Midwest
Founders Brewing’s 2018 CBS Showcases Greater Depth and Balance
October 29, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
Ah, CBS. Founder’s highly-praised Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout returns for a second consecutive year starting November 2nd across their distribution footprint. This year’s version is different than the 2017 variant for several reasons.
First and most obviously, the iconic “mountie” is missing from the bottle and branding. Why? Everyone has ideas and Twitter has seen its fair share of wild speculation. My guess is they just wanted to refresh the brand and focus on this year’s beer. Which, by the way, is very very good. After a six-year hiatus, the CBS that returned in 2017 was good, but its maple syrup sweetness dominated the palate. That said, this year’s version is great, dare I say exceptional, because it brings this insanely complex beer back to equilibrium. It’s much more balanced than year’s past, which lets several flavors shine.
Off Color is Bringing the 250ml Bottle to Chicago
October 25, 2018 | Taylor Laabs
Off Color Brewing is well-known in the Chicago market for pushing the limits of beer, but now they’re pushing the limits of packaging as well. Not content with traditional bottles, bombers and draft options, John Laffler and the rest of the Off Color crew are rolling out new 4-packs of 250ml (about 8oz) bottles to appease the thirsty masses. Read More
Brewery Showcase | Brickstone Brewery
October 25, 2018 | Mathew Powers
Brickstone Brewery has won medals at FoBAB, the World Cup, and GABF. One can find Brickstone at every Jewel, several Buffalo Wild Wings, throughout Guaranteed Rate Field (White Sox games), at beer fests — and even gas stations these days. It’s tough to find a Chicago-area bar without some tap handles adorned by Brickstone artwork. Yet, most Chicago-area beer fans have never been to Brickstone. Born of a family-restaurant in the 1990s, the Bourbonnais business added a brewery in 2006 and has since evolved into a dually-located, full-fledged, 9k to 10k barrel-per-year brewery (with a capacity for 18k) and, as it always has been, family restaurant. Located 45 miles south of downtown Chicago, Brickstone has simultaneously discovered a way to cater to its local clientele while also existing among the biggest names in Chicago beer.
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Ale-O-Ween | Getting Spooky with Ohio Breweries
October 23, 2018 | David Nilsen
The Ohio Craft Brewers Association’s second annual Ale-O-Ween beer festival descended upon Dayton this past Saturday evening, October 20. To set the mood, Mother Nature made sure it was a dark and stormy night, and while that caused more than a few problems for the breweries set up outside as the evening wore on and the weather worsened, the event was still a resounding success. Read More
Little Miami Brewing | Bike Path
October 23, 2018 | Craft Beer Joe
Location, location, location: Regardless of the type, location is always a critical piece to the success of a new business. This truth is evident when visiting Little Miami Brewing in Old Milford, Ohio, as their location is about as good as it gets. To celebrate one of the many perks of their location, the crew at Little Miami created Bike Path, a Bohemian pilsner that has become a fan favorite.
Chicago Quick Sips | October 22 Chicago Beer News & Events
October 22, 2018 | Mike Zoller
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].
New Holland Brewing | 2018 Dragon’s Milk Reserve
October 22, 2018 | Mike Zoller 1
When you hear New Holland Brewing you probably think of Mad Hatter IPA or perhaps more commonly, Dragon’s Milk. The barrel-aged Stout from the Michigan brewery has become an industry staple amongst the craft beer world and with a consistent recipe and proper barrel-aging, this beer is a go-to during Stout season.
Half Acre Far & Away Festival | A Sensational Beer Event
October 16, 2018 | Mathew Powers
The first annual Far & Away festival hosted by Chicago’s Half Acre Brewery and held at the city’s popular Millennium Park offered beer fans a ‘27-Yankees level brewery and beer lineup; heavy hitters that did not disappoint in October. For the two PorchDrinking.com writers who attended each session, the immediate discussion afterwards included the comment, “best ever.” Granted, immediate conclusions can be wrought with over-reactions, but the mere fact that we both said that speaks to the festival’s sheer excellence.
Beer Showcase | Lakefront’s Pumpkin Imperial Ale Slays the Competition
October 15, 2018 | Paul Lewis
Fall in Wisconsin is an exciting time of year. Hearty, Midwestern men and women come back from the lake, stock up on cheese curds and bratwursts and prepare for Packer season. The crisp, cool air signifies a clear changing of the seasons and thus the beer aisle at your local Woodman’s begins to change with it. The aisles formerly populated by the Midwest’s finest kolsch and summer wheat beers seemingly overnight are now enticing thirsty patrons with Oktoberfests, maibocks and pumpkin beers. Oh God, so many pumpkin beers. Everyone makes them now. My recommendation, coming from years of industrial grade levels of drinking, is to avoid the constant disappointment of so many of the macro breweries “take” on pumpkin beers and go straight to the one pumpkin beer that lays waste to its vast and meager competition.
Solemn Oath in Logan Square | Emporium Pop-Up Bar & A New Taproom
October 11, 2018 | Mathew Powers
Solemn Oath Brewing, located in the large and populous Chicago suburb of Naperville, has remained a stabilizing force within the broader, changing Chicago craft beer market. Since opening in 2012, the brewery has adapted to internal and external changes without ever losing its identity, nor its popularity among beer fans; that’s what good people serving well-executed beer will do for a brewery.
Solemn Oath is now ready to take the next step in its craft beer journey by expanding to a second location and joining a slew of breweries in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. But first, a pop-up bar is in the works.
2 Days, 2 Nights | Southwest Michigan
October 11, 2018 | Aimee Jackson
Now that summer is officially over, a weekend getaway to the Great Lakes State may not be high on your travel bucket list. However, fall is the perfect time of year to travel north, as the opportunity awaits to get two tours for the price of one! The changing colors of Michigan’s beautiful landscape provide a stunning backdrop for a craft beer tour in Southwest Michigan.
Brew Detroit | Cerveza Delray
October 11, 2018 | Danny King
October brings with it many things: changing leaves, the full onslaught of pumpkin beers and the end of outdoor parties. But my favorite part of October is, after the buzz of GABF, getting my hands on the Michigan medal winners. Luckily Michigan is a large enough brewing state that at least someone within a 30 minute drive will win something. This year, Brew Detroit snagged an International-Style Pilsner Bronze with Cerveza Delray, named after the beleaguered neighborhood just south of Mexicantown that is currently home to a lot of pollution but will soon welcome the Gordie Howe International Bridge (a welcome addition to everyone besides a company that is the literal embodiment of a bridge troll).
Une Année Quietly Emerges as One of Chicago’s Best Breweries
October 8, 2018 | Paul Lewis
In the Chicagoland area, we have no shortages of breweries. Big ones (Revolution Brewing, Goose Island, Half Acre) and some smaller ones looking to make their mark (Whiner Brewing, Lo Rez Brewing, Marz Brewing). With over 200 breweries and brewpubs now cranking out in the Chicagoland area, it has been hard for a professional drinker to find a place that truly stands out without trying to truly stand out. Personally, I prefer a place where the tourists don’t venture out to and I’ve had to look no further, Une Année.
Half Acre Brings All-Star Lineup of Breweries to Inaugural Far & Away
October 5, 2018 | Mike Zoller
Your standard run-of-the-mill beer festival includes a long list of breweries, many of which go to the same festivals all season, pouring roughly the same beers at each one. Half Acre turned heads in August when they announced a new festival called Far & Away that features some of the best-known breweries from around the country.
Lieferbräu Brewery is About Family, Small Town America & Great Beer
October 2, 2018 | Jordan Palmer
First, a piece of advice. Do not speed as you travel the picturesque country roads of southern Illinois. The first reason is, of course, the cops. The speed limits drop quickly from 55 to 35 as you near and enter the small farming towns along Highway 158. The second reason is the simple beauty of the drive. Country roads should be cherished and with the debut of Lieferbräu Brewery as a reward for heading in this direction, you’ll be driving with a smile the whole time.
Chicago Craft Beer | GABF 2018
October 2, 2018 | Mathew Powers
Six years ago, only about 80 breweries operated in Illinois. Now, approximately 200 breweries create heavenly ales and lagers within the Chicago metro area alone. Coinciding with that eruption of breweries has been an ever-increasing amount of recognition, including Chicago-area breweries winning Great American Beer Festival (GABF) medals and winning them in highly competitive categories.
Granted, Chicago has consistently been able to boast about its bourbon barrel aging prowess—after all, it was conceived at Goose Island during its pre-ABI days and celebrated each year at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beer. But few people outside of Chicago seemed to notice the Chicago brewing scene until recently. However, at the 2018 GABF, Chicago definitely made its mark in the Mile High City.
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Middle Brow Beer Co. | Robyn
October 2, 2018 | Ana Plefka
The revered Belgian brewing tradition has long inspired American brewers to recreate, adapt and riff on Belgian styles and Chicago breweries are no exception. Middle Brow Beer Co. is one of those breweries experimenting with classic European styles not to imitate, but to craft a beer entirely of its own making. Robyn, one of Middle Brow’s flagship brews, pays homage to the yeast-driven character of Belgian beer in a cross between a farmhouse, abbey and blonde ale.
Narrow Gauge’s Jeff Hardesty | Godfather of St. Louis’ Hazy Beer Movement
October 1, 2018 | Jordan Palmer
Some call it a trend, some call it a craze. But for me, it’s the style that has added a new layer of fun to beer.
The style I speak of goes by many names. New England style IPAs, Hazy or Juicy beers, and now, I’m even starting to see “Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales” and even “Juicy or Hazy Imperials and Double India Pale Ales.” The more the merrier.
Chicago Quick Sips | October 1 – 7 – Chicago Beer Events & News
October 1, 2018 | Mike Zoller
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 Brewing | Knowledge Imperial IPA
October 1, 2018 | Brian Haitz
Autumn can be a very glorious yet polarizing time of year as the cool air begins to creep in and push out the warmth of summertime. For some, it marks the return of football season (yay, sports!), for others, it points to the return of the PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte ala Starbucks), and still, for other hopefuls, it could mean getting to fret over your Major League Baseball team for the next month. The latter is what led me to this bold beer, Knowledge, an Imperial IPA by Rhinegeist Brewing.
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