Midwest
Goose Island Set to Release Four New Beers
June 29, 2017 | Mike Zoller
On Monday July 3, Goose Island will have its largest release of the year. Alright, maybe there is a bigger release in November; but Goose will release four new beers into the market on Monday.
Ultimate 6er | Pure Michigan Summer
June 28, 2017 | Danny King
Every summer, thousands of Michiganders make their trek to the northern part of Michigan for their “Up North Vacation.” What exactly Up North entails depends on who you talk to, as the Detroit Free Press recently pointed out.
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Fast Facts on Revolution Brewing’s Packaging Moves for Summer
June 26, 2017 | Taylor Laabs 2
Revolution Brewing already has several great summer sipping beers like Rosa and Fist City in their canned arsenal; now, they’re adding a couple new seasonal options to help round out their summer portfolio.
Merging Brewing Ingredients and Techniques Into Cooking: A Recap of Brewed Food Cincinnati
June 26, 2017 | Craft Beer Joe
Chances are you enjoy beer; that’s why you clicked through to read this. And I would bet that you prefer good beer, I mean really good beer. You focus on hunting down rare beers and are always on the hunt for brews that contain new ingredients and push the boundaries of what you think craft beer can be.
But what about food? Do you pursue food with the same passion? For me, I focus a lot of attention on what I drink but not nearly as much on expanding my culinary world. That’s where Brewed Food aims to change our culture.
Event Recap | Door County Beer Festival
June 26, 2017 | Taylor Laabs
Feature image courtesy of Taylor Laabs
The folks at the Door County Beer Festival went above and beyond to create a fantastic beer drinking event on a sunny June Saturday that embodied everything that is great about the Wisconsin beer experience.
There were 58 breweries in attendance with more than 35 of those coming from a Wisconsin area code, but it wasn’t just the familiar brews of New Glarus, Karben4 and Capital Brewery that made this former Badger’s heart happy. This festival had great cheese, good people and a fun-loving vibe that exuded throughout every person you met. No brewer was off limits, no question too stupid – Door County Beer Fest welcomed all – as long as you had an empty stomach.
Burnt City Brewing & Art Institute of Chicago Launch Artist as Alchemist Golden Session IPA
June 22, 2017 | Mathew Powers
Artist as Alchemist Feature Image Source: Lakeshore Beverages.
The trend of breweries collaborating with entities outside the realm of brewing and bars continue, including partnering with zoos, arboretums, charitable organizations, … Read More
Event Preview | 777th Annual Criderfest
June 21, 2017 | Jordan Palmer
In this age of social media, before a new brewery can even make beer or pour a pint, the local beer community is already abuzz about what’s coming. Few brewery openings in recent memory created as much excitement as 2nd Shift’s St. Louis opening this past winter. Their brewery and tap room was new to the area but their beer wasn’t. 2nd Shift began its journey in New Haven, Missouri back in 2010 and exploded onto the local scene with their flagship beer, Art of Neurosis. Now, it’s time to celebrate seven years of brewing, and owners Steve and Libby Crider are inviting all of us to a party, and Steve’s beard will be in attendance.
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Old Irving Brewing | Rat Pack
June 21, 2017 | Bliss Billingsley
ABV: 7% | IBU: 20
Just like their namesake, the Rat Pack Belgian Dubbel is a classic and timeless beer made by Old Irving Brewing. When you close your eyes, each sip transports you to “simpler times” when 1960’s crooners dominated the radio, and you’re enjoying a classic cocktail in a fedora. The flavor profile is complex yet balanced for easy drinking. The warm alcohol flavor soothes the taste buds. The snifter-style glass mimics that of a cognac to top off your time travel. Read More
Saugatuck Brewing Company | Neapolitan Milk Stout
June 19, 2017 | Jessica Spengler
ABV: 6.0% | IBU: 37
I don’t like novelty beers. You know the ones I’m talking about – the cream soda, apple crisp, this-tastes-like-donut-holes kind of beers. Beers that have … Read More
Event Recap | Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Chicago
June 16, 2017 | Taylor Laabs
Feature image courtesy of Taylor Laabs
Sierra Nevada Beer Camp put together another impressive showing last Saturday at Navy Pier. Whether it was the pristine location, the bevy of good beer, or the friendliness of the staff and brewmasters, Sierra Nevada knows what it takes to make a solid craft beer festival – and they deliver on that successful formula time and time again.
Event Recap | Two Brothers Brewing Summer Festival
June 13, 2017 | Mathew Powers
Two Brother’s Brewing Summer Festival speaks volumes about the brewery’s identity. The journey for the Ebel brothers started with a brewery that barely turned profits twenty years ago to owning five locations and adding coffee and spirits to its portfolio. But, what defines Two Brothers is not its products as much as the brewery’s propensity to host events and welcome fans into its many homes. From Scottsdale to Oak Park, Oktoberfest to Summerfest, nail-pulling parties to special releases, Two Brothers invites you inside and says, “Welcome to our house, beer’s in the fridge.”
Urban Artifact | Warmug
June 12, 2017 | Craft Beer Joe
ABV: 7.7% | IBU: 20
Just because something is different doesn’t mean it isn’t great. And Urban Artifact Warmug is a perfect example. Read More
Lo Rez Brewing’s Taproom Opens in Pilsen Neighborhood of Chicago
June 8, 2017 | Mike Zoller
Less than 24 hours before their grand opening, a ladder is still in the brewery, tap handles need to be screwed on and the rest of the beer list needs to be added – but Lo Rez opened last week to a packed tap room. Read More
Listermann Brewing Company & Cincinnati Zoo | Team Fiona NE IPA
June 8, 2017 | Kristen Ballinger
Feature Photo: Cincinnati Zoo
Listermann Brewing Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, has paired up with the Cincinnati Zoo to create a beer for the lovable baby hippo Fiona. Members of Fiona’s care team actually helped brew the beer, a New England Style IPA coming in at 6.2% ABV with Citra and Centennial hops. The beer will be released in cans on Saturday June 10th at the brewery.
Event Preview | Door County Beer Festival
June 7, 2017 | Taylor Laabs
*Feature image courtesy of Katie Sikora*
Set on the scenic shores of Lake Michigan, the Door County Beer Festival boasts one of the most unique backdrops of any beer fest in the nation. Door County has been a destination vacation for many years due to its beautiful location, but it’s the recent rise of the local craft beer scene that has added to the luster of the premiere Wisconsin peninsula getaway spot. The Door County Beer Festival celebrates all of this by combining locally sourced food, local beer and a good vibe to create a truly unique beer festival experience.
Brewery Showcase | Saint Benedict’s Brew Works
June 6, 2017 | David Nilsen
Featured image courtesy of David Nilsen
I had never met a nun before. That feels important to establish at the outset.
Though I grew up religious, the spiritual instruction of my youth came mostly from non-denominational preachers with overactive sweat glands and a predilection toward sermons about the end times rather than from black-clad Catholic nuns. So I had no idea what to expect when my wife and I arrived at Monastery Immaculate Conception, home of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana. I was there to interview Bruce Luecke, the brewmaster at Saint Benedict’s Brew Works, the only brewery in the country housed on the grounds of a women’s religious community. The graceful but imposing dome of the monastery’s century-old chapel rose above us on a hill as we stepped out of our car in front of the Kordes Center, the monastery’s guest lodging facility. The brewery was nowhere in sight as we entered the doors of the retreat center.
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Dear Chicagoans: Don’t Ignore the North Burbs Brewing Scene
June 5, 2017 | Mathew Powers 10
The breweries that lie north of Chicago’s Saison-Dixon line regularly play the role of the ugly red-headed stepchild. Granted, Mikerphone receives endless, well-deserved praise, but Mikerphone is a transplant that gained its fame prior to moving to Elk Grove Village. Meanwhile, breweries located in the North Burbs, such as Light the Lamp, Ten-Ninety, ZumBier, Chain O’Lakes, Side Lot, Tighthead, Only Child, Flesk — a brewery in the process of moving to Barrington, and countless others are oft-ignored among the pantheon of Chicago-area breweries.
Don’t do it. Don’t rob yourself of that joy. Refuse to ignore northern-suburban breweries. The brewing scene of the North Burbs is too good to miss!
Cruz Blanca | El Train
June 5, 2017 | Craig Gonciarczyk
Everyone in Chicago has taken the elevated train (or “L” train) at one time or another. Most typically have some story or stories about an adventure they had on a ride. Cruz Blanca is trying to give you another probably less grotesque story to tell with their El Train IPA.
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Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap – Two Brothers CCBW Collaboration: Decades in the Making
June 1, 2017 | Mathew Powers
Sometimes, a beer event comes along that encapsulates the enormous impact the craft beer industry has had on modern imbibe culture. For example, the pairing between suburban-Chicago’s Two Brothers Brewing and Chicago’s Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap during the last day of Chicago Craft Beer Week seemed ordinary on the surface, but a deeper meaning lied underneath. Yes, the two craft-beer-focused operations collaborated on a beer — an American Wheat Beer with melon, but the beer did not take a few weeks to make; it took 30 years.
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?
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