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.

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.

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.

Beer and Cheese - Not Just for Pizza

Craft beer has been getting a lot of press lately for its integration into more fine-dining places. Well, maybe not super fine dining, but craft beer has been getting a harder look at mid- to high-level restaurants beyond a gastropub or a fancy burger place. Of course, we expect good beer at the Bad Apple. Places such as the Fountainhead and Hop Leaf take it to another level with food pairings. This Spring, Pastoral is upping the ante by pairing craft beer with cheese.

This reminds me somewhat of the truffle and beer pairing the Grafton did earlier this month. On June 4, Pastoral will be holding a class that pairs cheese and beer. We are used to the concept of wine and cheese, but beer and cheese tends to be relegated to the basement shenanigans of Home Run Inn and PBR.

This class will pair an artisan cheese with a craft beer. I've personally never tried to do this, but it sounds wonderful. Of course, you can get our own cheeses and try, but Pastoral is offering professional pairing with background on the beer and cheese.

You can sign up at Pastoral's website. It is $40 and in the Loop.

Trying Dominique

The other night I was at Bar Deville on Damen to celebrate a friend's birthday. I had a couple of the bar's signature cocktails, and it was nearing the end of the night, so I felt like trying a good beer. I looked up and down the tappers and saw a Goose Island I couldn't remember having. Now, I've had a lot of beers, and a lot of Goose Island, so there was a good chance that I could have had this beer at some point. Luckily for me, the beer was a mistake and a beautiful one at that.

The beer is called Dominique, and it came about because a batch of Matilda became infected. You can read more about what happened here, but basically the barrel-aged beer became infected with a yeast that left the beer more sour. Instead of dumping it, Goose Island decided to put out a sour beer and see the response. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

For one, I love sour beers. Flemish sours are great. Understandably, not everyone might share the same enthusiasm for drinking sour beers. The idea that a beer should be clear, light and refreshing has left a perverted notion of what quality is to most beer drinkers. This beer by contrast tasted of alcohol, wood, burnt sugar, light hops, good yeast and sour through and through. Even some of my friends that don't particularly like beer, enjoyed it.

This is the height of experimentation for craft beer. I like that Goose Island saw an opportunity to bring something different to the market, and maybe through its brand recognition, get people to try something new.

 Here is a picture of Dominique Pichon because he's awesome.

Beer Will Cure Everything that Ails You

Drinking alcohol, including beer, in moderation will help improve heart health according to the American Dietetic Association. Beer is also known to lessen the risk of kidney stones in men in addition to it lowering bad cholesterol, raising good cholesterol and reduce the risk for blood clotting. Also, if my memory serves me correctly, it is also good for strength. Perhaps there was something to the Guiness posters touting the health benefits of its beer.

I don't know much about the benefits of beer, but I'll say that well crafted beers have more health benefits than corn adjunct microbrews. My evidence? None, but what the hell, I'll believe it anyway. However, there is evidence that beer has no fat, some protein and some fiber. So, maybe that rich stout or wheat is doing some good. Now we just need a way to get this written off as a health benefit at the insurance companies. Maybe I can wrangle up a Beer After Work Health Team at work.

Remember, drink a pint, for health!

Save Craft Beer in Illinois

As I've noted before, Chicago is quickly becoming the place for craft beer not only in the Midwest but also throughout the U.S. New breweries are opening or planning to. More and more bars are catering to craft beer. It's a place where variety, taste and local pride are taking root. However, new legislation might make it more difficult for smaller local brewers to get their beers out there and might even destroy the economy of craft beer in Chicago.

It's actually based on a ruling brought to court by, of course, InBev. Basically, InBev doesn't want to use a distributor for its beers. That costs too much money. The three-tiered system (manufacturer, distributor and customer) came about after prohibition for checks and balances and what not. Well, this made distributors very wealthy (say the Wirtz family) and has been a thorn in the side of large-scale producers for years. InBev is trying to remove the middleman so they can sell directly to customers. They argue that craft brewers can do so in state, so InBev should be allowed to distribute its beers to customers without using a distributor. InBev sued to allow it to distribute directly to customers and the judge basically said that nobody can now distribute to customers. It upheld the three-tiered system while potentially giving a crushing blow to craft brewers.

This legislation is potentially crippling. Now small craft brewers, such as Half Acre or the soon-to-be-opened Finch Brewing, will have to pay a distributor to sell their beers. If you've been to Half Acre, you know this isn't an expansive operation with tons of margin to absorb the cost. They are doing well and expanding, but this move will either lower their margins making business more difficult or raise costs for the consumer, which makes products less attractive from a price perspective.

However, don't worry Windy City dwellers. There is hope! This is just a ruling by a judge. Legislation can be crafted to allow and exemption for craft brewers. This would allow smaller brewers to keep distributing themselves as well as allow Two Brothers to continue to operate Windy City Distribution that allows them to bring other craft beers to Chicago.

A group called Guys Drinking Beer is leading this fight. Of course, the smaller brewers don't have the money that the large distributors or InBev has. We know that money equals influence, but we also need to stand up and let ourselves be heard. The distributors will fight to keep the three-tiered system in place. InBev probably can win either way: remove the system and sell direct, or burden smaller brewers to lessen the competition. Either way, they can afford to send their lobbyists and lawyers to influence the decision.

What to do? First, call your representative and let him or her know your feelings. We need to ensure that we still have access to quality locally produced craft beer.

Half Acre owns property in my neighborhood, bringing jobs to the area as well as secondary economic activity. Pipeworks brewing is looking for space, which will bring revenue and jobs. Finch brewing is working on opening a space. Metropolitan is using a manufacturing space in the Ravenswood corridor. All of these operations bring in jobs, contribute to secondary economic activity and rely on other services such as printing and other manufacturing. Legislation that potentially curbs this burgeoning craft beer movement isn't just making things more profitable for InBev, but is taking jobs away from Chicago. Especially, local jobs that reflect the character of a city.

Here's the contact information on Guys Drinking Beer.

Here's some more information on Chicagoist. 

Square Kegs Club

Lincoln Square is upping the ante in the craft beer wars raging throughout Chicago. The Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce is hosting an inaugural craft beer event at the recently opened Red Lion Pub on Rockwell. At the event, the Square Kegs Club, Lincoln Square's home brewing club, will educate people about craft beer and how to make it at home. Even if you don't plan on making beer at home, this is a great opportunity to meet with other beer enthusiasts and learn about what you are actually drinking and how it is made.

My only foray into making more own beer at home happened about 12 years ago when I bought a make-it-at-home kit from Borders. I think it had some yeast or something that you had to put in a bottle of water and let it sit for a couple of weeks. I used some old Grolsch bottles. After letting it sit in the basement in the dark, I went to open the beer. Two of the bottles exploded. One of the bottles had some type of thick yeasty gloop. So, the moral of the story is go to the Square Kegs club at the Red Lion pub.

The event takes place Thursday, March 10, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Donations are $10 before and $15 at the door.

Surviving the Blizzard of 2011

It's still snowing in Chicago, and while it's a bit early for me to start hitting the beer, it's not too early to find out what is going on in the city. Here's a run down:

Half Acre is set to release a new beer called Callow Knife. They have postponed the release, and the weather I'm sure isn't helping. It's a pale ale. There isn't too much on the website, but it is a twin to Daisy Cutter. Even though the wintry weather outside makes me want to grab a stout or barley wine, spring and summer isn't that far away (really, please?) so a good pale ale will come in handy. It will draft only, but here's to success and keeping this one around. Got to love Half Acre and their constant innovation.

Goose Island. Stouts. Pipeworks Brewery. Yep, March 12 is Goose Island's Stout Fest. There will be Half Acre, Piece, Pipeworks, Rockbottom, and Lucky Monk. Tickets are $20 and there will only be 200 of them. Make sure you get your soon if you want to go. Check out Beer Advocate for more info.

Finch, which is pouring concrete for its brewery, has finalized design for its tappers. This is one of my favorite parts of craft beer for some reason. I like the artistry that can be found. It's great to see a line of interesting tappers at a bar. I feel like a kid in a candy store.

That's it for now. I'm going to wait until noon to crack open a beer. That is the gentleman's drinking hour.

What I'm Drinking Now

Thanks to my friend John, I'm drinking a new beer. He picked up some beers at a local shop that offers a mix and match six pack. He dropped some off and what I'm drinking now is Flying Dog Double Dog Double Pale Ale.

It's a nicely hopped ale with lots of good malts and caramel. What I like most about this beer is the thickness and chewiness that it has. On the tip of the tongue, there is a pine, grapefruit flavor. There is quite a long finish.

What I truly enjoy about the Chicago market is the mix and match of six packs. I'm not sure if this happens in other cities, but it is great for a chance at variety.

Not the Spam Effect

If you're like me, you had to downgrade some of your spending during the recession. Even though it hasn't been utter collapse, it still has required a bit of tightening the belt. Most economists have linked economically depressed times with a surge in low-end purchases such as Spam. The thinking is the poorer people are or feel the more they will downgrade from steak to Spam. I recently pored over some news items about beer sales in the U.S., and when it comes to craft beer, it is a much different story.

At the end of 2010, MillerCoors sales slipped, including Miller Lite. What's odd is that its super cheap beers such as High Life, Keystone and Milwaukee's Best also slipped. It would figure that the cheap beers would surge when people either had or felt they had less money. However, the company saws its "premium" beer Tenth and Blake surge by double digits.

Does this mean that people are switching from low-end beers to craft beers regardless of the recession? Perhaps. Perhaps we are already doing better economically and this is a leading indicator. Perhaps people are fed up with low-end tasteless beer and prefer to drink quality beer instead.

Personally, I have favored cutting back on buying beer and saving money for a real good purchase. Instead of a case of Miller, I'll save my money for a growler of Half Acre. I can't drink as much, but what I do drink is quality. I'd like to think that these numbers show that craft beer is sticking in America and that people are starting to choose quality over cost consistently.

However, it's important to keep in mind that MillerCoors still sells more beer in one quarter than Half Acre has ever sold. So, there's still work to be done.

Draw on Your Own Coasters

Well, today is the showdown between the Bears and Packers. Lots of people I'm sure are up and grilling sausages in the parking lots already, but most of us are making coffee waking up and getting ready to watch the game on the good ol' television. As exciting as it is, it is still a football game with breaks, long commercials and endless chattering. If you get fidgety or have guests that might not be all into the game but like arts and crafts and the such, Ready Made has a cool art project using beer coasters.

As you can read in this posting, Ready Made suggests getting some blank beer coasters and some pens and letting your guests draw their own beer coasters. It's a great little creative outlet during the game or for those that bore during football easily. It's also a great party tip: leave them around, people can draw on them, leave them, write messages, whatever. If it's a particularly epic party, it'll be a souvenir.

When I backpacked around Europe after college, I didn't have a lot of money. In fact, I almost had no money. I usually bought a loaf of bread for lunch, ate half of it, and then saved the other half for dinner. I remember waiting for the bus to take out of England and into France, sitting on the side of the Thames, eating a half loaf of bread in the ran. I didn't have any money to go to a restaurant and quite frankly, the bus station was creepy as hell. I used my few remaining pounds to go into a pub and nurse a beer to wait for the bus and to get out of the rain. I came quite adept at slowly drinking a pint to stretch out the time to stay in the pub.

Anyway, no money usually means no souvenirs. So, instead of buying souvenirs, I took coasters from all the different bars and pubs I went to throughout Europe. There's different languages and styles. I wish I knew more about beer then, but I still have the coasters as reminders of the trip.

So game plan: get craft beer, get blank coasters, draw, have fun and watch the Bears win.

Drinking Through the Bears vs. Green Bay

It's a showdown of epic proportions: Bears vs. Packers. Chicago vs. Green Bay. Two legendary football teams meeting head to head in a battle to determine NFC football bragging rights. Of course, there's only one question on everyone's minds? What beer to drink during the game?

I'm from Chicago, so let's look at what and where the great citizens of Chicago should be drinking during the game. First, if you're going to be hanging out at home or a friend's house, I suggest picking up some Goose Island, Half Acre or Metropolitan. Support your local team by drinking a local beer.

If you're going out but care about the quality of your beer as much as you do about the quality of the win (Bears 24 to Green Bay 14), then there are other bars in the city besides the standard macro-swill sports bar fare.

Try heading over to Piece Pizza, which is showing the game. They brew some amazing beers and have decent pizza. The Bad Apple in Northcenter has several TVs and lots of great beer on tap. The TVs aren't overly large, but the quality of the beer makes up for it.

Remember, there's nothing wrong about drinking good beer and watching the game.

Robert Burns and Robert the Bruce

OK, while technically not all about craft beer, even though there is a craft beer, component, the Fountainhead is quickly becoming one of Chicago's great drinking places and any bar that wants to give a history lesson while pouring whiskey is fine by me.

Next week, the Fountainhead will be celebrating Robert Burns week. Who's Robert Burns? Not sure, but according to the Fountainhead's Facebook page, Robert Burns was a poet who praised whiskey and made it Scotland's national drink. Perhaps we owe him our allegiance for creating the drunk artist/writer stereotype, or perhaps we owe him our allegiance for championing the cause of good drink. Either way, a bar honoring the birthday of a Scottish poet is pretty awesome and sure beats the usual sports/karaoke/meat market that pervades most other places. His birthday is January 25 if you want to get extra celebratory.

Robert Burns. Poet. Whiskey Lover.

The beer part? On January 27, the Fountainhead will be doing a gravity pour of Three Floyd's Robert the Bruce from a firkin. Fountainhead will also be featuring several different types of Scottish beers from various breweries. I can almost taste all the lovely malts and alcohol now. It's about zero degrees outside so a bottle of whiskey with a firkin of Robert the Bruce, an old book, and a comfortable chair sounds about heaven right now.

Get on over to Montrose to the Fountainhead next week. Drink some whiskey and beer, grab some of Burns' poetry, and enjoy the night.

Choco-Dyno-Mite

Half Acre is coming out with a new beer tomorrow (January 21). Called Chocolate Camaro, the new brew will be about 6 percent alcohol with roasted malt and chocolate flavors. It's a stout-style beer that should warm you up for the winter. Plus, it's only $15 for refills and $9 for new growlers. You can also buy a shirt with the label design. Hop on your roller skates and get some tomorrow after noon you bad mother...oops, I'll watch my mouth.

Other news from Half Acre: save $2 when you buy a growler on Tuesdays. Why Tuesdays? I don't know, but Tuesday is the most depressing day of the week: not after-Monday "I'm a work fuck this" attitude, but not hump day looking toward the weekend. I guess for us cube dwellers that don't see the sun, fortifying our blood with alcohol keeps the hive churning.

Also, Over Ale is coming in cans. I'm curious: do people drink craft beer out of bottles or cans? I tend to always put it into a glass; I don't like drinking out of either really, unless it's cheap, cheap beer. Perhaps the cans will be fresher? I think a weekend-long drinking experiment is in order.

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.