Midwest
Half Acre Far & Away Festival | A Sensational Beer Event
October 16, 2018 | Mathew Powers
The first annual Far & Away festival hosted by Chicago’s Half Acre Brewery and held at the city’s popular Millennium Park offered beer fans a ‘27-Yankees level brewery and beer lineup; heavy hitters that did not disappoint in October. For the two PorchDrinking.com writers who attended each session, the immediate discussion afterwards included the comment, “best ever.” Granted, immediate conclusions can be wrought with over-reactions, but the mere fact that we both said that speaks to the festival’s sheer excellence.
Beer Showcase | Lakefront’s Pumpkin Imperial Ale Slays the Competition
October 15, 2018 | Paul Lewis
Fall in Wisconsin is an exciting time of year. Hearty, Midwestern men and women come back from the lake, stock up on cheese curds and bratwursts and prepare for Packer season. The crisp, cool air signifies a clear changing of the seasons and thus the beer aisle at your local Woodman’s begins to change with it. The aisles formerly populated by the Midwest’s finest kolsch and summer wheat beers seemingly overnight are now enticing thirsty patrons with Oktoberfests, maibocks and pumpkin beers. Oh God, so many pumpkin beers. Everyone makes them now. My recommendation, coming from years of industrial grade levels of drinking, is to avoid the constant disappointment of so many of the macro breweries “take” on pumpkin beers and go straight to the one pumpkin beer that lays waste to its vast and meager competition.
Solemn Oath in Logan Square | Emporium Pop-Up Bar & A New Taproom
October 11, 2018 | Mathew Powers
Solemn Oath Brewing, located in the large and populous Chicago suburb of Naperville, has remained a stabilizing force within the broader, changing Chicago craft beer market. Since opening in 2012, the brewery has adapted to internal and external changes without ever losing its identity, nor its popularity among beer fans; that’s what good people serving well-executed beer will do for a brewery.
Solemn Oath is now ready to take the next step in its craft beer journey by expanding to a second location and joining a slew of breweries in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. But first, a pop-up bar is in the works.
2 Days, 2 Nights | Southwest Michigan
October 11, 2018 | Aimee Jackson
Now that summer is officially over, a weekend getaway to the Great Lakes State may not be high on your travel bucket list. However, fall is the perfect time of year to travel north, as the opportunity awaits to get two tours for the price of one! The changing colors of Michigan’s beautiful landscape provide a stunning backdrop for a craft beer tour in Southwest Michigan.
Brew Detroit | Cerveza Delray
October 11, 2018 | Danny King
October brings with it many things: changing leaves, the full onslaught of pumpkin beers and the end of outdoor parties. But my favorite part of October is, after the buzz of GABF, getting my hands on the Michigan medal winners. Luckily Michigan is a large enough brewing state that at least someone within a 30 minute drive will win something. This year, Brew Detroit snagged an International-Style Pilsner Bronze with Cerveza Delray, named after the beleaguered neighborhood just south of Mexicantown that is currently home to a lot of pollution but will soon welcome the Gordie Howe International Bridge (a welcome addition to everyone besides a company that is the literal embodiment of a bridge troll).
Une Année Quietly Emerges as One of Chicago’s Best Breweries
October 8, 2018 | Paul Lewis
In the Chicagoland area, we have no shortages of breweries. Big ones (Revolution Brewing, Goose Island, Half Acre) and some smaller ones looking to make their mark (Whiner Brewing, Lo Rez Brewing, Marz Brewing). With over 200 breweries and brewpubs now cranking out in the Chicagoland area, it has been hard for a professional drinker to find a place that truly stands out without trying to truly stand out. Personally, I prefer a place where the tourists don’t venture out to and I’ve had to look no further, Une Année.
Half Acre Brings All-Star Lineup of Breweries to Inaugural Far & Away
October 5, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Your standard run-of-the-mill beer festival includes a long list of breweries, many of which go to the same festivals all season, pouring roughly the same beers at each one. Half Acre turned heads in August when they announced a new festival called Far & Away that features some of the best-known breweries from around the country.
Lieferbräu Brewery is About Family, Small Town America & Great Beer
October 2, 2018 | Jordan Palmer
First, a piece of advice. Do not speed as you travel the picturesque country roads of southern Illinois. The first reason is, of course, the cops. The speed limits drop quickly from 55 to 35 as you near and enter the small farming towns along Highway 158. The second reason is the simple beauty of the drive. Country roads should be cherished and with the debut of Lieferbräu Brewery as a reward for heading in this direction, you’ll be driving with a smile the whole time.
Chicago Craft Beer | GABF 2018
October 2, 2018 | Mathew Powers
Six years ago, only about 80 breweries operated in Illinois. Now, approximately 200 breweries create heavenly ales and lagers within the Chicago metro area alone. Coinciding with that eruption of breweries has been an ever-increasing amount of recognition, including Chicago-area breweries winning Great American Beer Festival (GABF) medals and winning them in highly competitive categories.
Granted, Chicago has consistently been able to boast about its bourbon barrel aging prowess—after all, it was conceived at Goose Island during its pre-ABI days and celebrated each year at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beer. But few people outside of Chicago seemed to notice the Chicago brewing scene until recently. However, at the 2018 GABF, Chicago definitely made its mark in the Mile High City.
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Middle Brow Beer Co. | Robyn
October 2, 2018 | Ana Plefka
The revered Belgian brewing tradition has long inspired American brewers to recreate, adapt and riff on Belgian styles and Chicago breweries are no exception. Middle Brow Beer Co. is one of those breweries experimenting with classic European styles not to imitate, but to craft a beer entirely of its own making. Robyn, one of Middle Brow’s flagship brews, pays homage to the yeast-driven character of Belgian beer in a cross between a farmhouse, abbey and blonde ale.
Narrow Gauge’s Jeff Hardesty | Godfather of St. Louis’ Hazy Beer Movement
October 1, 2018 | Jordan Palmer
Some call it a trend, some call it a craze. But for me, it’s the style that has added a new layer of fun to beer.
The style I speak of goes by many names. New England style IPAs, Hazy or Juicy beers, and now, I’m even starting to see “Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales” and even “Juicy or Hazy Imperials and Double India Pale Ales.” The more the merrier.
Chicago Quick Sips | October 1 – 7 – Chicago Beer Events & News
October 1, 2018 | Mike Zoller
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].
Rhinegeist Brewing | Knowledge Imperial IPA
October 1, 2018 | Brian Haitz
Autumn can be a very glorious yet polarizing time of year as the cool air begins to creep in and push out the warmth of summertime. For some, it marks the return of football season (yay, sports!), for others, it points to the return of the PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte ala Starbucks), and still, for other hopefuls, it could mean getting to fret over your Major League Baseball team for the next month. The latter is what led me to this bold beer, Knowledge, an Imperial IPA by Rhinegeist Brewing.
Urban Chestnut Gets Its Circus On for Oktoberfest St Louis 2018
September 25, 2018 | Jordan Palmer
Urban Chestnut Brewing Company’s annual Oktoberfest St. Louis returns for its eighth year on Friday, September 28 through Sunday, September 30 at its Midtown Brewery & Biergarten. The festival will span three full days, but with a brand new theme “Biergarten to Big Top” and other new surprises.
Hailstorm Brewing & Arrowhead Ales | Hopsecco Brut IPA
September 25, 2018 | Mike Zoller
As fast as the IPA flooded the craft beer world, the variations have followed at a torrid pace. From the New England IPA to the Milkshake IPA, the Brut IPA is now gaining traction as the style continues to evolve.
Mt. Carmel Brewing Company | Coffee Brown
September 20, 2018 | Scott Johnson
Last Christmas, my extended relatives decided to gift me a few deliveries of The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club. Opening these mail packages felt like a relic of a different era when getting craft beer required more effort and planning. It can be a fun gift to give to the beer fan in your life when they’ve had everything at the supermarket. I’ve received beers from breweries in New York, Pennsylvania, and Iowa that I never heard about before, but the best beer to come from these shipments was Mt. Carmel Brewing Company’s Coffee Brown.
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Zipline Brewing | Oatmeal Porter
September 19, 2018 | Lori Kitzing
Nebraska can get broiling hot this time of year. It’s good for the corn but painful for us humans. The day after a good rain the temperature can drop ten to twenty degrees. On those days, which Nebraskans call “pleasant” (this is code for, “I can walk outside without instinctively yelling out in anger”), those are the days to pause and find a way to make yourself a time of retreat.
St. Louis Breweries Debuting New Brut IPAs
September 13, 2018 | Jordan Palmer
New beer styles don’t come along every day, so when I first stumbled upon the new, increasingly popular Brut IPA, I wanted to know more. So, I reached out to Rob Abel, head brewer at Ferguson Brewing: “The Brut IPA is a new IPA, the rationale for that name is that much like Brut champagne is extremely dry, the IPA is extremely dry, having zero residual sugar left.”
Urban Artifact | Lost Alley Quad
September 13, 2018 | Craft Beer Joe
One of the most exciting elements to craft beer is the concept of a collaboration beer. Many of these collaborations prove that craft beer is unique in the way that community often trumps competition. Meaning, breweries will gladly work with and support other breweries long before they look at them as competitors. Can you imagine a world where Burger King and McDonald’s get together to make a burger? Probably not but that is exactly what happens in the craft beer world.
Moreover, collaborations aren’t restricted to breweries; restaurants, museums, organizations, and bars partner with a breweries to make a special beer, demonstrated by Urban Artifact Lost Alley Quad.
New Holland Brewing | Lost Dune Blueberry Ale
September 11, 2018 | Aimee Jackson
After a long, cold winter, west Michiganders emerge from hibernation to find paradise on the sandy shores of the Big Lake. However, in the blink of an eye, those precious days are slipping away and I find myself clinging tightly to the refreshing flavors of one of my favorite summer golden ales, Lost Dune. This New Holland Brewing Company seasonal should be at the top of your list if you are looking for a beer that truly represents the flavors and history of the craft beer scene in west Michigan. Not only are the blueberries in the brew grown on Michigan’s West Coast, but the beautiful artwork on the can brings to life the experience of climbing our sandy mountains and dipping your toes in the water on our shores. Read More
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