Why Patio Season in the Midwest Means More

Oh, summer. As a native Minnesotan and current Chicagoan, I have a mixed relationship with the best season of the year. I’m used to rationalizing the cold, the rain, the snow, more cold…and even hail, endured during roughly nine months of the year, knowing that the sweet embrace of 70 degrees and sunny skies is right around the corner. Unfortunately, summer in the Midwest can be as fleeting as the last drip of Lager in your glass, which is why Midwesterners go so crazy for the nice days:  because there are so few of them. One of my favorite summer activities is patio drinking. It’s a staple pastime that tans the skin and bloats the belly as you sit outside sopping up suds and some much-needed Vitamin D. Much like its inhabitants, the breweries of the Midwest also rejoice when the first summer forecast comes into the picture. Patio season can even start before Memorial Day – I’ve seen Chicago breweries unveil their patio chairs on an unseasonably sunny day in March. And guess what? That patio was filled. We asked several Midwestern brewers why patio season is so special for their brewery and for their patrons.

Read More

Why DryHop and Corridor Brewery are Embracing the Hazy IPA Trend

Feature image courtesy of DryHop Brewers

For DryHop Brewers & Corridor Brewery & Provisions head brewer Brant Dubovick, the insight to start focusing on hazy IPAs started when he was in DC for the Craft Brewers Conference with DryHop Lead Brewer Adrian Vidaurre and Corridor Lead Brewer Roger Cuzelis. While there, Brant decided to wait in line for up to 2.5 hours for a Trillium and Bissel Brothers New England-style IPA at a tap takeover. Since then, the haze craze has been front and center for both DryHop and its sister brewery Corridor Brewery & Provisions in particular. Corridor has proven to be a particularly good testing ground to test Chicago’s demand for the hazy IPA, and according to Dubovick, the response has been “amazing.”

Read More

How DryHop Brewers is Helping to Save the Polar Bears

Feature image courtesy of DryHop Brewers

DryHop Brewers is known for making great beer in the Lakeview community; they are also known for some pretty cool collaborations. One of those collaborations is the charitable partnership they have with the local Lincoln Park Zoo. Now in its fourth year, this creature-inspired collaboration is all about benefiting the animals – and brewing a special beer each year in their honor.

Read More

South Loop Brewing Co w/ Dry Hop Brewers | Milkstachio

ABV: 6%
IBU: 0

Mustaches are big in Chicago. Seems like they showed up in the 70s and then became a local institution. You surely can’t win a championship in this town without a mustachioed coach. And imagine Da Superfans or Carl Winslow without mustaches. Nick Offerman, Craig Robinson and the late Dennis Farina sport some hometime pride on their upper lip, too. All we need now is for Bill Murray to bring back the ‘stache (and i think we all agree that he should!)

So mustaches aren’t just for Movember around town here, rather they’re a matter of civic pride. Which is why South Loop Brewing and Dry Hop Brewers got together to brew Milkstachio, giving everyone the opportunity to sport a mustache. Although, this one won’t last long and is way more tasty than an actual mustache. Read More