of beers that are standouts in a crowded market.
Everything You Need to Survive FoBAB This Year
October 30, 2019 | Mathew Powers
Two hundred breweries from around the country will come to Chicago on Nov 8-9 and offer guests a wide variety of wall-to-wall, remarkable barrel-aged beers. However, with an abundance of wilds, sours and a host of bourbon, rum and wine barrel-aged brews, the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB) tests both one’s liver and belly.
So, how do you survive? How can you avoid getting so inebriated you can’t taste the beer…or walk? How do you avoid having your stomach curdle? For that matter, how do you enjoy FoBAB fully?
Don’t worry; we have a plan.
Event Preview | Traverse City Craft Beer Week
October 28, 2019 | Mike Zoller
Known for beautiful scenery, cherries and wine, Northern Michigan’s Traverse City has also become a hotbed for craft breweries. With a population of just over 15,000, the city has 10 breweries and even more in the surrounding towns. The Traverse City Craft Beer Week is an opportunity to explore the region’s expanding craft beer offerings.
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