Midwest
Side Project Brewing | M.J.K. Barleywine
December 22, 2021 | Eric Griffin
It is so difficult to address the true outcome of a beer so heavily shrouded by hype. It’s no secret to the craft beer community that Side Project Brewing boasts one of, if not the best, barrel programs in the world. Even the likes of M.J.K., a beer representing the culmination of their barleywine production, finds itself constantly under scrutiny, for the most part by those who will never actually have a chance to try it themselves. Again provided with an incredibly rare opportunity to open yet another La Coterie exclusive bottle, M.J.K. was one in particular that needed a showcase.
Revolution Brewing Offers Some Twists in Third Deep Wood Release
December 20, 2021 | Mike Zoller
It’s crazy to think that we’re down to just one more Revolution Brewing Deep Wood release in January, after the third set of beers came out a couple of weeks ago.
Schlafly Beer | Salted Caramel Stout
December 20, 2021 | Alexis Dickie
Winter is here, so it is time of the year for beers that warm you up – and Schlafly Beer Salted Caramel Stout is the perfect fit. This soft and delicious Stout is part of Schlafly’s Stout Bout Hall of Fame winter sampler pack.
West Sixth Brewing & Bulleit Bourbon | Bourbon Barrel Brownie
December 17, 2021 | Jereme Zimmerman
There’s a new Bourbon Barrel Ale on the block. Kentucky’s West Sixth Brewing and Bulleit Distilling Co. have teamed up to create Bourbon Barrel Brownie, an Imperial Brown Ale aged in Bulleit Bourbon barrels.
Cultivate by Forbidden Root is Now Open
December 10, 2021 | Rachel Morrison
Cultivate by Forbidden Root is now open in Lincoln Square. This is the brewery’s second Chicago location, which takes over the space previously occupied by Band of Bohemia. The Forbidden Root team has brightened and opened up the space, introduced an updated menu and are encouraging people to get out of their comfort zones with their beer list, in the best possible way. Their menu features elevated brewery food, including a Porchetta French Dip Sandwich that melts in your mouth after the perfect au jus dunk. The beer menu is extensive and unique, mirroring Forbidden Root’s West Town location. Foeder-aged and kviek style beers set this location’s beer menu apart. The team plans to continue to experiment with all the funk, especially with the attached taproom opening soon.
2nd Shift Brewing | Chateau La Douchebag
December 10, 2021 | Brian Margiotta
We have all seen them lining up outside a brewery as early as 6 a.m. — or sometimes the night before — to ensure they can be the first to claim their coveted release before anyone else and sometimes even flip the bottle on the secondary market. Yes, the rare beer seekers are out there, lurking in almost every brewery and bottle shop just waiting for that whale of a beer to drop.
Hop Butcher & Frango Mints | Minted (Holiday Imperial Stout)
December 6, 2021 | Mike Zoller
If you grew up in the Chicagoland area, the iconic green box of Frango Mints was most likely a staple in your household. The chocolate mints, bought at Marshall Field’s, were always around my house and now they’ve found a way into my beer.
Kansas City Bier Co. | Winterbock (Dark Doppelbock)
November 22, 2021 | Katie Camlin
A chorus of cheers drowned out the announcement, but the result was clear as the Kansas City Bier Co. logo appeared on the screen. Winterbock, their Dark Doppelbock lager, had won a silver medal. A longtime fan favorite, the bier had gained international recognition – a huge achievement for the Kansas City, Missouri, brewery.
Hops & Bacteria | How Brewers Use the Antibacterial Properties of Hops
November 17, 2021 | David Nilsen
“It’s been known for a long time the addition of hops will control the growth of bacteria in beer,” says Matt McCarroll, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and director of the Fermentation Science Institute at Southern Illinois University. While these antibacterial qualities aren’t usually needed in modern brewing, the rise in popularity of mixed-fermentation beers has reawakened interest in this poorly understood property of hops.
City Built Brewing | Prague Underground Czech Pilsner
November 17, 2021 | Jason Murphy
We were recently able to try a Czech Pilsner from City Built Brewing out of Grand Rapids, MI called Prague Underground. We think this beer is brewed true to style and well worth trying out if you enjoy great tasting beer.
The Pilsner is a Lager beer that was originally brewed in 1842 by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll in the town of Pilsen in Bohemia which is now the Czech Republic. Legend has it that beer was brewed in this part of the country as far back as 1307, but the quality of the beer brewed up until the late 1800’s was so inconsistent the locals had dumped barrels of beer to show their disgust! They brought in Josef Groll to implement a new style of beer that focused on local ingredients and paler malts, and as the old saying goes “the rest is history”.
Revolution’s Straight Jacket Stars in the Next Deep Wood Release
November 15, 2021 | Mike Zoller
Every year, in a sea of highly touted barrel-aged releases, Revolution’s Deep Wood series seemingly has one that will stand out amongst them all. Even though we’re only in the second of four releases, this year’s Straight Jacket might very well be the star this winter.
Taft’s Brewing Co. | Frisch’s Pumpkin Pie Ale
November 15, 2021 | Jereme Zimmerman
Two Cincinnati institutions have teamed up to combine two autumn standards. Frisch’s Pumpkin Pie Ale, brewed by Taft’s Brewing Co., will warm up your fall with its smooth, creamy, lightly spiced pumpkin pie flavor.
FoBAB | 2021 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer Awards
November 13, 2021 | Mathew Powers
New venue. New normal. Same celebration of barrel-aged beers. After a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020, the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB) returned in 2021, although the masks and vaccination requirements offer a stark reminder that things aren’t quite back to normal. And that’s what made every sip of every strong barrel-aged beer, fruited sour or wild ale even more enjoyable. The awards ceremony returned, too (not streamed). We are happy to provide you a recap of the 2021 FoBAB Awards. Congrats to Charlotte’s Resident Culture Brewing for winning Best in Show, and to Chicago’s Revolution Brewing for winning the Runner Up award.
Bell’s Brewery Announces Sale to New Belgium’s Parent Company
November 10, 2021 | Tristan Chan
Two of America’s legacy craft beer brands are joining forces after a bombshell announcement this morning that Michigan’s Bell’s Brewery has been sold to Australia’s Lion, a subsidiary of Kirin Holding, and the parent company which also acquired New Belgium Brewing two years ago.
First Look at Cruz Blanca’s 2021 Luchador Series
November 10, 2021 | Mike Zoller
One of the Chicago’s most unique and diverse lineups of barrel-aged beers returns as Cruz Blanca‘s Luchador series has continued to grow in popularity the last four years.
Reviewing Goose Island’s 2021 Bourbon County Stout Lineup
October 25, 2021 | Mike Zoller
After seeing one of its most successful Bourbon County Stout lineups in 2020, Goose Island brought a similar theme to 2021 with variants that focus more on the barrels and the distilleries the brewery has relationships with.
Zipline Brewing Co. | Festbier
October 25, 2021 | Lori Kitzing
Zipline Brewing Co. of Nebraska has earned another Great American Beer Fest (GABF) medal. In 2021 Festbier received the bronze medal in the style of Dortminder or German-Style Oktoberfest. What is special about the brewing process? “Time!”
First 2021 Revolution Brewing Deep Wood Release Preview
October 14, 2021 | Mike Zoller
Death, taxes and Revolution Brewing nailing the blending of barrel-aged beers: few things are a given in this world but over the last five years, the largest independent brewery in Illinois has continued to excel with its barrel-aged beers.
Revolution Brewing | Parson’s Beer
October 12, 2021 | Rachel Morrison
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.
Graft | The Haunting Artwork of Branch & Bone’s Autumn Zephyr
October 7, 2021 | David Nilsen
The bare shoulder and neck of what we assume is a human woman is sketched in pencil. The lines vary in shade and weight like they’re drawn from shadows. Where the neck meets the face, a skeletal jaw emerges, the teeth all wrong like they were ripped from something that hunts the dark forest. The upper teeth are human, and above them, the hollow eye sockets of a skull that nonetheless seem to stare straight into us.
And it’s here the nightmare really begins. Massive branches of a great tree split from the top of the skull like an antler rack, too heavy for the neck but held up by a hidden, infernal strength, stretching their limbs and fingers into the fog. Looking closer, the creature’s own arms bear a faint pattern of bark, the entire thing some alchemy of primeval nature and inchoate humanity stalking the landscape of our dreams.
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