Forgottonia Brewing trivia winners

We ask craft-beer enthusiasts and Illinois brewers for some of their favorite local breweries, beers and experiences 

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Sean West
Co-owner and brewer at Forgottonia Brewing
Macomb, IL

Favorite Illinois breweries: We’re a little unique in that we’re out in the middle of nowhere, and while we get a lot of good beers from around the state, I really like what some of our neighbors are doing like Quincy Brewing Company in Quincy, Reserve Artisan Ales in Galesburg, and Industry Brewing Co. in Peoria. My wife and daughter love the food at Industry, and it’s a very cool space with fire pits, axe throwing and a musical stage.

Triptych (Savoy, IL) is highly recommended too. I would put them on a level of brewery of what we aspire to be. Everything I’ve had from them has been phenomenal.

Drinking tendencies: I tend to go seasonally in the way I drink beer. What I really get drawn to is what’s tasting best right now.

Like a lot of brewers these days, because I know I want to drink more than just one beer typically, I find myself looking at styles that are slightly less alcohol as well. I’m really glad pilsners and lagers are coming back. 

Recent Illinois craft beers that have caught my eye: I had a Double Daisy Cutter from Half Acre (Chicago) recently that I really liked. I also find I’m revisiting a lot of the earlier beers I used to enjoy when I moved to Illinois like Two Brothers (Warrenville, IL), their Domaine DuPage, a French-style country ale. It’s so good. 

I would put Triptych on a level of brewery of what we aspire to be. Everything I’ve had from them has been phenomenal.

Best stop for a beer you’ve made on vacation: The easy answer is Kauai Island Brewing Company in Hawaii. The beer was good, but the scenery was what made it. And the other one that sticks out is Juniata Brewing Company in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. We went to visit my in-laws for the first time in two years, and knowing it’s there nearby just makes that visit so much better now. 

What Forgottonia has in the works: We just did a collaboration with Reserve Artisan Ales. We are working with Live Wire Hops in Amboy, Illinois, where we did a wet hop beer with them — they harvested the hops and drove it over to us on the same day. We’re passionate about working with local companies. Our Calhoun peaches and cream beer, which uses fresh peaches from Calhoun County, came out this fall and is really good.