Half Acre Beer | Green Torch Lime Lager

We are rapidly approaching the winter season. The mildly warm nights have turned into crisp night air. Summer is long gone, and beach trips now are only to get away from the frosty air. If you find yourself feeling the winter blues already, we have a solution for you. Of course, it is in the form of a delicious craft beer. Read More

Midwest Coast Brewing | Three from the Tee American Cream Ale

Spring has been slow to arrive in earnest in many places, but the surest sign of the dawn of warmer weather has been the return of refreshing beers. With shandies and session sours appearing on the shelves again, another classic style is getting its moment: cream ales. The latest in Chicago comes from Midwest Coast Brewing Co. with its Three from the Tee American Cream Ale. 

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Off Color Brewing | Beer for Lounging Pale Ale

The release of a pale ale usually wouldn’t raise many eyebrows. It’s a staple of nearly any brewery. But when Off Color Brewing released a new pale ale, it was a startling surprise for many of its fans.

While other breweries make an endless supply of IPAs, pale ales and other hoppy beers, Off Color has steadfastly refused to ever make one. Off Color started in 2013 with an initial lineup of a saison, a gose and a kotbusser — instead of an IPA, pale ale and a double IPA.

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Revolution Brewing | Parson’s Beer

Parson’s Beer, a Golden Ale, is brewed by Revolution Brewing and can only be enjoyed at Parson’s Chicken & Fish here in Chicago. The beer is light, crisp and refreshing and pairs perfectly with Parson’s incredible menu. You can’t necessarily enjoy the restaurant’s stunning patio year-round, but you can enjoy this beer anytime you’d like–and that’s arguably more important.

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Maplewood Brewery & Distillery | Cold Chisel IPA

Chicago’s Maplewood Brewery & Distillery just released a new Cold IPA, Cold Chisel, that is fermented and conditioned at colder temperatures, similar to a lager. As the temps begin to drop here in the Midwest, it’s the perfect time to try this new brew from one of the best Chicago breweries. Read More

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery | Sidewalk Surfer Double IPA

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery has quickly become one of the best places in Chicago to find delicious beers and spirits. And they have continued to show that they can make any style of beer and make them really well.

One of their newest beers, Sidewalk Surfer, is no exception. This West Coast Double IPA takes it back to the days when IPAs weren’t all hazy and infiltrated with lactose and fruits. Read More

Off Color Brewing | Waddle Oktoberfest Lager

If you’re currently in the mindset that it’s too early for pumpkin beer but too late for summer-only releases, then we’re on the same page. This often means it’s Oktoberfest season, the best season of all! Oktoberfest styles (usually in the form of a Festbier and Märzen) are popping up at the majority of breweries across the city and suburbs, and while it feels slightly earlier than normal (what day is it anyway?), I’m not upset about the early arrival.

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Noon Whistle Brewing | Papaya Gummy Vortex Northeast IPA

Noon Whistle Brewing Co. has become one of Chicagoland’s go-to breweries for IPAs, especially hazies. The brewery, located in suburban Lombard, Illinois, does IPAs so well that even Planters – a massive global brand – wanted to collaborate with them to create a peanut IPA. However, Noon Whistle is most known for its Gummy Series, a set of hazy, super juicy Northeast IPAs. Read More

Unique COVID-19 Brewery Baskets and Community Partnerships in Chicago Suburbs

The idea of “craft community” has always enjoyed duality in that it both touches on brewery-to-brewery camaraderie and the connection between breweries and its neighborhoods and cities. Breweries such as Chicago-area’s Skeleton Key, Wolfden and Sew’d Hop—to name a few, along with a host of brewing and service industry peers, are now creatively working together and with nearby businesses as they pivot to a new “normal” during the lockdown. And, that effort is exemplified by the unique to-go COVID-19 Brewery Baskets available to customers.

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Off Color Brewing | Chicago Craft Gin Week is a Real Thing

Every once in a while, a truly insane beer comes around and delights the masses. Chicago Craft Gin Week Is A Real Thing (CCGWIART) from Off Color Brewing is one of these beers—if the masses love a sour, that is. Off Color brews up some of the best beers in the Windy City, from their experimental Miller High Life collaboration, Eek!, to the delicious dessert that is Dino S’mores Russian Imperial Stout. With CCGWIART, the brewery has yet another unconventional (yet delectable) feather in its cap. Read More

Lil Beaver Brewery | Citraic

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

Our Favorite Chicago and Midwestern Beers from 2019

As another year comes to a close, we’d like to look back at the past 12 months on some of our favorite beers we had that came out of Midwest breweries.

With the number of breweries increasing, it becomes harder and harder to narrow down a list, but we have a handful of Midwest writers who contributed their favorite beers of 2019.

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Fast Facts on Revolution Brewing’s 2019 Deep Wood Series: Release Details, New Beers + More

It has been a busy summer for Revolution Brewing. Between their Midlife Crisis barrel-aged release and the hyped-up IPA collaboration with Hop Butcher coming later this week, Chicago’s largest independent brewer has made headlines during the hotter months. That being said, year three of Revolution’s acclaimed Deep Wood barrel-aged series is set to generate buzz among the beer-drinking community for the upcoming colder months thanks to its consistent release of new and old canned barrel-aged creations from October to January. The 2019-2020 roster includes five returning favorites and five new creations, all available in 4-packs of 12oz cans. Here is what you need to know. 

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Ultimate 6er | Chicago’s Best Pizza & Beer Pairings

Pizza comes in many shapes, sizes, and forms, and all of it is generally good. Chicago is a city saturated in pizza joints, but pizza in the Windy City is the real deal. While many tourists visit Chicago for its deep-dish style pizza, most Chicago locals will tell you their preferred Chicago style pizza is “tavern-style.”  What is tavern-style pizza? While there is no strict criteria, any proper Chicago establishment that claims they serve this type of pizza share a similar method. The crust is very thin, better known as “cracker crust.” The pizza is cut into squares, not slices. Pineapple is not a choice on the ingredients list. Using this as a canvas, there are many Chicago pizza joints outside of the tourist traps in the Loop that deliver solid pizza offerings that go great with a nice cold beer on a warm summer day, and here are my favorite Chicago pizza and beer pairings for you to try, whether you’re  a tourist or a local.

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Beer Lines and What They Say About the Culture of Craft Beer

A few weeks ago as I walked into my office, I noticed a massive line stretching around the block. It was just after 7 a.m. in the middle of the week; clearly, these people had been waiting either overnight or since very early in the morning. It wasn’t freezing out, but it wasn’t warm. I later found out they were waiting for the BTS, the Korean music group, pop-up store to open up. I thought they were all crazy.

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An Interview with The Athletic’s Baseball Analyst & Craft Beer Guru Eno Sarris

Few things can stir up nostalgia like the smell of fresh cut grass, hearing the crack of the bat, a vendor in the distance yelling “Beer here, beer here! Peanuts!” As we kickoff one of the most anticipated times of the year in the U.S. (MLB season), it can cause excitement, sentimentality and expectation. We at PorchDrinking, had the fortunate opportunity to speak with baseball analyst for The Athletic and former beer writer, Eno Sarris, about the evolution of baseball’s growing relationship with the craft beer industry. Eno was generous enough to talk through his own love of craft beer and “the game,” lending an extremely fascinating insider’s perspective.

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Fast Facts on Cruz Blanca’s 2018 Luchadores Club Bottle Release

Chicago beer fans are spoiled during this time of year. Between FoBAB and a list of nationally-recognized bottle releases throughout November, there’s never been a better time to be a barrel-aged beer fan. And though Goose Island, Half Acre, Begyle and Revolution Brewing (and more) all make exceptional barrel-aged beers, Cruz Blanca in the West Loop quietly released an equally impressive lineup of barrel-aged beers last year and is doubling down in year two with a bigger and better lineup that can easily challenge Chicago’s best.

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Pipeworks Brewing | Jones Dog Sundae: A Stout for Summer

Jones Dog Sundae from Chicago’s Pipeworks Brewing Company is a stout made for summer drinking. This sweet milk stout with natural flavors comprised of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry was brewed to be the boozy, liquid version of Neapolitan ice cream — the perfect warm weather treat!

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Dovetail Brewery Celebrates One Year of Business Plus Other News

Dovetail Brewery, one of Chicago’s most unique micro brewers, recently celebrated their one year anniversary in their Ravenswood brew spot on Malt Row. Dovetail has accomplished a lot in one year and have differentiated themselves from competitors due to their unique open fermentation, European-brew style of lagers, pilsners and hefeweizens.

With a year under their belt, the good folks at Dovetail are doing what any ambitious new microbrewery does: expand, whether that is via increased distribution or new brew styles. Here are a few recent summer announcements you might have missed. Read More

Event Recap | Windy City Smokeout

The Windy City Smokeout was sold out this year and, after experiencing the event on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Chicago, it’s easy to see why. Music evokes many powerful emotions within people, but there are few greater sounds on a hot summer day than the melodious tunes of a country band. Couple that with copious amounts of craft beer and delicious barbecue, and you have an event that is worth every penny.

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