Stumbling Out of 2010 Right Into 2011

By now you've heard the glorious news that Chicago has officially a new brewery: Haymarket Pub & Brewery passed its inspections and is open for business. With the holidays, I haven't had a chance to get down there, but some of the beers on tap right now are making me salivate: Bear Republic, Left Hand, Victory, Sierra Nevada, Half Acre. Most of the beers on tap are IPAs, which aren't really winter beers in my book, but top-notch quality nonetheless. It'll be some time before Haymarket starts getting its own beers on tap. Right now, the website says they will brew beers to match every type of palate, and focus specifically on Belgian-style beers (which happen to be one of my favorite).

The willingness to experiment seems to be a Chicago trademark. This year, Revolution brewing boasted of having made more than 100 brews, with Triple Fist being 100. I'm all for experimentation with styles and flavors coupled with a few solid offerings. My CTA pass is going to get worn out just from going back and forth to all these places. Revolution was also named to Metromix's Best Bars of 2010, along with Bangers & Lace, Bonny's Bar, and Longman & Eagle, to show that Chicago takes beer drinking seriously.

Perhaps one of the best bit of Chicago beer news of the year is that Pipeworks Brewing made its $30,000 goal on Kickstarter. Even though there is still a lot to do and a way to go, these guys definitely had a goal and made it, and I hope now they are well on their way to making their brewery a reality (seriously, the brew a Berliner Weiss, how awesome is that?). They are going to be looking for places on the north side of the city in late Spring. Maybe your block will be home to a new brewery?

 In other news, Half Acre was named as USA Cycling's Overall Club of the Year for Division II. I don't know why I think this is so surprising, but I guess I shouldn't. Chicago is a great biking town, and lord knows I see enough people in my neighborhood riding their bikes in 20 degree weather in a snow storm, so beer and cycling in Chicago go hand in hand. Also, kudos for Half Acre for making Slashfood's Top Beers of 2010 for Daisy Cutter.

2010 has been a great year for craft beer, and 2011 is shaping up to be even better. I'm going to do my part to ensure that all of these places stay in business. I'm sure my work will completely understand my daily hangovers.

Prost!