Explosion of Breweries in Chicago

Whoa, I've had no idea that so many breweries are coming to Chicago. Even though I've read that some breweries are closing around the country, it seems that Chicago is continuing its expansion. Most of the breweries look like they are extremely local with many asking for donations to get their operations off the ground. This might suggest that people are earnest in their endeavor, but maybe don't have the financial backing; like taking a hobby and trying to make a go of it. Will this lead to a saturation of the Chicago market? Probably not. Of course, those with better brewing and business skills will survive, but I don't think any will close because of a market tipping point. Compared to other markets, Chicago still has a long way to go to catch up in terms of local breweries to population. Plus, with the decline of macro beers and the changing tastes there is a large market in the city still up for grabs. (An interesting side note is that the first rice brewery from Korea is going to setup shop in Chicago.)

What might be a trend to look for is what Last Bay Beer is doing. The people at Last Bay are trying a nanobrewery concept where they brew beer off-site and then have a small tasting room that serves growlers. This greatly reduces the brewery's footprint while allowing them to slowly expand. It's a way to start with the beer and get it directly into people's hands without the hassle of running a pub. It's probably most similar to Half Acre's approach.

Here are links to some of the new breweries. Enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/arcadebrewery

http://4pawsbrewing.com/our-beer/

https://www.facebook.com/spitefulbrewing

http://lastbaybeer.blogspot.com/

http://www.lowdive.com/

http://broadshouldersbrewing.com/brewery/index.html

http://www.newchicagobeer.com/about/

New Exciting Brewing News

Even though I just heard about a new brewery going in off Ravenswood in the Lincoln Square/Northcenter area, I get wind of another new brewery opening in Motor Row. This is the same place that some people have called to make a music destination with hotels and clubs. Broad Shoulders Brewing looks to be coming this summer. I am for one excited about this because I love the south loop area and it's great to see some of these types of places filter down from the north side. The brewery will be using an existing building, which helps to preserve the local character of the area and Chicago. It'll also be playing up to the convention crowd. This should give tourists a better idea of the unique style that Chicago has to offer. It looks like Broad Shoulders will specialize in lagers, but have one-offs for probably more creative outlets.

It's the end of January in 2012 and the Winter Brew Festival at DANKhaus is sold out. Yep. Have to go to Craigslist to get tickets. With festivals like this selling out, it shows that there still isn't enough supply to meet demand for craft beer in Chicago. If you can't get into this, check out this list of upcoming beer events (I'm angling to get to the Night of Living Ales).

Just to note: sales of macro swill beer continue to decline. Perhaps the American pallet is waking up.

Haymarket Pub: The First Visit

It's been sometime since I have posted last, so I thought it'd be a great way to start the new year by hitting up one of Chicago's notable breweries: Haymarket Pub.

While there, I enjoyed the Allocution, Angrier Birds and Defender beers. That's why I'm conflicted about the place. Let's start at the beginning.

I was doing an assignment to write about an art gallery a few blocks away. It was a warm January day, even by Chicago standards. As I walked down Washington, I noticed that there was a sign for a brewpub and restaurant. I made a mental note of it and decided to stop by and check it out on my way back. As I made it down the street I discovered with great joy that it was the Haymarket. I was joyed at the prospect of going to a brewpub in Chicago I haven't been to. Plus, most brewpubs are chill places to relax, have some good conversation and a good beer. I couldn't have been more wrong about Haymarket.

Maybe it's the location, who knows, but the first thing I noticed were the TVs. There seemed to be hundreds of them. From every direction there was an assault of blue-tinted flashes of light. I also immediately noticed the front of store podium with obligatory "Please Wait to Be Seated" sign. Thoughts of entering an independent cool brewpub was suddenly dashed by the fact I was standing in some upscale Appleby's. I was disappointed.

The initial service wasn't much better. With all of the trixies, hipsters and scenester girls running around and the too-hard trying bartenders, you think it'd be faster to get served, but sadly that wasn't the case. I took a seat at the bar, and it wasn't until some younger kid started working that there was any real service. The place seemed more geared toward tourists and suburbanites. There was vague douche written all over everything.

OK, I think I'm being too harsh. The place had a nice look, a bit too overdesigned and the TVs were a distraction, but the beer was good. That's something, isn't it? Maybe being in the area necessitates catering to tourists. Who knows? I'll go back during lunch to try some beers maybe nibble on something, but it's hardly a destination. With luck, maybe we'll get Haymarket in bottles or cans to avoid the whole thing together.

Recent Happenings

There has been a lot of great beer stuff happening around the city. Yesterday I was in Andersonville at an Irish restaurant/pub. The place itself was gorgeous: a library, lots of wood paneling, not too many televisions. It was mid afternoon, but the overall atmosphere was great. What I particularly enjoyed was the craft beer menu. I've noticed this more and more at places, especially around the north side of the city. There was an ample selection of craft beer, and I don't believe a macro brew was even served. It's hard to imagine that in a few short years such extensive beer lists would become common. I recently dined at Fork in Lincoln Square (which has a great burger and summer salad) and it was the same thing. An extensive beer list. Now, a lot of the beers won't be rare or hard to find, but they do fit the bill and offer more selection to pair with a mood, meal or atmosphere. It was a cool late summer day, and my wife and I sat outside. I ordered a Scottish ale, which paired nicely with the crisp weather.

Some other Andersonville news: the Hopleaf is having a dinner Tuesday with the Ancient Ales of Dogfish Head. There will be a variety of beers paired with food. The idea is simple: find old recipes for beers and give them a whirl. It's given Dogfish Head some remarkable beers. Tickets are $75.

Also, you might want to get in on this: Hopleaf is holding a raffle for a five-year vertical of Dark Lord. I haven't had this stuff in years, but it is great. I actually had the fortunate pleasure of being at the first-ever Dark Lord premiere. It was like melted ice cream and there were only about a dozen of us. It certainly has grown over the years. Anyway, you can go to Hopleaf and for $20 get in the raffle. It benefits Kegs for Kids.

Side note: City Provisions on Wilson is going start brewing special beers. You can read more about it at Chicagoist.

MillerCoors Sales Decline

According to bizjournals.com, MillerCoors sales have declined for its crap macro brew section. Now, MillerCoors isn't a craft brewer, but it is based in Chicago. The company's sales for its "craft" beer section increased by double digits. All of its premium and subpremium sections declined. MillerCoors is trying to blame this on the economy, but it looks like there is fundamental shift in drinking habits. I hope this is more writing on the wall for these anti-competitive companies such as MillerCoors. Keep supporting your local beer!

Be Your Own Brewmaster

I saw this place when I was at the Ribfest over the summer, and even though I don't have the space for my own home brewing setup, I was nonetheless completely stoked about the idea of buying a house and setting up my own brewing masterpiece. The Brew Camp store is sort of like a general store for home brewing. Not only do they have all your material goods (e.g., malts, etc.), but they also have knowledgeable people to get novices off the ground. If you're like me, you'll need the help. It's great to see the craft beer movement in Chicago moving from microbrews to people making their own beer. (See the Square Kegs post earlier.) You can read more about Brew Camp at the Center Square Journal.

Make Your Own Beer and Brats

Brewer & Winemaker Supply out of south Chicago is hosting a make your beer and brat even June 25 at noon at the Marriott downtown. It looks like it'll be a lunch and learn, which is an informal gathering to discuss the techniques of making your own beer and brats. Now, I'm sure that making your own beer at home is not too difficult, but making your own brats? Stuffed casings of meat? It'd be interesting enough just to see what they are talking about.

You can find the event at the Brewer & Winemaker Supply's website.

Beer and Cheese Pairing at the Grafton

The Grafton in Lincoln Square is pairing with Provenance to bring a beer and cheese tasting event on June 26. In addition to pulled pork and other culinary delights paired with spirits, there will be a tasting of Hook's Cheese from Wisconsin with Bridgeport Highland Ambush Scotch Ale. There will be live Irish music, too. The Grafton is one of Chicago's greatest little Irish bars that ignores the whole "Chi-rish" crap and focuses on food and drink. Provenance is also a great local store that carefully selects food and drink in a boutique setting. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 the day of the event. You learn more at the Grafton's website.

Half Acre Hike

Now this is a way to get exercise and drink beer. A bevy of Northside bars are having a Half Acre hike. Half Acre, Acre Restaurant, Hop Leaf and Fountainhead will all have Meat Wave on tap. The "hike" will start at Half Acre, head up to Acre Restaurant, go to Hop Leaf and finish at Fountainhead. It starts at 4 p.m. If you don't have to work in the afternoon or late or maybe even get up early this might be just for you. In fact, just take the day and next day off. That's a lot of beer to be drinking and ending at Fountainhead is just begging for a late-night romp (maybe ending at Jerry's?). This is the way it's meant to be done: having a couple of pints, stretching the legs and enjoying a few more. There are a few spots left, so hurry up!

Missing Beer, More Beer

I have a confession: I haven't been drinking as much craft beer as I'd like. It's mostly been due to a lack of funds. Even though craft beer provides a much better experience and supports local business, sometimes the price makes a six pack of craft beer out of reach. This is the classic dilemma: is it possible to create a well crafted beer that is also affordable? Living in Chicago, beers are subjected to a bunch of taxes and an inflated cost. This usually leaves the major macros in a position to undercut craft brewers by offering discounts on volume or by using some other dubious ethical strategies. As much as I love craft beer for what it represents, there is something very bourgeoisie about it. Most craft beer enthusiasts are in the financial place to enjoy the beer, which strikes against the more egalitarian, democratic nature of the movement. There are obvious factors living in Chicago that will always keep prices high. Even if the taxes were lowered, the nature of living in the city will cause a price inflation. Them's the breaks. There's also the issue of quality ingredients, lower volume and attention to detail. Right now, it costs to enjoy craft beer.

So what to do? Implement balance. If you can't afford to be drinking craft beer all the time, it is at least nice to strike a balance between cocktails, wine and craft beer. Drink craft beer when you can. The best time is this coming week. Chicago Craft Beer week is promising to be amazing.

The event at the Garfield Park Conservatory on May 19 looks phenomenal. Alas, tickets are $50, but there are 25 breweries represented and the location is unbeatable. For someone who enjoys sitting in Millennium park during a concert looking at the skyline, the location can pair just as well with a craft beer as cheese and a burger.

May 21 is the Beerfly Alleyfight at Haymarket. I'm still kicking myself for not making it down to this place. I also like the brewery's commitment to literature. In a great literary city like Chicago, it is only natural to combine beer and writing. There will be 10 home brewers combined with artists. Maybe the double IPA John Coltrane Ode or the imperial stout Nelson Red Line. Who knows? 

I've written about this before, but the Chicago History Museum is putting on the Voyage of the IPA on May 22. Learn about the IPA in America while tasting various styles. I love that Chicago likes to combine learning and drinking. Perhaps it's the romanticism or the European influence of the city's history.

An understated beer style is the sour beer. Most people can't stand this. I don't see why! It is so good. Anyway, the Bristol is having a sour tasting night with Goose Island. I'm conflicted about adding Goose Island as it isn't a craft beer but part of a large mutlitnational corporation, so it goes against everything about this blog; however, some of the beers are good and the style is seriously overlooked.

On May 27, the Map Room, the venerable Chicago stalwart, is debuting new beers from 5 Rabbit Brewery, which says it is the first ever Latin microbrewery in the U.S. Honestly, I don't know what that means, but trying new beers debuting in Chicago is always an event.

Keeipng an Eye Out: Microbrewers Self-Distribution Bill Passes Senate

Here's some potentially good news: the Illinois senate passed a bill that will allow microbreweries to self-distribute their own beer. This is good news because it allows small fledgling operations (like Finch and Pipeworks) to get their beer to market in a way that doesn't leverage the current three-tier system against them. The bill still has to go to the house and be signed by Quinn, but it's a good start.

You can read more here and here.

Now This is Just Stupid

Now, I try to keep everything on a craft beer level, but sometimes stupidity just requires to be called out. I came across this press release by Coors that promises to achieve super coldness. Yes, not just cold, but super cold. In case your beer drinking was being negatively impacted by the simple coldness of your beer, Coors has decided to go a step further with a two-stage activation process to make its crappy beer Super Cold!!! Take that summer.

The extent of this is Coors' new incredibly stupid marketing campaign. The beer appears to be exactly the same, but now a new "strip" is added to the label to indicate when it is Super Cold. Coors tries to back this decision up by saying that 70 percent of drinkers put beer in a freezer to get it cold. Of course, it is to get the beer cold, but also in Coors case to get it cold enough to drink. A better strip would be something that said, "Hey this beer sucks warm. Make sure it is at least this cold before you drink otherwise you will hate yourself. Also, if you are not in college or at NASCAR, you should not be drinking this beer at all."

In another case of hell freezing over, Ice Cube (yeah from NWA) is going to be advertising the beer. Really Ice Cube? This might just trump Snoop Dogg shilling for AOL. This is the best Coors can do? Unfortunately, I'm sure there will be a lot of tailgaters all to willing to buy a case because they think a girl in a bikini will come out on some snow-encrusted train.

Good Find from Argentina

Even though I try to focus on Chicago-only beers, I also like to look at beers outside of Chicago that are sold within the city. There is of course many great beers made all over the place, and the great part of the city is that there are more options than the local supermarket or gas station (and believe me, I've lived in places where the local Meijer is the only place to get beer).

I've written about Gene's in Lincoln Square many times, and one of the best aspects of the place is its constantly rotating stock. Some places tend to keep the same types of beer with minimal diversification. It's the same selection every time. This might work when you want something specific, but a place really worth its salt will have typical standbys and different brews to check out. It keeps it fresh and interesting.

Today, I'm working on La Bella Figura's website (an amazing natural beauty line) and to fuel the senses, I stopped at Gene's for some lunch: basically a turkey sandwich (it is much more than that, trust me) and a beer. It's a rainy day, and I'm feeling a bit European, so I thought what the hell. What I picked up was Otro Mundo's Red Ale. It's from Argentina and has a dark roasted malt nose with bright fruit flavors. It's a great find and relatively inexpensive.

There are many great beers to try from all over the world, and one of the best aspects of trying craft beer is the opportunity to travel without leaving your home. Even though I've never been to Argentina, I'm able to have a beer from a part of the world I've never been. It briefly allows me to look into that culture. One of the greatest aspects of traveling isn't just the art or sites, but the food, people and culture. Beer makes up that culture just as much as a restaurant. Drinking this beer, for a moment, makes me feel more connected to the world at large, in a way that drinking Coors or something similar just doesn't.

Half Acre Craft Beer Week

I just came across Half Acre's post about the events it is having during Craft Beer Week. Quite impressive. Highlights include the beer under glass at the Garfield Park Conservatory and the event at the Empty Bottle, where a band called The Growlers will perform and Half Acre will take over the beer lines. There will also be a special tour that ends up at Acre, Hop Leaf and the Fountainhead. Also, in Bridgeport Half Acre and 3 Floyds will partner at Maria's. Arguably the best two brewers in the region in Bridgeport.

I'm loving Half Acre's take on Craft Beer Week. It's keeping in the democratic, everyman spirit of craft beer: keeping it local and artistic. To commemorate Craft Beer Week, Half Acre is also releasing a new beer called Meat Wave. It's going to be an IPA, which is great; however, with a name like Meat Wave, I was hoping for a smoked beer.

Anyway, check out Half Acre's blog for more information about its upcoming Craft Beer Week events.

In addition to Meat Wave, there's another beer that has come out, which honors the greatest known people of earth: gingers. As a natural redhead, I cannot say how important it is that gingers have a beer to call their own. Actually, this Half Acre brew, called Ginger Twin, is an India-style red ale. There is also a discount for gingers, gingers with longshoreman beards, and twins with red hair and longshoreman beards. I'm sans the beard and twin, but maybe I'll head over to get my discount.

Finch is Everywhere

Great news, but Finch beer looks like it is getting major play in the city. Just checking out their Facebook page shows that it is at Hop Leaf, Acre, Finnegan's, Maple Tree Inn (!), Bar on Buena, Bad Apple, Sheffields. Amazing. It is nice to see a local brewery start up and getting accounts quickly in the city. It shows just how much support Chicago has for locally produced beer. It's also an encouraging sign to other breweries that are starting up in the city. When people talk about local economy, this is what they mean. Not only is there the actual production, but also the roots in the community and the secondary economies as well. Hats off to Finch.

Beer Menu

I've been stumbling around the Internets looking for more information on where to find great beer in the city. Luckily, my eagle-eyed wife, Karen, came across perhaps one of the greatest inventions of mankind: Beer Menus. It's a website that lists the different bars around the city and where to great good beer. I know places in my local neighborhood (Bad Apple, Fountainhead, etc.), but when it comes to other areas, I'm lost.

It lists places by neighborhood or what places have cask beers (11 so far, which I hope more places embrace). It lists events and has deals. Just from looking over the events, these stand out:

Evil Twin debuts in the Midwest at Local Option on May 2. The weakest beer listed is 8%. That sounds like a fun Monday.

Medusa and burger pairing at the Bad Apple on May 5. I haven't tried the beer, but the burgers at Bad Apple are worth the trip alone. Plus, add in all of the other great beers and you can't miss.

Craft beer night at Mitchell's Tap. OK, the selection isn't out of this world, but it is Bridgeport and to see craft beer making its way into this area is a good sign. I remember when Mitchell's Tap was Puffer's, a dive-type of bar that had decent beer and jazz on Thursdays. I think the owners sold and it sort of changed and became, for a bit at least, more hoodish, with signs banning baseball caps and the like. Halsted in Bridgeport has the character to become one of the great art/shopping/bar/restaurant strips in the city. There is a lot of great character, easily walkable, lots of great storefronts and the Ramova theater, which needs to be rehabbed. Ah, Bridgeport.

With a city exploding in craft beer, it's great to have more and more resources available.

Craft Beer Week: History Style

Chicago is celebrating Craft Beer week May 19 to May 27. Much like Record Store Day or some other type of week-long event, the craft beer week intends to heighten the visibility of craft beer around the country. In Chicago that means Half Acre, Finch, Revolution, Metropolitan and others (sadly no longer Goose Island as it is now owned by Bud/InBev). There will be ton of events, and you can check it out over at The Brew Bros.

To celebrate, the Chicago History Museum is holding an event to coincide with Craft Beer week. There will be pub crawls, including dive bars in the city and a theme centered around bootlegging (of course). There will also be a focus on German bars in Chicago and the history of IPA.

For such a relatively new city, Chicago has an interesting background, especially when it comes to beer. German immigrants were highly influential in bringing beer and its culture to Chicago. The labor movement had many of its roots in German activists, and the drinking of beer was essential to their culture. Even when Bathhouse and the Hink were running the vice ward, many temperance activists were trying to make Chicago dry. This was also a way to discriminate against the pro-labor heavy drinking German immigrants. Of course, the labor movement, temperance and the multiple cultures in Chicago helped to lead to one of the most infamous periods: Al Capone, Machine Gun Jack McGurn and the mobsters of the early 20th century.

See, beer doesn't have to be all about detecting fine notes of caramel or admiring the lacing on the side of the glass. It also doesn't have to be about getting wasted. Learning and liquor are synonymous. Check out the Chicago History Museum and Chicago Beer Week for more information.

Come back for more information about Craft Beer Week and what's happening at Finch brewery.

Two Big Beers Coming Out of Chicago

It's spring in the city and summer is around the corner, but two breweries are about to offer two heavy beers to sip while you watching the buds grow. Haymarket Pub & Brewery has an imperial stout fermenting away and will be going to bourbon barrels later. Depending on how long they lay this beer down, it could come out in the fall, which is a much better time for imperial stouts. Well, actually any time is good for imperial stouts. This time of year though I'm starting to look for lighter beers, perhaps a saison. Even though these were meant to be drunk during late summer, I find having a saison on a nice spring day does the trick. For a lighter beer, Haymarket is offering its Bridgeport IPA. I was a former Bridgeport resident, so I might go check this out, for research. A nicer tribute would have been a pilsner to reflect the area's historical Lithuanian and European roots. Today I guess, with all the hipsters, you could just pour a PBR into a fancy bottle.

The next big beer is a barleywine coming from Half Acre. This will be available April 8 and should be a pretty big beer. I associate this more with winter, but what the hell. Half Acre will also be putting out a one-off Kolsch beer. It's one of my least favorite styles, but it's a nice spring/summer beer. Cheers!

Revolution to Start Bottling Beers; Learn History While Drunk

Even though Goose Island got into a pact with the devil, at least Revolution Brewing in Logan Square is helping to fill the void. The brewery/brewpub announced that it will start selling beers beers in bottles and cans. This is great news for Chicago beer lovers. Even though I am mixed on Revolution's beers, this is a step in the right direction for small local breweries. Once, Chicago had hundreds of breweries that usually served the immediate neighborhoods. Why people like Goose Island feel that having a multistate operation is the only way to go, amazes me. Perhaps it is about money. However, running a good brewery that employs people, stays local and stays creative should be the goal. I'm hoping that Revolution goes this route, instead of the Goose Island path, which Revolution's brewer already hinted at. Perhaps, one day we can see the value of just making a good product before a good profit.

Several years ago I went on a literary pub crawl in Dublin. It was a great way to drink beer and learn about Irish literature. It was also the time I was introduced to a Sussex girl from around London who couldn't believe that I hadn't heard about Sussex girls. Quite an interesting evening. Well, the Chicago Architecture Foundation is getting on the act by hosting an architectural pub crawl to honor its 40th anniversary. Seriously, being in one of the greatest architectural cities in the world, learn about architecture and drinking beer? That's one amazing night.

Rereading the Goose Island Sale

Much ink has been spilled over what it means that Goose Island has sold out to Bud. Is it good for the city of Chicago? Is it good for craft beer? Many liken this to the transformation of Marshall Fields to Macy's, and if that is any indication, what we can expect to see is a watered-down version of a once-loved Chicago icon.

In an article defending the actions of Goose Island, the owner of the Hop Leaf, Michael Roper, likens this to a win-win situation: Bud gets a craft beer and Goose Island gets money. For some reason, this means that craft beer drinkers have "won" because Bud acknowledges it can't brew a good beer and Goose Island wins because it gets money to get a new brewery. So, Bud wins and Goose Island wins. Does that mean the people of Chicago win? Hardly.

Bud buying Goose Island is not about craft beer victories or Bud hanging its head in defeat acknowledging that it can't brew beer. It's about money and market share. Like any good megacorporation that wants to cloak its true intentions, it hides behind a front that claims to be "local" or "organic." In the green movement, this is know as greenwashing. Cutesy Burt's Bees is owned by Clorox. Tom's of Maine sold out to Colgate, which tests on animals. People don't know that some of their favorite "ma and pa" brands are funneling money to huge corporations that care little about the environment or their communities.

To see a great example of this, we have to look no further than Bud. When InBev took over Bud (and it was allowed for pure profit), people in St. Louis started to look at more community-oriented beers. (You can read an article here.) The people in St. Louis know firsthand how Bud has turned its back on the community, which is even more impressive considering how depressed the economy St. Louis really is. So, while Bud gets to rake in the cash, the pride of St. Louis is gone. If Bud can do it to its own hometown, is there any indication it won't do it to Chicago?

Perhaps because he is a businessman, Roper looks at everything through the prism of capitalism. It seems that all business activity is good business activity, regardless of what it means to the people that those businesses serve. He seems to assert that if Macy's didn't take over Marshall Field's that it would still be a vacant building. Hardly. It's the same line we've been told by Walmart, Target and Bud: only large business corporations can salvage any part of any city. Without their help, everything will decay. This seems to negate the point of community-driven business, which is one of the appealing parts of craft beer.

Craft beer is a way for communities to support themselves and to take part in the creating of their own identity. As everything does become Walmarts and Targets and Bud, we take pride in those small differences that make us unique. Portland has its beers. So does San Diego. So does Chicago, but now one less. Will buying a brewery suddenly make Bud changes its ways? No. It is far too large and powerful to really care about what one small segment, even if it is growing, does. Profit does not lie in craft beer. My guess is that Bud will pump money into Goose Islands less exciting beers, especially 312, which shows up at every summer festival. They can reduce the cost and jack up the price. It will be slightly more costly than a Bud but double or triple the price because Bud thinks that by labeling something "craft" will put it at a premium. Roper is deluding himself if he thinks this is some altruistic part on Bud. Sure, they might let someone at Goose Island toy around, but if lines need to be cut, look for that first unprofitable area to go.

For a better idea of what $30+ million means to Bud: in 2010 Bud spent $1.2 billion to be the sponsor of the NFL. That's enough to buy around 30 Goose Islands, and that's just a marketing expense for Bud. This doesn't include individual team deals or the Super Bowl. The Goose Island acquisition is akin to Google or Microsoft buying a company, toying with it and then shutting it down.

Where does this leave Chicago? With one less craft brewer and a bit more of its identity gone. Perhaps this is part of being a global city: it's common in London and New York, but not so in Chicago, which has a history of independence. Lately, we've seen the Sears Tower change names, Marshall Fields disappear, Carsons on State turning into a Target and numerous small community stores turn into chains. More and more companies want to get into Chicago, and with that a bit of the identity of the city dies. Why would anyone even travel when all cities are beginning to look alike? Are we too far off from a Goose Island chain opening in Las Vegas or Orlando?

Only time will tell if Goose Island suffers or changes. Regardless of what Mr. Hall thinks he might have arranged, a corporation can and will change what it wants to. I work in a large Fortune 500 company that buys out smaller companies. It does change. The culture changes. The people change. The decisions move to corporate. It's how the business world works. At first, there is a lot of hand shaking and getting to know everybody and promises that things will stay the same. As people move in and out of positions, slowly the company comes into the fold, losing the identity that once made it valuable. It just becomes part of the company. Soon, Goose Island will just become part of Bud and it's ever-expanding empire of cheap beer and high margins.