Midwest
Chicago Quick Sips | Aug. 5 Chicago Beer News & Events
August 5, 2019 | Eric Oliver
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].
Ultimate 6er | Beers for a Float Trip
July 31, 2019 | Mike Zoller
Every year my company does a big float trip about 90 minutes south of the city of Chicago. We hop into canoes and spend anywhere from three to four hours floating down a river. Of course, while you’re floating you need drinks, that’s pretty much half the fun otherwise, you’re just canoeing. So for this Ultimate 6er, I picked six beers great for an afternoon on the river.
Beer Showcase | Old Bakery Brewing Oktoberfest
July 31, 2019 | Jordan Palmer
We all could use a dose of fall to remind us that these dog-days of summer will end, and we won’t melt. So, thank goodness for Old Bakery Brewing Company. Sensing our need for cooler thoughts Old Bakery is “speeding” up their release of their popular Oktoberfest Märzen, releasing it on July 28, (a few days earlier than most of the nation’s breweries) in conjunction with St. Louis Craft Beer Week.
Prairie Pride Brewing Co. | Wagon Trail Coffee Stout
July 30, 2019 | Lori Kitzing
It can be difficult to keep up with all of the new craft breweries opening up in Nebraska but be sure to check out Prairie Pride Brewing Co. located in Grand Island, NE.
Prairie Pride opened in 2016. Their taproom is a cozy spot, located fifteen minutes north of Route 80. The artwork and custom-made flight trays clearly show off their love of Nebraska and they’re sure to make any native smile.
Can Out of State Breweries Succeed in Chicago?
July 29, 2019 | Mike Zoller
In June, I made the trip to New Glarus Brewing to visit the iconic Wisconsin-only brewery that’s coveted all over the midwest. While there, I overheard two guys talking about how they wish New Glarus distributed to Illinois and so they could buy it all the time. But would they?
Urban Artifact | Pickle
July 29, 2019 | Kevin Risner
I jumped onto the Urban Artifact wagon a bit late. “Better late than never” is a cliche that I find myself faced with quite regularly. Needless to say, I became an instant fan of the brewery’s vast array of spectacular beers that often steer away from the typical IPA and other popular beer styles we’ve come to expect in the craft beer circle. My first dive into their collection was while watching a soccer match at a local restaurant that sells numerous beers, canned and bottled. I saw Urban Artifact’s Keypunch, a key lime Gose, and my mouth instantly started watering. I had two of those sweet, flavorful Goses. Later, I learned of their other varieties. One stopped me in my tracks when my brother-in-law introduced it to me. Urban Artifact Pickle is a dill pickle Gose. It intrigued me enough to return again and again for more salty and sour sips to refresh during the dog days of summer.
22 Northmen Brewing Company | A Fresh Take on Minnesota’s Viking Heritage
July 24, 2019 | Adam Rozanas
When I stepped into 22 Northmen Brewing Company, I felt like I was in that scene of Beauty and the Beast when Gaston is singing his song.
We don’t always liken a brewery to our favorite Disney movie, but when we do it’s our highest form of flattery! Read More
Event Preview | Talking Metal Monkey Brewing Artisan Market with John Streetz
July 23, 2019 | Mathew Powers 3
The second annual Metal Monkey Brewing Artisan Market hosted by Metal Monkey Brewing celebrates “craft” in its many forms. The event allows patrons to shop for unique gifts created by more than 30 local artists while sipping on craft beer, enjoying meals from local food trucks and listening to live, local music. Moreover, a percentage of all event proceeds will be donated to The St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
One artist, John E. Streetz, of Bead Streetz, is a well-known figure among Chicago’s brewing scene, both because of frequent visitations to Chicago-area breweries and because he regularly displays his artwork there. John is heavily involved in the Artisan Market event. He spoke with us about his work, the connection between artists and craft beer and the event at Metal Monkey.
Read More
Ravinia Brewing Company | Flight of the Rooster
July 23, 2019 | Rachel Morrison
Have you ever had a beer that changed your mind about that entire style of beer? I’ll admit, I’m a fan of a huge variety of beer styles and I’m usually try something new. That said, Saisons have never done it for me. I’d go as far as to say I despise them but that feels a tad dramatic.
This opinion quickly changed at the recent Square Roots Festival in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago. Like most summer street festivals, this one had no shortage of food and drink options. To really show off, Square Roots Festival had a “Brew Lounge” for attendees to try more “exotic” options, which happened to be mostly local to the Ravenswood neighborhood (how exotic). It was there that I tried Flight of the Rooster by Ravina Brewing Company.
Chicago Quick Sips | July 22 Chicago Beer News & Events
July 22, 2019 | Ana Plefka
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].
Revolution’s Midlife Crisis Barleywine Brings the Heat
July 22, 2019 | Taylor Laabs
Hot or cold, Revolution Brewing sure knows how to throw a release party. Hundreds of barrel-aged fanatics, myself included, made their seasonal pilgrimage to Revolution’s Kedzie taproom for the latest Deep Wood release. This series has quickly grown to national acclaim thanks to its bold portfolio of Barleywines, Barrel-Aged Stouts and adventurously-boozy experiments like last year’s Code Switch, a Barrel-Aged Imperial Ale made with blackberries.
Many people associate Deep Wood beers with huge parkas, plunging temperatures and bitter Chicago winters given its annual winter release cadence. Boozy beers that push ABV limits typically go well with sub-zero winter nights. But Revolution’s Midlife Crisis Barleywine release had none of the expected barrel-aged beer release trimmings. Coats were swapped for tanktops, boots for flip flops, and freezing temps for 100 degrees and brutal humidity.Â
Charleville Brewing Company | Amelie
July 19, 2019 | Jordan Palmer
I’ve declared that my Summer of Beer 2019 will include a return to some styles that have sort of fallen off my beer list, namely Hefeweizens and Witbier. Witbiers are Belgian-style ales that are usually unfiltered which gives them a pale and cloudy hue on the pour. They are usually spiced with a fruit such as coriander or orange peel, and are both crisp and wheaty on the tongue.
I find them to be refreshing with an orange slice, but some people don’t care for the extra fruit.
Ultimate 6er | Beat the Heat with Chicago Summer Beer
July 17, 2019 | Mathew Powers
Refer to it as mid-summer; the dog days; the height of summertime. Call it whatever you want, but the fact is that it’s hot outside in the Windy City. And so to beat the heat; we need a few refreshing beers. Whether you drink it watching a ball game while grilling or just basking in some air conditioning, it’s satisfying to have a beer that fits the season. Here are six Chicago summer beers sure to help keep the mind off the endless beads of sweat forming all over your skin.
Bell’s Oberon Ale Label Gets New Look to Close Out Summer
July 16, 2019 | Tristan Chan
One of the country’s most iconic beer brands, Bell’s Oberon is getting a slightly updated look to close out the summer. This morning, Bell’s Brewery announced that it will introduce a short run special edition label to run through the end of August.
2 Days 2 Nights | Indiana Dunes National Park
July 15, 2019 | Paul Lewis
Summer has finally arrived, and in the Midwest, we only have a few short months of sunshine and warm weather. What better way to enjoy the summer than to take a quiet stroll away from the concrete jungle of Chicago? In honor of Indiana Dunes receiving National Park status, I decided to dust off my hiking boots and head to northwest Indiana to see what fun a craft beer nerd and nature lover can have in Porter County.
Fretboard Brewing | Klosterman Honey Wheat Lager
July 15, 2019 | Craft Beer Joe
Bread and beer have some very obvious connections. Which means there’s always plenty of breweries using bread as a clever ingredient or naming convention. And that is exactly what is happening in Cincinnati, Ohio, with Fretboard Brewing and Klosterman Baking Co.
Drekker Brewing | After School PRRRT
July 12, 2019 | Eric Griffin
I’m not sure about everybody else, but this summer seems to be going by way too quick. Sometimes, however, certain things come up that remind you of school in all the best ways. Drekker Brewing, out of Fargo, North Dakota (yes, that’s a real place) has given me a true sense of nostalgia with this fruited sour ale that I recently tried. Read More
Crystal Lake Brewing & Signature Room | Top View Brew
July 11, 2019 | Mathew Powers
Crystal Lake Brewing may be located on the outer edges of the Chicago Metropolitan region, but the brewery is as much a “Chicago beer” as any brewery located within the city limits. So much so, the Crystal Lake Beach Blonde Lager has become a staple at the Signature Room, a posh restaurant & lounge located 1,000 feet above Chicago on the 95th & 96th floor of the John Hancock Center. And now, the brewery has created Top View Brew Golden Wheat Ale exclusively for the Signature Room and Signature Lounge. “Aside from occasionally being on draft at the Crystal Lake Tap Room, it’s only available 95 floors up in the Hancock building. Guests at the restaurant will be able to order this beer year-round while they enjoy the great menu and amazing views of Chicago,” explained Crystal Lake Sales Manager, Jesse Able.
Barrel + Beam | Terre Magique
July 10, 2019 | Jack Raymond
Michigan’s magic is in its power to make locals forget winters exist. We suffer for half the year as ice-pops, then thaw for a couple months of good season. Thankfully, summers around here are peak. Life blooms, lakes warm, that ice cream truck jingle haunts our city streets. Best of all: fruit. We have bushels coming out the ears, blueberries and tart cherries especially, but also apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes—the list goes on. For brewers, it’s not a question of if they can find fruit for beer, but which ones they’ll pick. For Barrel + Beam Terre Magique, blackberry is our lucky winner.
Triptych Brewing | Wake Up, Neo
July 9, 2019 | Dave Drury
Triptych Brewing started from a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2012 but didn’t push out their first beers until February of 2013. Located in Savoy, IL (a small village just south of Champaign, in the middle of the state), the brewery has released more than 200 beers in the past six years and recently just expanded distribution so you can find them all across central and northern Illinois.
With the brewery’s recent expansion, I am finally able to enjoy its beers. Today, I found a four-pack of Triptych Brewing Wake Up, Neo: a Double IPA “brewed the hazy way.” This variation was brewed with Citra, Ekuanot and Mosaic hops and is sold in four-packs of 16-ounce cans that cost $17. The good news is each pint has a solid 8.4% ABV.
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