Cigar City Set to Begin Chicago Distribution

Chicago beer drinkers, whose only hope of grabbing a Cigar City Jai Alai IPA involved a flight to Florida, can now save themselves a trip when the brewery begins Chicago distribution February 19.

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Event Preview | Brewery Band Ballyhoo

Oh sure, you’ve let brewers please your palate and provide love to your liver, but have you ever let them entertain your ears? That’s what the Brewery Band Ballyhoo is all about. On February 2, for $10 (or $50 VIP), you can watch those brewers or brewing staff members get on stage and battle for the Ballyhoo Gold Record — your vote to determines the winner!

Although, in truth, the real winner is the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Proceeds will go the organization dedicated to keeping our Great Lakes pure. If you like beer, that should be important to you.

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Tribes Beer Co. | A New Space Emblematic of an Evolving Industry

A principal attribute of craft brewing involves the confluence of creativity and tradition. The summer ‘18 opening of the newest Tribes Beer Company location—a brewhouse, tasting room and beer garden—exemplifies that characteristic. Tribes draws on tradition while simultaneously adapting to an ever-evolving beer industry.
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Brewery Showcase | LaGrow Beer Co. Organic Craft Beer

Don’t think of LaGrow Beer Company as an organic brewery; think of it as a family-owned brewery dedicated to using the purest ingredients imaginable, from soil to suds.

At LaGrow, the ingredients used are pure, which results in a beer abound in flavor and exceptionally crisp, clean and fresh. Even if one doesn’t care about ingesting chemicals, the resultant flavor derived from chemical-free ingredients is sure to please any beer drinker, from beer geek to macro fan.   Read More

21 Year-Round Chicago Craft Beers Worth Trying

A lust for special release beers has increasingly dominated beer geek culture the last few years, and an abundance of Chicago beer drinkers share that trait. But, what about signature brews? While it’s fun to post pictures of whales on social media, flagships pay a brewery’s bills and their quality ultimately determine a brewery’s fortune.

It’s likely that nearly all of nearly 200 Chicago-area breweries have one or two (or more) beers worthy of making this list. And, you can be sure that we writers left a few of our favorites off this list, too. Nonetheless, we feel that these 21 beers are ones you should not miss in 2018.

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Imperial Oak Ragnarok | The Culmination of Craft in One Rum BA Baltic Porter

The physical manifestation of American Craft Beer’s evolution exists with Imperial Oak Brewing Ragnarok Rum-Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter. It’s not just a craft beer; it’s a crafted lager. It’s not just any lager; it’s a Baltic Porter. It’s not just barrel-aged or aged in the bourbon barrels; it’s aged in rum barrels. I doubt even Ken Grossman could have envisioned a beer such as this back in the late 1980s. But, this is 2017, and this is how far craft beer has come.

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Inside the Tank | Alarmist Brewing

Whenever I thought of Alarmist Brewing, its Entrenched IPA can stuck out. It’s probably the brewery’s most highly available beer and is distributed in the city. Located in the Sauganash neighborhood of Chicago – an area I typically don’t visit often, I had never been to the brewery before.
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Maplewood Lounge | A Taproom Example Worth Emulating

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery didn’t merely open a taproom and tasting space, it opened a thoughtful representation of the entire Maplewood experience — and that’s how all breweries should approach taproom designs.

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Around the Bend Beer Company | Pretty Lights

Just when you think you know what to expect from a Christmas Ale, Around the Bend Beer Company comes along and provides a unique holiday surprise — the Pretty Lights Belgian Tripel with Cranberry and Almond. Although this beer is exceedingly capable of standing on its own, it would be tough to find a beer more suited for pairing with a holiday feast.
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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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Begyle Brewing to Release their Barrel-Aged Beers Starting Friday

In Chicago, in November, it’s almost impossible to not run into a great barrel-aged beer. Begyle Brewing will release two of its own starting on Friday (Nov 17) and both are worthy of standing in line to get. Barrel-Aged Imperial Pajamas will be released on Nov 17th, with Batch 500 being released the following Friday.

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Revolution Brewing | Coffee Eugene Porter

In the ever-crowded Chicago beer scene, Revolution Brewing decidedly stands out from the rest due to their dogged pursuit of unique flavors and new versions of old staples. True to form, one of Revolution’s classics, its Coffee Eugene Porter, is back after a two-year hiatus with a new recipe and a new packaging presentation: 12oz cans.

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Brewery Showcase | Scorched Earth Brewing

The wall of barrels, two-deep and floor-to-ceiling, that stretches along the length of the brewhouse captures the eyes of those walking through the Scorched Earth Brewing taproom doors. The tantalizing tower of aged beer induces salivation in a manner that would make Pavlov proud. Still, the diverse beer menu and exceptionally warm, inviting taproom environment amounts to a brewery that is attractive to just about every type of beer drinker.

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18th Street Brewing | Candi Crushable

Living in Cincinnati, there’s no shortage of great beer. In fact, as of next week, we will have 42 breweries in the area. That’s more than enough to keep me busy.

But that doesn’t mean that I occasionally get the itch to try something from outside my area. When that happens, I drive across the Ohio / Indiana border to a place called Whitey’s. This is the local liquor store in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and is just minutes off the highway.

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Saint Errant Brewing | Strange Loops

Like many other new (or soon to be open) breweries, Brent Banks and Ryan Jacobs of Saint Errant Brewing started as homebrewers with full-time jobs. After repeated trips to Vermont … Read More

Brewery Showcase | Sun King Brewery

“As a startup, you have the opportunity to self-distribute since nobody knows who you are,” said distributors to Sun King Brewery co-founder, Clay Robinson in 2009. Now, as Indiana’s second largest brewery and with numerous, prestigious brewing medals to its name, plenty of people know about Sun King Brewing.

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Church Street Brewing Expanding to the Caribbean #LocalGoesGlobal

Sand between the toes, hammocks, sunshine, rustling palm trees and now Church Street Brewing — that could describe your next Caribbean vacation. The suburban-Chicago brewery is taking its beer to the tropics!

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Event Preview | Chicago White Sox Craft Beer Night

White Sox Craft Beer Night continues the year-long, maturing relationship between craft beer and the White Sox at its home, Guaranteed Rate Field. It started with the introduction of the Craft Kave prior to Opening Day, but anyone going to games has seen craft beer at almost every corner. Now, by hosting its own craft beer festival on Sept 9, the White Sox are demonstrating their active participation within the broader aspects of Chicago’s craft beer scene.

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Chicago’s Beer Denotes its Rich Labor History

Chicago developed its big shoulders through the effort of those who toiled and labored, initially for little pay and having to endure horrendous working conditions. Railroads, meatpacking, printing and construction … Read More

Hurricane Harvey Relief Party in Chicago at The Walk-In

With a slogan of “Friendly as Fuck,” it’s no surprise The Walk-In bar in Chicago would help those ravaged by Hurricane Harvey. It’s even less surprising when you realize the bar’s General Manager, Phillip Smith, recently arrived to Chicago from Texas.

Thus, what was planned as a Labor Day party on Sept. 3 (2pm to 8pm) has transitioned to a relief party. All you have to do is walk in and order a few drinks; 15% of the total sales plus 100% of all gratuities will help support the Greater Houston Community Foundation. So, tip your servers well and help restore some lives
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