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Home›Featured Post›Brewery Focus›Brewery Spotlights›Spotlight on Scratch Brewing Company: This unique farmhouse brewery near the Shawnee National Forest focuses on homegrown, locally farmed and foraged ingredients

Spotlight on Scratch Brewing Company: This unique farmhouse brewery near the Shawnee National Forest focuses on homegrown, locally farmed and foraged ingredients

By Trent Modglin
September 27, 2022
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Photo by Kendall Karmanian

Scratch Brewing Company

Where you’ll find it: 264 Thompson Road in Ava, IL 62907
ScratchBeer.com

Hours
Friday-Sunday — Noon-8 p.m.
To-go growler and bottle sales available by appointment 

History in short: A-back-to-the-land throwback idea, this quaint brewery that focuses on homegrown, locally farmed and foraged ingredients, is the creation of Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon, who were nominated for a 2020 James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer. They also wrote a book, The Homebrewers Alamanac, for those seeking information on brewing with native plants.

The space: Located 90 minutes southeast of St. Louis is Ava, Illinois. And a few minutes outside of town, down a gravel road, lies this truly unique farmhouse brewery on the edge of a beautiful forest. The quaint patio is a fun spot to gather around the fire pit, and a black walnut bar inside can be a conversation starter. Don’t forget to check out the Serpent Room, their colorful event space decorated by a local artist. Insider’s tip: Hit an ATM on the way, as Scratch is cash only.

We want everything to smell and taste like our part of the woods in Southern Illinois, and that’s really our inspiration behind our beer and what we do.

Interesting note: Scratch offers a creative rotation of beers, as draft options largely depend on what’s available in their gardens and the woods nearby. Berries, leaves, flowers, mushrooms, maple sap, hickory — it’s all a target for their foraging buckets. If you’re looking for a hike, the popular Shawnee National Forest is just five miles away. 

What’s coming up: Pawpaw, the largest native tropical fruit in the United States, is being harvested by Scratch. It looks like an avocado, but tastes like a banana and mango custard. The most successful beer they’ve made is a dry-hopped farmhouse beer that starts sour, then is dryhopped after 24 hours to enhance the tropical nature of this fruit. The result is a lightly tart, refreshing, farmhouse beer. 

What we’re drinking: The barrel-aged strawberry sour caught our eye immediately, as well as a strong (8.8%) elderberry ale that has a “bready, caramel malt character with a robust stone-fruit character.” Want even more ingenuity? They have a blonde helles bock that’s brewed in a copper kettle over a wood fire. We’re talking entirely seasonal stuff here, which is a refreshing concept.

From the brewery: “We really started this brewery to convey a sense of place in beer. Nestled in the woods like we are, for us, our sense of place is the Shawnee National Forest, with beautiful trees, mushrooms and plants growing all around us. We want everything to smell and taste like our part of the woods in Southern Illinois, and that’s really our inspiration behind our beer and what we do.” — Co-owner Marika Josephson

TagsIllinois BrewingIllinois craft beerIllinois craft breweriesIllinois Craft Brewers GuildMarika JosephsonpawpawScratching Brewing CompanyShawnee National Forest
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About us

Sponsored by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, Illinois Brewing is printed and distributed quarterly (early January, April, July and October) to more than 250 breweries across the state as well as more than 100 craft beer-focused bars, restaurants and stores. Each member of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild’s IMBIBE club also receives the magazine in the mail. 

Publisher/owner: Trent Modglin
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Art director: Brian Hertel
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Illinois Brewing's magazine, website and email newsletter are property of Venture Forth Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023.

Illinois Brewing magazine

illinoisbrewing

Stylish magazine, website and e-mail newsletter focused on the vibrant craft beer scene in Illinois. Sponsored by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild

Illinois Brewing's Beer of the week: Lil’ Bison Illinois Brewing's Beer of the week: Lil’ Bison hefeweizen from @sturdyshelterbrewing in west suburban Batavia

Just in time for spring, this German classic is brewed with a Bavarian hefeweizen yeast and is bursting with that traditional banana/clove flavor. Links & Drinks is still happening throughout the western burbs too, so bring your putting stroke.
Our spring issue cover story — Read it now at Il Our spring issue cover story — Read it now at IllinoisBrewing.com

Brewery bites: Great craft beer is everywhere in Illinois, but here are a few dishes we’ve encountered at spots like @openoutcrybrewing @crustbrewing and @destihlbrewery @destihlrestaurant that are sure to get your stomach growling as well
Enjoying a trek around Lake Geneva today with my d Enjoying a trek around Lake Geneva today with my dad and cousin that included a burger and @newglarusbrewing Moon Man at Chuck’s and tasty Wisconsin craft beers at the one and only @owltavern from the likes of @topsyturvybrewery @lakefrontbrewery @duesterbecksbrewingco and @lowdailybeer
So glad the crispy chicken paillard we had on spec So glad the crispy chicken paillard we had on special at @mickey_finns recently made its way onto their regular menu in Libertyville. Such a great spot for dinner, catching the game or kicking back on the patio.
#IllinoisBrewing #DrinkIllinois #craftbeer
A total of 94 craft breweries were pouring at the A total of 94 craft breweries were pouring at the annual #BeerUnderGlass festival from the @ilcraftbeer Guild last night, and believe me, we tried to hit them all. The rooftop terrace of the @harristheaterchicago in @millennium_park proved to be an ideal new location. What a way to kick off Illinois Craft Beer Week. #IllinoisBrewing #DrinkIllinois #craftbeer #illinoisbeer #ilcraftbeerweek
Mark Duchow and Jim Riggs from @adamsstreetbrewery Mark Duchow and Jim Riggs from @adamsstreetbrewery inside the iconic @berghoffchicago just won another medal at the @worldbeercup (a silver for their Der Reisende in the Export Stout category), so it’s safe to say they know what they’re talking about when it comes to favorite local beers that stay true to a style. 

Check out our Brewer’s Choice Q&A from the spring issue where they share a fondness for @offcolorbrewing @doubleclutchbrewery @dovetailbrewery @alarmistbrewing and others, and catch them — along with 80 other Illinois breweries, at the Beer Under Glass festival from @ilcraftbeer this Friday in Chicago. 

Read it all here: IllinoisBrewing.com
The @ilcraftbeer Beer Under Glass festival is sold The @ilcraftbeer Beer Under Glass festival is sold out, y’all. And that begs the question: Which brewery are you looking forward to visiting most this Friday? 

Share your thoughts below and let’s get a discussion going. #IllinoisBrewing #DrinkIllinois #craftbeer
We had to head home from the @brewersassoc annual We had to head home from the @brewersassoc annual Craft Brewers Conference in Indy last week before the winners for the @worldbeercup were announced, but man, what a haul for Illinois. 

Congrats to the following breweries for bringing home a medal from one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world: 
@9thhourbrewing 
@adamsstreetbrewery 
@brothership_brewing 
@gobrewing 
@haymarketbeer 
@revbrewchicago 
@werkforcebrewing 
@whiteoakbrewing
Two of the nearly 400 locations across the state w Two of the nearly 400 locations across the state where you can find our spring issue are a pair of fun spots in Lake County — @blacklung_roundlakebeach and @harborbrewingco in Lake Villa. Keep an eye out for Black Lung’s new location in Grayslake late this summer, and the @hbclakefrontbiergarten is now open for the season at Winthrop Harbor on Lake Michigan

#IllinoisBrewing #craftbeer #visitlakecounty #DrinkIllinois #illinoisbeer
Spotlight on @engrainedbrewery — With an emphasi Spotlight on @engrainedbrewery — With an emphasis on utilizing local produce and livestock, as well as reducing our environmental footprint, this Springfield brewery boasts an “upscale casual” space, farm-to-table menu and wide-ranging beer selection

Read it all now at illinoisbrewing.com
The versatile and spacious @guggmanhausbrewing was The versatile and spacious @guggmanhausbrewing was definitely one of our favorite stops during the @brewersassoc annual Craft Brewers Conference this week in Indianapolis

#craftbeer #brewing #IllinoisBrewing #indianabeer #cbc2025
Promoting the magazine and spending a few days wit Promoting the magazine and spending a few days with good friends from @uniontownbrewingco at the annual @brewersassoc CBC, which draws the finest craft beer industry folks from around the country. Enjoyed events at Indy’s @taxmanbrewing @handlebarhangar and @saintjosephbrewery 

The future is bright for beer.
Illinois Brewing’s Beer of the Week: Holey Jeans Illinois Brewing’s Beer of the Week: Holey Jeans from @keggrovebrewco @keggrovemorris 

This crisp, easy-drinking blueberry American wheat ale is the flagship beer from the popular Keg Grove in Bloomington (now with a second location in Morris, IL). Owner Jeff Mroz and his crew originally brewed Holey Jeans for their wives, many of whom didn’t drink beer before, and it ended up spawning an entire fruited wheat series for the brewery. 

Fun fact: It’s named for a friend of theirs who purchased jeans with holes already in them, which they found hilarious.
For you whiskey/bourbon drinkers out there, may we For you whiskey/bourbon drinkers out there, may we highly suggest getting your hands on the @whiskeyacres cask-finished series that involves bourbon and rye aged a minimum of four years and then finished in maple syrup casks (among others). 

You’ll also find their barrels in use by a lot of quality Illinois breweries like @riverlandsbrewingcompany @pollyannabrewingcompany and @ikeandoakbrewing 

#IllinoisBrewing #DrinkIllinois #craftbeer #illinoisbeer #bourbon #DeKalb
Kudos to @crustbrewing in Rosemont for their new v Kudos to @crustbrewing in Rosemont for their new venture, Crust Taproom, located at 3000 W. Irving Park on Chicago’s NW side. Great pizza, great vibes and ohhh… that Vienna lager
Rock solid craft brewery lineup this weekend for t Rock solid craft brewery lineup this weekend for the ninth annual @enjoylonggrove Craft Beer Festival. Live music, food vendors and some of the state’s finest craft beer on hand.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/long-grove-craft-beer-fest-tickets-1141146884049?aff=oddtdtcreator
Once again this year, @ilcraftbeerweek from @ilcra Once again this year, @ilcraftbeerweek from @ilcraftbeer opens with their cornerstone event — Beer Under Glass (aka BUG) on Friday, May 9 — but this year it’s shifting to the gorgeous rooftop of the Harris Theater overlooking Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. 

Guests will go on a statewide craft beer adventure, mingling with brewers from their favorite craft beer spots, sampling timeless favorites, and discovering new treasures. For more information and tickets to Beer Under Glass, head to Illinoisbeer.org/ICBW
Brewer’s Choice: Bob Salzman from @bbgb_beer and Brewer’s Choice: Bob Salzman from @bbgb_beer and @hardwaregastropub on the gorgeous patio to enjoy his beers, the @weihenstephan_official helles lager and the stylistically perfect cask ales from @arthistorybrewing 

“From mild English ales to very dark beers, the cask ales at @arthistorybrewing are always spot-on stylistically and deliciously creamy and smooth. I appreciate beers that are crafted with an eye to historical accuracy and served appropriately, and they seem to always do it right.”

Read the spotlight from our spring issue now at illinoisbrewing.com
Loved hanging out at the @sewhopdbrewery Mug Club Loved hanging out at the @sewhopdbrewery Mug Club party on Monday in Huntley. The Hey, Hey Hazy IPA, tacos from Del Toro and live music from Michael Patterson were top notch. Didn’t win the raffle, but there’s always next time.
From our big spring issue... Spotlight on @solemn From our big spring issue...

Spotlight on @solemnoathbeer (and @hiddenhandbeer ): Going strong after 13 years — with locations in Naperville and Chicago — this perennial favorite has always focused on a diverse beer lineup, European-like community experiences, and a belief that the brand is an “unfinished idea”

Read the feature now at illinoisbrewing.com
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