Midwest
Minnesota Legislature Stems Future Growler Sales for Breweries
July 2, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
The ability to sell growlers in the future looks bleak for some Minnesota breweries as a critical piece of legislation failed to move forward in the Minnesota Senate this year.
Event Preview | Ultra Fresh IV Brings the New New Beers
June 28, 2019 | Abby Schmeling
This Saturday, June 29, marks the fourth annual Ultra Fresh Fest, brought to you by our friends at The Hop Review. This Chicago craft beer festival is truly unique, featuring pours from (mostly) local breweries that have been packaged within one week of the event. You know what that means? Some ultra fresh beer!
Five Questions with Rhinegeist | Celebrating Six Years of Brewing
June 28, 2019 | Mathew Powers
Rhinegeist in Cincinnati is about the celebrate six years of brewing, and what a journey it has been. Three years ago, we featured the brewery’s Streaker Rye IPA and I wrote, “Streaker Rye IPA from Cincinnati’s up-and-coming Rhinegeist provides insight into why this Queen City brewery is enjoying such rapid success.” Well, three years later, it is no longer accurate to describe Rhinegeist as “up and coming.” They’ve arrived.
The brewery operating in the historic Over-the-Rhine Brewery District in Cincinnati (from whence the brewery name is derived), has grown into one of the nation’s largest breweries. We had a chance to pose Five Questions to Bryant Goulding, Co-Founder and VP of Sales & Marketing for Rhinegeist, and ask about where the brewery is, where it’s been and where it’s going.
Ultimate 6er | Summer Adventures in Michigan
June 26, 2019 | Jessica Spengler
Michigan is one of those places that never stops. Despite jokes about two seasons (winter and road construction) the truth is, every season begins and ends and brings with it the sort of activities that seem as if they only happen in movies. There is skiing and snowmobiling in the winter, gardens of wildflowers and baby animals in spring, and hills and landscapes full of red, yellow and orange in the fall. It’s summer, however, when Michigan truly comes alive, mostly because the state is littered with natural and human-made beauties that couldn’t possibly be in one area of the world. It’s with this in mind that for this week’s Ultimate 6er, we have six Michigan summer adventures and the beers that will make them even better.
Small Batch Pins: Supporting Craft Beer One Enamel Pin at a Time
June 26, 2019 | Adam Rozanas
Well before we met Sam and Libby, we were familiar with the pair’s brand and products.
Their enamel pins are some of the most creative, unique and wear-able beer-related accessories … Read More
Lake Effect Brewing Company | School of Brett
June 26, 2019 | Eric Oliver
Down an alley, on the Northside of Chicago, school was in session as two neighbors invited their friend Brett over for a unique experiment.
Lake Effect Brewing Company founder, Clint … Read More
Event Recap | Chicago’s Craft Brews at the Zoo
June 25, 2019 | Paul Lewis 1
A Saturday filled with thunderstorms and unseasonably cold weather did not stop a large crowd of craft beer enthusiasts from descending upon Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo after hours to enjoy the annual Crafts Brews at the Zoo.
The event featured several local Chicagoland breweries including a select few from across the country and beyond. VIP ticket holders were welcomed with a half hour-early admission complete with access to a light appetizer bar and special tappings from Pollyanna Brewing (including a thick, delicious Malted Milk Ball Pastry Stout). As we’ve come to expect from a Lou Dog Events! festival, the event was very well organized with brewery pouring stations located throughout the park, embedded into many of the zoo’s animal exhibits. This allowed ample space to move around, see some animals and sample some great beer.
The weather kept a few of the animals indoors, but festival attendees had the opportunity to see an eastern black rhinoceros, Japanese Macaque and, of course… penguins! In addition to entertainment, we had some great beers being poured from breweries both local and beyond.
Bell’s Brewery | Song of Myself
June 19, 2019 | Jessica Spengler
Beer is poetry. It takes a great deal of understanding and thoughtfulness to make a beer that speaks to drinkers and keeps them coming back for more. Putting together a genuinely exquisite beer requires the consideration of each part individually, from the water to the hops, from the malt to the yeast. Over time, those elements become part of one, and sometimes, if we’re lucky, time will improve it even more. Poetry is much the same. With thorough understanding and thoughtfulness, a poem can last for generations, sitting on our tongues and inspiring whomever it touches. It was this inspiration that led Bell’s Brewery to honor one of Larry Bell’s favorite poets, Walt Whitman, with the launched of their Leaves of Grass series. The first release, Song of Myself, is a German-inspired American IPA. Its release in May 2019 coincided with Whitman’s 200th birthday.
Wooly Pig Farm Brewery | Rustic Helles
June 12, 2019 | David Nilsen
Draped over a few rolling hills in eastern Ohio sits the property of a farmhouse brewery that comes by its agrarian title honestly. Wooly Pig Farm Brewery’s name isn’t marketing; the brewery is a working farm growing livestock and hop bines. Founder and brewmaster Kevin Ely specializes in rustic German lagers, and his bestseller is Rustic Helles, a Munich Helles served unfiltered and cloudy straight from the lagering tanks. Read More
Event Preview | Craft Brews at the Zoo
June 11, 2019 | Paul Lewis
Chicago’s iconic Lincoln Park Zoo is a popular tourist destination in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and is one of Chicago’s few free attractions available to the public. The zoo is home to 1,000 animals from 700 different species including zebras, giraffes, kangaroos and even a polar bear. It is a wonderful place to explore, learn and drink craft beer!
Back for its 5th year on Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15, 2019, Craft Brews at the Zoo is a true Chicago experience for the craft beer and nature lover in all of us. This Lou Dogs Events! experience will feature more than 150 brews being poured by over 60 craft breweries including local favorites Revolution, Maplewood and Three Floyds. Pouring stations will be positioned around the zoo so guests have the ability to explore while they sample; special events with animals, like a polar bear feeding and aardvark chat will also take place.
Chicago Quick Sips | June 10 Chicago Beer News & Events
June 10, 2019 | Taylor Laabs
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].
Rhinegeist Brewery | Dad
June 10, 2019 | Paul Lewis
To all the hard-working dads out there just waiting for their opportunity to crack open a cold one after a long day of doing dad stuff, Happy (early) Father’s Day! I wanted to showcase the perfect beer for such an occasion that just so happens to hold a very special place in my liver. Dad is a malty, heavy Red Ale that comes out of Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio. Yes, I know it’s June and this is a technically a Winter Ale, but hear me out. A good friend of mine who lives outside of Cincinnati sent me a couple six packs a few weeks ago as a way to celebrate my introduction to fatherhood. My wife and I are expecting a baby boy in July, and this was a wonderful and very fitting way to welcome me into my new role.
Minnesota’s Lupulin Brewing Company Acquires Hydra Beer Company
June 7, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
Lupulin Brewing Company out of Big Lake, Minnesota announced on Thursday the acquisition of Hydra Beer Company in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The move will create a second Lupulin taproom in the former Hydra space in Sioux Falls, right across the Minnesota border.
Surly Brewing Co. | Rosé Lager
June 6, 2019 | Max Sundermeyer
My undeniable love for rosé is one only a few people (before this article) know. I’m admittedly new to the game. However, over the last three years, my appreciation for and understanding of “rosé – all day” has grown significantly. And I don’t seem to be the only one. Over the last year, rosé and other wine-inspired beers have found their foothold in the craft beer scene. What was once a libation reserved for rooftop brunches, the pink drink is arriving in taprooms around the country.
Moody Tongue to Open New Restaurant & Bar in Baderbrau’s Old Space
June 4, 2019 | Mike Zoller 1
With his culinary background and his craft beer experience, it was only a matter of time before Moody Tongue’s Jared Rouben opened a full-service restaurant to bring together two of his passions.
Eff Milwaukee: A Minnesotan’s Impression of the First, Funkiest & Favorite Breweries
June 4, 2019 | Adam Rozanas
It’s been a few weeks now since we made a quick beercation to Chicago and Milwaukee.
We thought about compiling all 17 breweries we visited into a single post but decided that wouldn’t be any fun to write or for you to read. We considered highlighting our top five favorite breweries in each city, but thought that would be too cliche. Instead, in a moment of clever wit, we decided to feature three breweries: the first brewery we visited, the funkiest brewery and our favorite brewery in each city. We hope you enjoy “Eff” Milwaukee!
Revolution Brewing | Every Day-Hero
June 3, 2019 | Paul Lewis
If you needed strong ales to keep you comfortable and warm in winter, then warm weather calls for light, crisp, flavorful session ales that keep you satisfied throughout a day of yard work. Let’s face it, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds are much better with a cold beer in hand, and Chicago’s Revolution Brewing is ready with just the beer for the occasion!
Eff Chicago: A Minnesotan’s Impression of the First, Funkiest and Favorite Breweries
May 30, 2019 | Adam Rozanas
It’s been a few weeks now since we made a quick beercation to Chicago and Milwaukee. We thought about compiling all 17 breweries we visited into a single post but decided that wouldn’t be any fun for us to write or you to read. We considered highlighting our top five favorite breweries in each city but thought that would be too cliche.
Instead, in a moment of clever wit, we decided to feature three breweries in two posts each — the first brewery we visited, the funkiest brewery and our favorite brewery in each city. We hope you enjoy “Eff Chicago”!
Founders Brewing Co. | Green Zebra
May 30, 2019 | Danny King
Michigan basically jumped from winter to summer and everyone is slowly emerging from their igloos. In my neighborhood that means the first beautiful evening of the year smells like death as everyone burns off all the grit and winter rust on their grills. While good weather has arrived, it’s about a month late and everyone is geeked to make up for the lost time. For me, that means diving headfirst into arguably the best gose Michigan has to offer, Founder Brewing‘s Green Zebra.
Brickstone Brewery | Milkshake IPA
May 29, 2019 | Paul Lewis
Located 60 miles south of Chicago, the quiet village of Bourbanais, Illinois, might be the last place you’d expect to find an award-winning brewery and brewpub. Brickstone Brewery is well-known nationally for its award-winning APA, and the brewery emerged well before Chicago became the brewery capital of the nation. Recently, Brickstone began experimenting with the new “trendier” styles of IPAs to great success. Brickstone’s Shak’d Up series of Milkshake IPAs gives the brewery a chance to have some fun and experiment with this new style.
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