Cultivate by Forbidden Root is Now Open

Chicago Breweries Reopen for Onsite Consumption

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Monday, June 15, that city bars and breweries would be able to serve customers outdoors starting Wednesday, June 17. The announcement came nearly two weeks after restaurants and bars and breweries serving food were able to open for outdoor dining—and drinking. While not all establishments may have existing permits—let alone patios—new applications are being expedited to allow all interested businesses to begin outdoor service.
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What We’re Drinking | May 29, 2020

Another week of the global COVID-19 pandemic has ushered us out of the month of May, and we are starting to see some states (and breweries!) open back up and some new restrictions to aid in our safety while we explore this new stage in our country’s history. Continue to stay safe, shop local and do your part in stopping the spread of this disease. And while we typically use this site to bring a positive reprieve away from the real world, it’d be hard not to acknowledge the horrific scene of racism and police brutality that continues to flood our headlines. RIP George Floyd. We can do better as a community… without further ado, Here’s What We’re Drinking.

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Ultimate 6er | The Perfect Mother’s Day Beer

Mother’s Day may be well-known for mimosas, but here at PorchDrinking, we prefer something a little more hoppy. While Mother’s Day will be different than previous years, it doesn’t mean you can’t pick up some of your favorite local brews. If you can’t be with your mom, consider delivery as a nice surprise; and if you are a mom, stock up and know you have a day free of homeschooling. Need some inspiration? Check out our Ultimate 6er and you’ll be sure to find the perfect Mother’s Day beer for a video chat.

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2020 to See Expansion for Many Chicagoland Breweries

Not only is Chicago’s craft beer scene seeing new breweries opening seemingly every month, but more than half a dozen breweries in the Chicagoland area have also announced expansion plans, setting the stage for a busy end of 2019 into 2020.

Breweries like Marz Brewing Co. and Ravinia Brewing Company will be opening second locations within the city of Chicago. While Noon Whistle Brewing and Pollyanna Brewing Company are expanding in the suburbs. Meanwhile, Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery is opening a second location in Columbus, Ohio.

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Chicago Quick Sips | July 22 Chicago Beer News & Events

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].

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Chicago Quick Sips | April 15 Chicago Beer News & Events

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].

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Chicago Quick Sips | Jan. 7 Chicago Beer News & Events

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].

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Chicago Quick Sips | A Roundup of Chicago Events & Beer News – August 20th

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].

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Forbidden Root’s ‘Assembly Required’ Line Brings Sour Haze to the Midwest

Scroll through your Instagram these days and you’re sure to find a wide selection of hazy beers in tulip glasses, strategically positioned to capture the faintest glimmer of sunlight on the glass. For many, the fanfare around the NE-style IPA is as much about the visuals as it is about the beer’s inherently juicy sweetness. Humans are visual eaters after all, so creating a beer that delights both your eyeballs and tastebuds makes sense. When I scrolled through my feed a few months back, my finger stopped on a post from Chicago-based Forbidden Root. The West-side brewery has made a name for itself with their botanical brews and hazy concoctions, but this newest endeavor, dubbed Assembly Required, was daring even for them. It was a sour NE-style IPA, more opaque than hazy, with a bright rosy red hue that departed from the typical orange juice color of a traditional haze bomb. Their new Assembly Required line is a bold evolution to the must-make trend of the present. After tasting the next batch, I’m confident in saying that the sour haze trend is alive and well in Chicago Read More

Our Favorite Chicago Beers From 2017

2017 will undoubtedly go down as the year of the tap room for Chicago craft beer. Big names that have become synonymous with beer in the city finally opened their doors to the public. Off Color Brewing, Metropolitan Brewing, Maplewood and Half Acre’s new production facility are just to name a handful of places you can now go drink where you couldn’t before. Read More

Brewing News Roundup | Several New Beers Are On The Way

While we can’t pretend to list every new beer release, here are several tasty tidbits that have come across the PorchDrinking.com desk from around the nation. New beers, new packaging, new collaborations and so much more.

Jump to the beer release(s) from the following breweries:

Avery Brewing | Bear Republic | Bell’s Brewery | Brewery Ommegang | Firestone Walker | Forbidden Root | Fremont Brewing | Green Flash | Great Divide Brewing | Modern Times Beer | Moody Tongue | New Belgium Brewing | Reformation Brewery | Rogue Ales & Spirits | SweetWater Brewing | Terrapin Beer Co. | Hopstix

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Event Preview | Chicago’s Premier Brewpubs & Breweries Under One Roof

After winning a coveted Michelin star this past November, Band of Bohemia welcomes in spring with an industry leading list of brewers. On May 1st they’ll host, “Chicago’s Premier Brewpubs and Breweries Under One Roof”. They are teaming up with the James Beard Foundation and The Illinois Restaurant Association to put on the event.

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Forbidden Root | Cherrytree Amaro Ale

ABV: 9.0%

Botanicals are seemingly having their place in the sun right now. Plants are more popular than ever in America, with people ordering kale in unlikely places, foraging for wild plants to eat, lining up to witness Corpse Flowers blooming country-wide and enjoying some previously illegal ones recreationally in four states. It was only a matter of time before they started showing up in our beer. Read More

Inside the Tank | Forbidden Root’s BJ Pichman

With so many breweries operating in Chicago, the ability to stand out is critical. Forbidden Root has been brewing beer for a couple of years now, and in February of this year they opened up a beautiful new tap room in West Town. The brewery uses botanics in its beers such as ginger, cherry stems, black walnuts and licorice to create unique flavor profiles.

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Ultimate 6er | Summer Treat Beers

We may be 2 weeks away from the official start of summer. But for a majority of the country, there’s already been at least a couple days of some back sweat and sunburned noses. Which of course means it’s more than appropriate to break out the summer treats. Instead of getting sticky with melting snow cones or the sadness of losing a scoop of vanilla to the ants, grab one of these summer inspired beers instead. Or even throw them in the freezer for a frozen beer treat!

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