Fast Facts on Cruz Blanca’s New Barrel-Aged Series: Luchador Club

Chef Rick Bayless’ revered Chicago-based Cruz Blanca Brewery and Tequiera is most-known for its contemporary Mexican cuisine and daring craft beer creations. Now, they’re getting into the barrel-aged game with the debut of their barrel-aged series: Luchador Club, launching December 2^nd. Cruz Blanca’s new barrel-aged offerings will add a unique, Mexican-infused element to Chicago’s vast assortment of barrel-aged powerhouses like Goose Island BCBS, Half Acre Big Hugs and Revolution’s Deep Wood series – and I for one can’t wait to try it. Here’s what you need to know.

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Black Wednesday: Dark Beer, Releases & Parties in Chicago

A raging-river’s worth of barrel-aged beer flows through Chicago during November and December. Breweries often release special beers and throw plenty of parties on both Black Wednesday and, even more-so,  Black Friday. But, it all starts with the day before Thanksgiving, allowing beer drinkers an opportunity to party, as well as purchase some Turkey-Day goodies!

Events are listed as we received them
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12 Beers of Christmas | Fremont Brewing Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb

ABV: 14.0% | IBU: 65

Fremont Brewing delivers another liquid giant to liven up another holiday season. Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb is the awesomely adjunct-ed, cooler and even more popular older cousin of Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Ale, Fremont’s flagship bourbon barrel aged beer. It can be found lounging around the MoonTower, slicking back it’s long golden waxy locks, and murmuring phrases like: “Alright, alright, alright.”
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The Festival of Barrel Aged Beers | FoBAB 2016 Awards

The world’s largest barrel-aged beer competition, held at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beer (FoBAB) in Chicago, is underway. However, the FoBAB 2016 awards are now official, and our Chicago/Midwest editor, Mike Zoeller was there. Here are the results — congrats to all the winners!
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Southern Brewing Co. | Southern Woodpile: Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Finally, the season is changing. The days are shorter, the nights are cooler, and the leaves are making a quick exit from the trees. I mean let’s face it… this was an unending summer. It’s all anyone talked about. We needed low alcohol brews that were loaded with fruit, because if we drank anything heavier, we may have literally died. Or melted. Or burst into flames. It was seriously hot out there.

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Discussing Chicago’s Beer Culture & FoBAB with Werk Force Brewing

Chicago’s brewing culture is as diverse as its population, but one genre of brewing resonates strongly with Windy City beer enthusiasts — barrel-aged brewing. In 1993, Greg Hall at Goose Island experimented with beer in bourbon barrels and, as they say, the rest is history (see this movie about that story). The legacy of his idea manifests itself every November with Goose Island’s Black Friday Bourbon County release and numerous barrel-aged beer festivals, notably the Festival of Barrel Aged Brewing (FoBAB). Brandon Wright, of Chicago Brew Werks/Werk Force Brewing, shares his unique perspective on Chicago’s love of barrel-aged beer.

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Schlafly Beer | Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

St. Louis is quietly becoming a hub for some of the country’s best craft beer. Currently Schlafly Beer is available in 13 states and Washington DC. They feature a great variety of year-round beers, seasonals and special release brews. The process of aging beers in bourbon barrels is no longer a novelty, but a norm in the craft beer industry now. Schlafly has two beers in their wood aged series and one of them is their Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.

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New Holland Brewing Co. | Dragon’s Milk

Like many of my friends, I have hit a wall when trying to figure out when George R. R. Martin will be coming out with Winds of Winter (Book 6 … Read More