What I'm Drinking

Even as Chicago continues to experience expansion in its local brewers, the city is also experiencing an explosion in the diversity of beers offered throughout the city. Sure, there's the awesome rare Goose Island beers or the Three Floyds that make their way up or the Bell's, but what about all the other breweries around the U.S. and world that are making their way to Chicago? Chicago is not only becoming a great place to sample locally produced brews, but also a place that anyone can grab a good beer from a variety of brewers from all over. What once made the city the lumber, rail and hog capital of the U.S. also makes Chicago the epicenter of U.S. beer: a central location with a diverse population that brings in beer from all over the world.

Today, I am drinking Cockeyed Cooper by Unita. It's a bourbon barrel barley wine ale, and because it is winter in Chicago (even though it's above freezing, but there is a lot of snow), nothing matches the season like a barley wine. This beer is part of Unita's Crooked Line, something I just noticed today. At 11 percent, it is sure to give a nice warm buzz. The beer pours a dark cola color with a large off-white head. There are chocolate and vanilla notes in the head with some dried, dark fruit. The taste is big and bold, with a chewy texture and a long finish. The taste is reminiscent of chocolate, caramel, plums, alcohol and vanilla. It's a nice sipping beer, especially for the holidays.

Right now, my 10-year-old niece is visiting, and while she crafts with my wife, I'm enjoying this while watching a movie.

I found this at Leeland Liquors for $14. A little expensive, but still reasonable for the city. If you have the chance, give this a try. Let me know what you're drinking.

Goose Island's Bourbon County Vanilla Stout #4 of 2010 by Paste Magazine

Goose Island came in number four on Paste magazine's best beers of 2010 with its Bourbon County Vanilla Stout. Unfortunately, it's the only entry from Chicago on the list, but that might have to do more with distribution than quality. Even though there is a lot of great brewing going on in the city (however new some may be) and the explosion of quality beer bars in the city, I feel that Chicago gets the short stick on the national stage. It'll probably take some time before the Old Style connotation of the city wears off. Unfortunately, many tourists to the city only get to certain parts that are overserved by draconian distribution laws that favor the big brewers over regional craft breweries. A visitor to Navy Pier or Wrigleyville will probably see more Old Style and Miller on tap that Goose Island, Half Acre or even Bells and Three Floyds.

Still, a tip of the pint to Goose Island for consistently making great beer and leading the charge of Chicago on the national stage of beer drinkers.

Pipeworks at City Provisions

On December 21, the fledgling Pipeworks brewery will be showcasing some of its beers at City Provisions deli on Wilson Avenue in Ravenswood/Lincoln Square. I've written about Pipeworks here before, and they are still looking for donations to their Kickstarter campaign to get their operation up and running. If you have the time, you can check out some of their beers to kick the tires in a sense.

Scheduled to appear at the event is a smoked porter, pastrami on rye (?), a Belgian wit and an imperial stout, which at 11 percent will keep you warm on the walk home. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Damen Brown line isn't too far away.

Pipeworks is trying to get its operation off the ground. With the soon-to-be opened Haymarket, Half Acre, Piece, Goose Island and others, this is another great addition to the city, and hopefully than can continue to keep putting Chicago on the map of great beer cities. Throw a couple of bucks their way on their Kickstarter page to help them along.

City Provisions is a great local business that supports local farms. There's beer and wine, butchered meat, sandwiches and coffee, in case you had too much good beer the night before. Come out to this event, and you'll be support two local businesses.

I am a Craft Beer Drinker

Not sure why I wasn't invited, but I'm proud to be a craft beer drinker. Chicago is represented. Introduce, education and illuminate.

Historic Bars of Chicago

Craft beer is great. History is great. Old bars with great stories are great. Hmm... there's a trend here. There's a book from Lake Claremont Press called Historic Bars of Chicago. It details some of the bars in Chicago that have witnessed some pivotal moments in Chicago history. This 273-page book by Sean Parnell looks at the oldest bars in the city, places that Nelson Algren drank, and places that survived prohibition. What does this have to do with craft beer? Not sure, but I'm sure some of these places serve craft beer and local craft beer, and if they don't, we should go there and start demanding they do. Plus, in a city with such a rich history as Chicago, being able to go to historic bars where some amazing characters and stories have occurred makes going out a bit special. If you have a beer/Chicago/bar lover on your Christmas list, this might make the perfect gift. Oh year, there's like more than 100 pages of pictures, which makes it great after a couple of pints have already gone down.

Haymarket Brewery to Open

Great news on the Chicago craft beer front: Haymarket Pub & Brewery is getting ready to open in the next week or so depending on inspections. Even though it is 9,000 square feet, I'm sure it is going to be quite crowded, as we have seen with Revolution Brewing in Logan Square. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get there before the new year, but I'm sure I will within the next month. There will be about 15 beers brewed on site from Pete Crowley, formerly of Rock Bottom brewery.

From Haymarket's Facebook page, it looks like there will be a theater also included (something called drinking and writing). The bar and space looks great, and there are numerous taps behind the bar. They say that they will have about 75 craft beers featured. It'll be a few weeks before you can get any in-house brewed stuff. The space boasts a 100-year-old building, mosaic tiled floors, space for 300 hundred, and house-made sausage.

I'm thinking that this is a place that is going to make its mark on the craft beer map not only in Chicago, but also in the Midwest and soon the nation. It can only add to the diversity that Chicago is enjoying in its craft beer scene.

Pastoral Midwestern Dream

This is what I want for Christmas. I'm notoriously difficult to buy for as my tastes generally just run to literature, music and craft beer. Because the latest Audubon guide at auction sold for more than anyone I know can afford and there's only so many jazz and blues records I can fit into my apartment, this is a nice little enjoyment. This momentary experience of delicacy is transient and worth the money. I'd rather support local producers of cheese and beer than get another piece of electronic that sits on a shelf unused after a couple of months.

Called the Midwestern Beer Lover, this gift set includes Goose Island's Sofia, orange marmalade and crackers from Wisconsin and goat cheese from Indiana. Even though gifts at Christmas tend to be individual, this is something that you can get and share with other people. I like that concept: receiving a gift that you can share with others. The cost is about $70.

I've only been to the Pastoral stand at the French Market downtown. I've enjoyed their offerings. You can order this directly from Pastoral's website.

Beer Map for Christmas

Finally, a practical map every craft beer lover can use. From Chicago Beer Map, we get an illustrated map showing some of the great craft beer bars in Chicago: Hop Leaf, Sheffield's, Delilah's. Say you're out on the town drinking several beers and want to now where to go next. Take out your handy map and find the closest beer bar. There are a couple of places that could be included, but it's a good start.

You can buy the map here.

The Grafton

The Lincoln Square and Ravenswood areas are quickly becoming the haven for craft beer in Chicago. This past weekend, my wife and I had a successful run at Waters Elementary's craft fair, and to celebrate, we went to the Grafton to get some food, enjoy some beer, watch the snow fall and sit by the fire. The Grafton's always had a decent beer selection and good food, but when I got the menu, I was blown away by how much craft beer was on tap--especially the winter beers. I ordered a Brown Sugga, which at 9 percent alcohol was what I needed on a winter's day in Chicago.

With the Foutainhead, Bad Apple, and now the Grafton, there are more and more places that are selling not only craft beer, but also harder to find and more specialized craft beer. The Fiddlehead Cafe, which is on Lincoln and is soon to be rebranded, also boasts more than 100 beers (I haven't been in.) The new flatbread restaurant coming to the square in 2011 also boasts it will have a microbrewery on site. I'm not sure if this is just some flash in the pan or a conscious effort among the people in this area to seek out great beer, but it is a welcomed change over the swill usually found at typical sports bars or faux-Irish pubs. Perhaps with Half Acre selling out of its winter event so fast, we can safely say there is a foundation of support that will encourage other small brewpubs and beer bars to enter into the area. I'd like to hear what some owners of these places think, what drives them to keep offering new and exciting beers. My next push is to get some good cask offerings in the area.

Rainbow Cats at Half Acre

OK, sadly I didn't get my hands on any of Goose Island's rare stout. At $45, it was a bit steep for me right now, and I couldn't find anyone to go in on it with me. However, I heard it sold out pretty fast and it was worth the wait.

Well, at least I have a new Half Acre event to look forward to. On December 18 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Half Acre is hosting its On Photon event. It is billed as a winter celebration of beer and food. There will be special releases from other brewers, Half Acre's Big Hugs imperial stout and a Double Daisy Cutter, which will debut at the event. The cost is $40, but the quality of beer and what I'm sure will be a celebratory atmosphere will more than cover the cost. Nothing chases away the long-night blues like drinking great quantities of amazing beer. Tickets go on sale Dec. 3.

Also, Half Acre is releasing a new beer! This will be (I think) the new Big Hugs imperial stout. The weather has been cold, so get a growler and warm up with this. Seriously. It releases Friday. Get there early and stock up, but only after I get mine.

Read more at Half Acre's blog.

Prost!

Bells 10000

Wow, I can't believe Bell's has made it to batch 10,000. It seems like only yesterday that I've been seeking the individual batches (with some success) and I can't believe that it's been this long. I think the first one I had was batch 2000. Anyway, Bell's has announced that it has started to package and distribute batch 10000 and we can expect to see some at local Binny's pretty soon. It is an American Strong Ale clocking in at 9.2% alcohol. You can read about it at Rate Beer and check out Binny's website for more information.

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

I'm not a big one for spending time tracking down special releases (e.g., Dark Lord Day). I think that the best beer is one that is available and consistent. Hunting down a beer to squirrel away isn't my thing, most of the time. However, there are times when a special beer is released that I salivate over. This time, it is Goose Island's Rare Bourbon County Stout. It's aged for two years in 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle whiskey casks. Normally, these beers can be hit or miss, but I have great faith in this. At $45 a bottle, I'm probably not going to be getting my hands on it any time soon, and because it is only a limited run, many others will be wanting. If you're lucky enough, I'd get one to drink during winter this year and then lay the other one down to let it mellow for 2011. Lucky bastards.

Read about it on Chicagoist.

Thanksgiving Beer

Lots of people associate Thanksgiving with turkey and food consumption, but many don't think too much of what they drink. Sure, there's wine and maybe some cocktails and punch; however, too many people think the beer extends only to generic cans to swill during the football games. On a related note, I found this interesting article on the Mercury News website talking about the pilgrims and beer and the whole mythology surrounding it. OK, it's not specifically about Chicago, but what can be better than say sitting down with some good beer sharing a holiday with family or friends? I'm thinking about going with something light beforehand, maybe a cider, and then switching to a Pilsner during the feast, and then maybe a barley wine or a barrel aged beer afterward. Thanksgiving: it's not all about the turkey.

Sunday Morning Webs

It's a gray Sunday morning in Chicago. Time to check out what is happening in the world of beer.

I just came across a Web site for a bar in Chicago called Local Option. Never heard of it before, but I'm definitely going to be checking it out. The draft beer list looks delicious including Brooklyn Cuvee Noire, Founder's Breakfast Stout, Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast and Three Floyds Drunk Monk. While nothing out of this world, the food looks like good pub grub. Once the holiday hubbub quiets down, I think I'll head over for a pint or 10, plus it's right near the Brown line.

Do you like beer? Do you like school? Well, the Map Room is putting on a beer school November 27 that will cover holiday beers. If I had the money, I would definitely be there. The great thing about beer is its seasonality, and learning about holiday beers is a great way to celebrate that. It's $25 Mickey Finn's brew master Greg Browne.

Sure, some people will be out shopping the Friday after Thanksgiving, but why bother with sharp elbows and haggard sales folk when you can get your hands on some rare beers at Binny's across from Goose Island on Clybourn. There will be some Goose Island beers and some other rare treats. Perhaps I'll try to convince the family to skip the socks and head here instead. Hmm.... Read more at Rate Beer.

December 2, head down to Jerry's Sandwiches on Division for a winter beer tasting. Yes, it's Chicago. Yes, it will be cold. All the perfect reason to get some belly-warming winter brews to fight the snow. It's $25 and details are still coming in, but the weather is a good enough excuse to drink as any.

When Does Craft Beer No Longer Independent?

I'm sure you've heard by now the merger of Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom breweries. (If you haven't you can read about it here.) I've never been a fan of "franchise" brewpubs and this news makes me never want to even come close to entering any of these places.

For the record, the new entity will be called CraftWorks and will include the Gordon Biersch, Rock Bottom and Old Chicago brewpubs. There's going to be something like 200 locations, 12,000 employees and 17 different "brands." To me, it sounds like nothing but opportunism and a chance to cash in on the craft beer movement. If you carefully read the press release, it is liberally sprinkled with those words: craft, made-from-scratch, finest craft beer. Basically, what I'm seeing is that we are getting another type of Bennigans or Applebees on our hands: a place to get Irish nachos or chicken fingers with some watered down version of a cherry tart wheat beer.

As someone that works in marketing and the corporate environment, the press release also shows those telltale marks of leverage, diverse solutions for complex challenges and all the other jargon meant to appease investors, especially Centerbridge, the entity that is putting this all together. It is trying to diversify its position by entering the casual dining and fine dining white tablecloth establishments.

I'm not sure where this will leave everything or what it portends for the future. What I'm guessing is that the pulling together will increase advertisement of these places. Because genuine craft beer is such a small percentage of the overall market, I would say that this merger will siphon more sales away from the larger breweries. It also might provide a good stepping stone for those that are looking to expand their beer pallet. Still, there seems something very corporate about the whole deal, which might continue to dilute the whole craft beer movement (similar to green washing for eco-products; maybe we can call it craftwashing or localsizing or something).

Looking at the menu of the establishments, it looks like a standard suburban bar and grille: lots of fried food with servers wearing flair. Interesting enough there isn't an Old Chicago location in Chicago, and I can't really see anything it has to do with Chicago at all. The beers at Gordon Biersch seem pedestrian. Time will tell.

Visit the CraftWorks site here.

Metropolitan Brewing on Chicago Revealed

I knew that starting your own brewery was hard work, but this video from Chicago Revealed shows just how hard it is. With so much work done by hand, it's amazing how they get their beer out the door. I'm really impressed and amazed at the work and dedication of the people at Metropolitan brewing. Watching this reminds me of the movie Beer Wars and just how much of a battle independent craft brewers have against the big guys. After seeing this, I want to go out and buy as much Metropolitan beer as I can. Keeping jobs in the city of Chicago and encouraging local and small business to experiment and setup shop in the city. Check out the video.

Half Acre: The Beer & The Good Time

Some news from our friends at Half Acre. A new beer is going to be release Friday, November 11. It'll be a "monster" brown beer called Thunder & Son. I've seen this at Half Acre's website. I'd suggest getting there Friday or Saturday. I have a feeling there won't be much of this around for long.

Half Acre doesn't look like it's going to stop with the fall releases. Next week they should be releasing S.S. Simon Short. This is billed as an "earthy" porter. Nothing beats nice, earthy dark beers in the weeks leading up to the dark winter. My fingers are crossed that one day we might get a nice barley wine. Sitting around the fire, in my library swirling a snifter of barley wine from Half Acre. Well, the fire would be a radiator and the library is a shelf of old books, but the beer will really tie the room together.

There's also some mysterious event taking place on December 18. I'm not sure of the details, but it says to keep the date open. If Half Acre beer is involved, I'll keep my whole month open.

Two long days until I can get my hands on some Thunder & Son. I might have to run out for a Daisy Cutter to tide me over.

Cheers!

What You'll Find in the Most Interesting Places

A Google StreetView of C&B Liquors. Great place for craft beer.

There's plenty I like about the neighborhood I live in: walkable, lots of independent shops, great restaurants. However, one of the aspects I appreciate the most is the cultural diversity. From Thai to German to Eastern European to Middle Eastern to Greek to Ethiopian to Indian, the area serves a wide variety of people from various backgrounds. My wife was having a craft party with some friends, and I was sent out to get some libations. What I came across typified the area perfectly: a small, hot liquor/convenience store run by an Indian, next door to a Philippine restaurant and Bosnian photography shop. Even though the place was hot, smelled like incense and could barely fit an adult down the aisle, it had quite a selection of craft beer from local and national breweries. Fit in with Bulgarian wine and macro swill sat Half Acre, Goose Island, Southern Tier, Sierra Nevada, Bells and many more. After years of dealing with Icehouse and Busch Lite at local corner stores, we are finally starting to see good beer filter down, more so than wine. I'm not sure if it's just demand or better distributors, but whatever it is, I welcome it.

Bangers & Lace: A Cicerone Lands in Chicago

Bangers & Lace, a new restaurant opening in Wicker Park, has 32 draft and 68 bottle beers with your own cicerone to help you select the right one for your meal.

The name of the place sums up the concept: sausages and beers. However, this is Cheesehead country, so don't expect a bunch of green-and-gold mustachioed guys eating brats and shotgunning beers. There will be more artisan-style fare such as bacon-wrapped kielbasa skewers, Merguez lamb sausage and feta flatbreads, a Bavarian pretzel with chocolate-stout mustard and desserts that include Black Dog gelato and Hoosier Mama pies. (Black Dog gelato is a great locally produced treat.)

Bangers & Lace will also feature a cicerone, a person that acts like a sommelier but instead of wine, pairs beer with food. The owners seem to want to make the learning of beer as important as the drinking of it. Instead of taking a backseat to the food, the beer will be an integral component. I hope that places such as Bangers & Lace will continue to elevate the idea of beer as a part of a meal that extends beyond take-out pizza and ballpark hot dogs.

Nano-Brewery at American Flatbread in Lincoln Square

Here's something new that I hope takes off. The planned American Flatbread outlet in Lincoln Square, which will serve organic flat breads from locally sourced farms, plans to open a nano-brewery on site to brew small batches of beer. The restaurant, which will sit right off Giddings Plaza, will feature a wood-burning oven made of clay and straw as well as a bar and an outdoor patio.

However, I most intrigued by the prospect of a nano-brewery. I know there are brewpubs that churn out beer (e.g., Revolution Brewing), but the idea of a restaurant-first place that makes small beer to complement its food is something that I think is new to Chicago. From what I can tell, there isn't much difference between a micro and a nano brewery except for the size. For a place that is paying such careful attention to the details and sourcing from local farms, the idea of making beer specifically to fit the food is great. This can only further the idea that food and beer can have a synergistic pairing, just like wine, and break the mold of something to get drunk on or to wash down hot wings. Maybe this will start a new trend in the city of places making their own small batches of beer to go with food or special food offerings.

At first, I was a bit hesitant about a chain coming in, but after learning one of the guys is from Chicago and they will be brewing their own beer and using locally sourced food, I'm becoming more eager to see this place open. If the stories about a nano-brewery turn out to be true, then I'm even more excited for what the Chicago craft beer scene holds.

You can read more about nano-brewing here, and you can read the Center Square Journal article about American Flatbread here.

What's New in the Brew

This week has been pretty exciting with announcements from the craft brewing scene in Chicago. Screw the pontificating prose, let's get down to it:

Big Star is planning a one-year anniversary party on Nov. 8. There will be a special beer on tap developed by Big Star and Goose Island's Clybourn Pub Brewer Jared Rouben. It'll be called Deguello. Yep, it is named after the album by ZZ Top.There will also be live music and, of course, food.

This one sounds great: Bleeding Heart Bakery is teaming with Fifty/50 to create a new location on Chicago avenue. Bleeding Heart Bakery will be a full-fledged sit down place with 125 or so tables. The cool beer part is Roots, which will be right next door. Roots will be the brain child of Greg Mohr and Scott Weiner, who run the aforementioned Fifty/50. The Roots will feature 16 different beers on tap--all from the Midwest. This is awesome news. I'm sure there will be Bells, Three Floyds, Goose Island, maybe Half Acre, but I'm also hoping that we can get some beers with smaller profiles (New Glarus maybe?) into the mix. You can read what Time Out Chicago had to say.

October 30 has Costumes and Craft Beer at Jack Melnick's Corner Tap. 11 taps of Victory. Yes, 11 taps of Victory.  There's a discount if you wear a costume.

Also, if you can head over to Revolution Brewing in Logan Square. They now have 10 Revolution beers on tap to try. They also have Eugene Porter and New Holland Ichabod on cask. I find it rare to get cask beers, so head on over and try some.



That's some of the latest news. Get out there and support your local Chicago craft beer scene!

How Far They've Come: Half Acre Video

I just stumbled across the great video profiling Half Acre. It debuted in early 2010, and you can see how much the brewery has grown in the meantime. Even though Half Acre has seemingly grown, it is interesting to see how it started and what craft brewers face in Chicago. In a way, it is an inspirational video to keep drinking local beer and supporting local craft brewers.

Pipeworks Brewing

The best part about the Chicago craft beer scene is that there are so many enthusiasts who are trying to start their own craft breweries. Maybe what Silicon Valley is to technology, Chicago can be for craft beer? The best example I have seen recently is Pipeworks Brewery. It's not even around yet. Basically, it's a couple of guys who want to start their own brewery. Instead of focusing on large batches, the brewery looks to be focusing on small batches at a local brewpub.

What these guys need right now is some money to help get their business running. If Chicago truly wants to be a great craft beer city, then we can give a little to make sure that people that want to open their own brewery can do it. It reflects everything that is great about craft beer: community and experimentation.

 Also, it looks like they might be looking for a place in Garfield Park. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it shows how great Chicago is that these craft breweries are looking all over the city and not concentrating in one hip neighborhood.

You can learn more about Pipeworks Brewing at Kickstarter, where you can check out their story and donate some money. The brewery also has a Web page and a page on Facebook. Show some support and maybe in a year's time we can add another craft brewer to the Chicago scene.

Goose Island News

As always, Goose Island continues to be Chicago's flagship brewery. It's by far the largest of the city-bound craft breweries and has the flexibility to try new beers and styles. November is almost upon us, and a quick look at Goose Island's beer calendar shows that there should be a few new beers coming out: Bourbon County Brand Stout, Rare Bourbon County Stout, and Draft Release #4 (hmm).

Also, on October 27, Goose Island will be hosting a Beer Academy for Barrel Aged Beers at its Clybourn location. Keep in mind that the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers is coming up and that this might make a good crash course if you are not familiar with the style. You can sample 15 to 20 beers at Goose Island for $20. Make sure to RSVP before the date.

Last but not least. It looks like Goose Island is expanding production to Redhook in New Hampshire. It doesn't look like Goose Island beer will be available immediately in New Hampshire, but it's a good start. Apparently, Goose Island's 4 million gallon capacity stretched to the limit. This will allow Goose Island to step up short-term production while planning for expansion in Chicago, which should bring more jobs. This is a great example of how supporting a local brewery has a positive impact on the community. You can read more about this at Beer News.

Drinking Wake of the Flood

Stopped by Half Acre on Saturday and it was crowded with people picking up growlers for the weekend. I actually stopped at Bad Apple, which is across the street, to have a beer and wait for the crowd to thin out. If you haven't been to the Bad Apple, I highly suggest it. There are a lot of great beers on tap and in bottle. I had Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous Ale. A great dark IPA. I'm personally very happy that Stone has finally found its way to the Chicago market. If you have a chance, stop by the Bad Apple, grab some good craft brews and food, and then head over to Half Acre for a growler.

Now to the beer: I picked up a growler of Half Acre's Wake of the Flood. This newly released beer is designed for the fall harvest season, and it works. Full of grain and balanced with hops, this slightly tarnished brass colored beer is chewy and thick and perfect for an October night or afternoon (or morning for you adventurous folk). It's smooth and easy to drink. I hope this continues a great trend of Half Acre making seasonal beers.

Finch Beer Looking for a Name

There's a new brewery coming to town, and it's looking for a name for its flagship beer. Located in Chicago's Mayfair community (think Montrose and Pulaski), Finch beer is going to be a new craft brewery located in Chicago. However, Finch is still looking for a name for its flagship blonde ale. If Finch picks your name, you get to win free beer for life. Sounds like a great deal. Here's the Facebook page for more details.

What I find particularly interesting about Finch beer is its location. On Elston off Montrose, it is away from traditional areas of craft beer. Just down from the location is a mosque. Further down Montrose is a Buddhist temple. The opposite way is a Eastern European nightclub. It wouldn't be an obvious place for a craft beer brewery. Even though it doesn't look like it might have a brewpub attached and will work through distribution, it might have a presence similar to Half Acre: a brewery with a small storefront that sometimes acts as a de facto meeting place for Half Acre lovers.

Not sure what this is, but apparently
Old Chicago had a rotor in it.

The symbolism is enormous. So far, craft beer is populated by fairly educated, middle class white people. This is a broad generalization, but going to a fest or scanning those that are working in small breweries tends to reinforce this idea. There might be a variety of factors here: the trend of craft beers costing more than mass produced products; perhaps a cultural heritage stretching back to Europe; a broader embracing of the local and slow food movements. Whatever, it might be, craft beer consumers and enthusiasts tend to be better educated, middle to upper class, and white.

Craft beer, for some, can be associated with elitism, urbanism or education. It can be perceived as not being "real" enough or "manly" enough. As I'm from originally the south suburbs, I witnessed this first hand growing up and today. A real beer is one that is served cold and has some professional sport association: Budweiser, Miller Lite, etc. The branding has associated these beers with the working man (across races) and marks it opposite of craft beers.

The beer barons of Chicago's early
days made lots of money. Here is one of the
houses built in Wicker Park.

Take the recent Miller High Life commercials: a working class truck driver takes back his macro-beer from wealthy white clients. The symbolism couldn't be more pronounced: High Life is not for wealthy people, but for working class people. It reinforces the idea that the working class only deserves macro swill and drinking anything else is akin to acting too elite, or even too white. This marketing ploy subconsciously plays on the stereotypes we have about race and class in America.

This brings me back to Finch brewing and its location. Instead of seeking out a place that can cater to its anticipated clientèle, it chose a place that is working class and diverse. This might have more to do with economics than any intentional ploy, but the impact might be as great.  Before prohibition and restrictive distribution laws, breweries used to operate in and serve their communities. Local beers reflected local cultures and tastes. Perhaps by having a brewery in the area, those who come from different cultures (and countries) can physically see locally brewed beer and realize that there are options beyond the standard macro-produced beer.

As craft beer starts to take a stronger hold in Chicago, perhaps we will see different communities starting their own breweries to reflect their cultural heritages. This will give people pride in their neighborhoods and a way to see that there is more out there than what is on the grocery store shelves.

You can visit Finch's website here.
You can also check out Finch's Twitter feed.
Check out Finch's Facebook page.

Half Acre: Wake of the Flood

New beer today at noon at Half Acre. Wake of the Flood is an autumn beer with rye and pilnser malts with some crystal hops. Not sure what it is going to be like, but I'm sure as hell going to see if I can get myself some. It's a draft only, so bring your growler and fill up. Plus, I'm loving the logo with the bear and crow with a paddle and saw. Not sure what it all means, but it speaks to that fall home repair harvest building something feeling that seems to come naturally with fall.

Read more about the new beer at Half Acre's blog.

Octoberfest vs. Harvestfest Fest

Fall is one of the great beer drinking seasons. Of course there's football and walking through pumpkin patches, but more importantly there's the harvest beers. There's nothing better than drinking a nice Oktoberfest or harvest beer on a crisp Chicago day. Thankfully, The Fountainhead and the Bar on Buena are putting on an amazing Octoberfest vs. Harvestfest celebration on Oct. 23 and Oct. 24.

The two bars are going to be offering dozens of Oktoberfest and harvest beers including Victory Fest, Great Lakes Oktoberfest, Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest, and Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela (on cask!). Both bars are teaming up to offer all of these great beers plus more. What's even cooler, is that you don't even have to drive between bars or take public transportation: there's going to be a free shuttle going back and forth.

Seasonal beers are some of my favorite because they are only available for a short time and match the weather outside. Sure, a good Pilsner is nice, but a barley wine in the winter or a harvest beer in fall seems to make everything right with the world. That somehow amidst all the marketing hype and constant availability that we still cling to growing seasons, eating and drinking in cycle with the moon as those first brewers did. It might not rely on dank caves or small communities harvesting grain, but it does hearken back to those simple times when a job well done was rewarded with a beer to match the weather.

You can learn more by checking out the Facebook event page. 

Festival of Barrel Aged Beers Coming Nov. 6

Tickets are now on sale for the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers. It will be this Nov. 6 and tickets will be $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Let me tell you one thing: it is definitely worth it. 


A barrel-aged beer is one that has been aged in a wooden barrel for a given amount of time. The idea of using large steel kegs or vats to keep a beer is a relatively new invention in the history of beer making and dates back to the 19th century. As industrialization turned what was formerly family- or town-run businesses into corporate machines with management structured, there needed to be a way to reliably transport and keep beer for delivery to far away places. Because wooden barrels impart different qualities and can alter the final product, new inventions in steel became the rage among industrialists. However, the uniqueness and flavor that many people now crave in these types of beers were lost. Consistency and reliable delivery trumped uniqueness and flavor.


Interestingly enough, with the rise of craft brewing, this method has now come back into vogue, especially in America. Many breweries in Europe still hung on to this time-tested method (for a good parallel example look at the history of champagne). Perhaps less than 10 years ago, American breweries started to pick up on this method and experiment with barrel aged beers. I remember the first few and uniqueness, and I was immediately blown away. Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout used Bourbon barrels to impart different flavors of vanilla and whiskey. It is a great way to take a good beer and add a distinctive twist to it.


Like all things, it might be getting overdone, and by that I mean that the big breweries have started to take notice and use it for marketing ploys. It seems to water down the whole experience, but events such as this show just how great a beer aged like this can be. It also takes quite a bit of time and space to house these beers. Inventory that sits and ages doesn't make money; an idea that is toxic to big brewers. Even though these guys have the capital and space to store their beer, it is up to the little guy to take the chance. It is our duty to go and drink as much as we can.


The fest is expected to draw about 50 brewers. There will be a judging. There are two sessions: one that runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and another that runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event takes place at the Chicago Journeyman Plumbers' Local Union 130 Stephen M. Bailey Auditorium, 1340 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago. This place hosts the CHRIP Record Fair and is a great location. There is plenty of room and a parking lot. The murals are a treat as is the balcony. Tickets are now on sale at Brown Paper Tickets. You can learn more at the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild website. There will be $10 tickets for designated drivers, and it is in Chicago, which is served by a lot of public transportation and cabs. 


One final word: as different movements that stress local food, slow food, local and independent shopping, and environmentally conscious choices, it is interesting to see the craft beer movement parallel this. Barrel aged beer falls into that same category. Instead of mass produced beer using cheap ingredients, people are choosing local flavors and varieties that use traditional methods of production. After more than a century of being told that mass production and uniformity is the ideal, people are starting to recognize and appreciate the uniqueness found in local and traditional methods and techniques. Even if we do live in an industrialized society, sometimes we recognize that instead of trying to force everything to be the same that some things are just made better with a bit of time and chance.

Large Corporation to Force Americans to Drink Crap Beer

Apparently because nobody wants to buy their corn-adjunct crap macroswill, Budweiser will try to cajole drunken frat boys at sports bar around Chicago with free Budweiser. For some reason, Budweiser thinks that this will somehow get people to buy more Budweiser. I can only imagine that this will reinforce in people's minds just how awful this beer truly is.

I'd imagine the free beer will be given away at places that sell a high volume of Budweiser and probably won't bother too many craft beer drinkers. I'm thinking mostly sports bars and dives. As more Chicagoans want more and more craft beers both brewed locally and in the U.S., breweries such as Budweiser are going to find overall market share slip.Is there anybody out there that doesn't know what Budweiser tastes like? Perhaps 10 years ago when there wasn't much of a choice on local taps, people would readily choose Miller and Budweiser; however, today with so many options and different prices, these two breweries get left out. With PBR and Burger Beer selling for $2 and decent craft beers selling for $4 or $3, who wants to buy a Budweiser for $3.50? It either has to compete on taste or on price. With an unwillingness to make a better beer or to reduce its profit margins, Budweiser is stuck with legacy drinkers who only partake out of habit. No amount of free beer can change this trend.

Maybe we are starting to witness the decline of the corporate beer giant?

Events for the week of September 26

There are some great craft beer events happening in Chicago this week. In addition to the Fountainhead event on Tuesday that I mentioned in a previous post, check out these other events coming up:

The Map Room is having its weekly International Night on September 28. This time it is Indonesia. I'm not sure what craft beers will be available, but I'm sure there might be something interesting (even if it is from something larger).

Also on Tuesday is a Founders tasting at Maria's in Bridgeport (formerly Kaplan's). They will be breaking out Founders Nemesis Barley Wine and have a cheese tasting. There will also be free shirts!

Wednesday Goose Island is having a German lager beer academy. $20 gets a lecture about craft beer from Head Pub Brewer John Rouben as well as a sample of 12 to 15 craft beers.

Also on Wednesday is probably the best deal of the week. Half Acre is dumping its Spring and Summer beers to make way for its Autumn and Winter brews. I'm sure space in their warehouse is limited, so we all benefit by going to the Hopleaf for a Half Acre blowout. They will be offering several of their beers and take over the Hopleaf. 10 oz. pours are only $3.50.

Thursday you can go to the Palmer House for Potter's Lounge. The class will take participants on a tasting journey focusing on the brewing process unique to each beer.

Also Thursday, Goose Island is taping a new beer at its Clybourn location. (Not sure what it is, but I'm looking forward to the Madame Rose).

Finally on Thursday, the gorgeous Mrs. Murphy and Sons is having a beer harvest. There will be 80 beers from 30 breweries. I'm not sure how  many will be craft beers, but I'm guessing there will be a more interesting selection than the standard macro fare.

Too many to choose from. Cheers!

Saison Du Buff Trifecta Night at Fountainhead

Saison Du Buff

I just heard that Stone, Victory and Dogfish Head collaborated on a beer called Saison Du Buff. Three great breweries in one beer. Well, what does this have to do with Chicago? Fountainhead on Montrose is having a tasting of all three September 29.

These breweries are always trying different things and to see each's take on a single beer will be amazing. Hopefully I can rustle up some extra cash to get over there and check it out. Fountainhead will also be pairing a beer from each brewery with a particular dish. It's great to see beer nudging itself on to the dining table next to wine.

Collaborations like this remind me of the days when musicians would sit in with each other, cover songs, jam at concerts. It's great to see openness and collaboration in the craft beer industry. It's the spirit of working together to make something great instead of competing for wallets.

Details:
Fountainhead
September 29 (a Tuesday)
1970 W. Montrose
Chicago

Facebook page to learn more: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158930310785778
Fountainhead page:  http://fountainheadchicago.com/

Welcome to Chicago Beer Enthusiast

Drinking a craft beer in the summer in Chicago.

On a Saturday in mid-August, I stood in Half Acre’s small retail store on Lincoln. I’ve had their bottled and canned beers, but never anything fresh on tap. I was having a record party that night and thought a growler of Half Acre would hit the spot for some porch drinking. When I got in, there were a half dozen people waiting to get their growlers filled. A tall, skinny man was taking the orders, offering samples and being genuinely polite. I waited my turn, but as I did, I noticed that people kept coming in, pushing the total way past a dozen. It was then that I knew something serious was happening in Chicago.

I originally got into craft beer during my senior year at Purdue back in the late ‘90s. It was nothing serious, but on nights when my roommate and I would hangout with a few friends, we’d hit up a local liquor store with some imports and give them a shot. They were much tastier than the normal college swill, but there was also a sense of adventure: trying something different from a place I’ve never been. At that time, it was as close as I could get to traveling to places such as England or Belgium. I’ve been a craft beer drinker ever since.

I’ve lived in and around Chicago my whole life. I looked to the West coast with envy as new craft breweries started to pop up. I knew a lot of people around Chicago who enjoyed craft beer, but it was still the minority. The first “Dark Lord Day” was maybe a dozen guys sitting in a cold Three Floyds brewery drinking out of plastic cups. No tents. No festivities. Most bars might have carried a few interesting beers, but people were still ordering macrobrews by the gallon. Then something started to happen. Bars started to pay attention to the beer they were carrying. Goose Island started to get known in the U.S. for its beers. Restaurants were pairing beers with food. New breweries started to open. Almost overnight, there was a new sense of craft brewing love in Chicago.

Living in Lincoln Square, I’ve seen this change first hand: Metropolitan Brewing, Half Acre, Bad Apple, Fountainhead. All opened in recent years. All making or carrying craft beers. It’s a great time to be a craft beer lover in Chicago. New breweries are opening. People are starting to put down the macroswill and enjoy a well-made beer. This “blog” (how I hate that word) is my attempt to write down what is happening in the craft beer movement in Chicago. Look at who is doing what. Give news about new openings and happenings. Have an excuse to drink.

What I most enjoy about the craft beer movement is the community that it brings. It's something that I might explore later on, but for those who appreciate and enjoy craft beer, there is something beyond just avoiding buying from large corporations. Some might like purchasing from local companies or being outside the mainstream. Whatever the reason, it is a community of people from different backgrounds that can sit and enjoy a beer, a good conversation and a moment without the hype and marketing found through traditional beer.

So here's to a new adventure in Chicago. I hope that I'll be able to provide a bit of insight, knowledge and news to the Chicago craft beer community and continue to work to foster it throughout the entire city and beyond.