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Home›Featured Post›IB Insiders›Illinois Brewing Insider Tommy Riemer on Maplewood’s Morbidly Obese Pug, a love of Phase Three and Lil Beaver Brewing, shopping at Bottle Theory and crossing the border for Beer Church and Journeyman Distillery

Illinois Brewing Insider Tommy Riemer on Maplewood’s Morbidly Obese Pug, a love of Phase Three and Lil Beaver Brewing, shopping at Bottle Theory and crossing the border for Beer Church and Journeyman Distillery

By Trent Modglin
January 11, 2023
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Beer Church in New Buffalo, Mich.

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

Would you like to participate? Join our e-mail newsletter and follow us on Instagram at @IllinoisBrewing and Facebook at @Illinois Brewing, and we may just select you 

Tommy Riemer
General manager of The Beacon Tap
1374 Lee Street in Des Plaines, IL
TheBeaconTap.com

Favorite breweries: Fibs Brewing in Des Plaines. You’re sitting next to machines that turn your funeral ashes into diamonds. That place is hard to find, but worth a stop. Mikerphone is great. My favorite beer of theirs is Special Sauce. Anytime that comes out, I make sure I’m buying a bunch of it. Liquid Love Brewing is solid.

Phase Three, nothing they do is average. I have their Pixel Density IPA on draft at the Beacon Tap a lot, and a rye lager from them that’s really good. Une Année in Niles, too. They’re very creative with everything they do, whether it’s their stouts, sours or IPAs. Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee is another one I’ve always liked. They were doing great stuff well before most everyone else, before the craft-beer craze really hit. 

Une Annee in Niles

Drinking tendencies: They’re bad (laughs). Well, after years in the business, I can definitely drink anything. But my favorite style is definitely a double dry-hopped IPA. My buddy got me started on stouts last year, and I love anything that’s peanut butter and chocolate based.

Hop Butcher, Phase Three, Lil Beaver Brewery, love them all. Lil Beaver, I’ve been on their bandwagon for a few a years now — they do a great job. I find them, and a lot of phenomenal stuff, at Bottle Theory, which is a great craft-beer shop that just opened up in Elmhurst.

Hop Butcher, Phase Three, Lil Beaver, love them all. Lil Beaver, I’ve been on their bandwagon for a few a years now. I find them, and a lot of phenomenal stuff, at Bottle Theory, which is a great craft-beer shop that just opened up in Elmhurst.

What are you looking forward to having on tap this winter at the Beacon Tap: Maplewood’s Morbidly Obese Pug: Cookies & Cream will be on tap this winter, and so much of what they do is so good. I’ve bought a lot of beer from them, and we carry several of their beers at the restaurant, but I need to go to the taproom and hang out soon.

We also have a great stout we did in collaboration with Fibs that’s their Russian imperial stout that we brewed in Journeyman Distillery bourbon barrels and raspberry puree for six months. That should be up and ready to roll in February. Exclusively at the Beacon Tap, so come grab some.

Recent beers that have caught your eye: Energy City is a brewery that’s completely underrated — they do a peanut butter imperial stout (Patisserie Peanut Butter Cup Classic) that is one of the best I’ve tried. Real peanut butter in there, I’m telling you. I’ve cut the can open with a knife and was spooning it out to eat it (laughs). Not even kidding.

Temperance in Evanston does some awesome stouts in the wintertime. Especially their Might Meets Right varieties, like the chocolate peppermint stout that makes you feel like Christmas.

Temperance Beer Co. in Evanston does some awesome stouts in the wintertime. Especially their Might Meets Right varieties, like the chocolate peppermint stout that makes you feel like Christmas. 

Best stop for a beer you’ve made on vacation: We were on vacation in the Indiana Dunes, and Beer Church Brewing in New Buffalo, Michigan, was a lot of fun. They converted a church from the Civil War era. And I know it’s a distillery and not a brewery, but Journeyman, in Three Oaks, Michigan, is a great time too. They do everything well, and it’s a beautiful venue. 

TagsBeer Church BrewingBottle TheoryEnergy CityFibs BrewingHop ButcherIllinois BrewingIllinois craft beerJourneyman DistilleryLakefront BreweryLil Beaver BreweryLiquid Love BrewingMaplewoodMight Meets RightMikerphoneMorbidly Obese PugPatisserie Peanut Butter Cup ClassicPhase ThreePixel DensityTemperance Beer CoThe Beacon TapUne Annee
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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
[email protected]

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.

illinoisbrewing

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

It’s official… Imagine us having to keep this It’s official…
Imagine us having to keep this little secret for most of the last year, especially when the second location will be walking distance from our house. Congrats Mike and the talented crew at @mikerphonebrewing … we can’t wait to be your first customer. Look for a Q&A about this fun expansion in the fall issue of Illinois Brewing
The Inside Scoop from our big summer issue: The @m The Inside Scoop from our big summer issue: The @maplewoodbrew new kitchen, Beer Night at the @pistolshrimpbaseball game July 10, @lakeeffectbrewing new long-awaited taproom, Streetz Artz Alliance @streetzmobeatz upcoming shows, the Tinley Park Ale Trail trolley, @stcalliance Brew Tour, @opmicrobrew festival and more

Read it all now at IllinoisBrewing.com
From our Brewer’s Choice section in new summer i From our Brewer’s Choice section in new summer issue: 

Q: What do you have coming up that people should know about?

@burningbushbrewery head brewer Scott McElhenie: We recently brewed Da Pope, an American mild ale, in honor of the new pope, Pope Leo XIV, who is a Chicago native. People immediately loved the name, but were surprised to realize how much they also enjoyed the beer. We workshopped Da Pope as a lighter-bodied option that still offers notes more commonly found in darker styles to give some variety over the summer. It makes me laugh a little every time somebody says, “It’s actually good!” as if we would make a beer that didn’t taste good just for a cheesy name.

Read the spotlight now at IllinoisBrewing.com
Instagram post 18399803860117341 Instagram post 18399803860117341
The Streetz Artz Alliance Summer Art Bazaar return The Streetz Artz Alliance Summer Art Bazaar returns to Tinley Park’s @flipsidebrewing this Sunday, July 6 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

The event with @streetzmobeatz will showcase 16 talented local artists in an intimate and vibrant setting inside the brewery’s taproom, perfectly paired with house-made smash burgers and fresh craft beer.

Shoppers can expect a wide and unique range of offerings — from handcrafted hot sauces, crocheted creatures, and original artwork to houseplants, tarot readings, skincare products, handmade jewelry, coffee, candles and even giant cookies.
Oh yes. The expansion continues. Oh yes. The expansion continues.
From our new summer issue... Brewer’s Choice: @b From our new summer issue...
Brewer’s Choice: @burningbushbrewery head brewer Scott McElhenie on @russianriverbrewingofficial living up to the hype, the @sturdyshelterbrewing sensational Paddlewheel porter, and naming a popular new beer after the Pope Leo XIV

“I just had a couple beers from Sturdy Shelter Brewing that really impressed me. … I have had a few porters in my life, but the Paddlewheel Porter was extraordinarily well crafted. The vanilla is well balanced with the darker malts so that you aren’t left with an overwhelming sweetness in the beer.”

Read it all now at IllinoisBrewing.com
If you haven’t tried the menu at @industryales i If you haven’t tried the menu at @industryales in downtown Chicago yet, prepare to be blown away. 

Be on the lookout for our Breweries in Bunches feature on the four Loop breweries in our new summer issue.
Well, we thought we were doing a decent job with t Well, we thought we were doing a decent job with the magazine, but it seems Illinois Brewing is so entertaining, it can even distract people from enjoying the likes of Malibu Beach and Joshua Tree National Park in California.
From @oldirvingbrewing burgers and the @uneannee c From @oldirvingbrewing burgers and the @uneannee cave monster sandwich to @crustbrewing fish tacos and @morebrewing Indian dishes, we asked readers and industry professionals: What’s the best meal you’ve had recently at an Illinois brewery?

Read the Last Call section now at IllinoisBrewing.com
Quick family vacation to Southern California and c Quick family vacation to Southern California and coming away impressed with the San Diego craft beer scene. Favorites so far include: @moderntimesbeer Orderville hazy IPA (winner so far), @latitude33brew Brewing’s blood orange IPA, @seekbeerco That Adds Up hazy IPA, @coronadobrewing Weekend Vibes IPA, @emboldenbeerco Industry blonde ale and @burgeonbeer Carlsbad Crush pale ale.
Read our spotlight on @suncatcherbrewing — who h Read our spotlight on @suncatcherbrewing — who happens to be hosting a Summer Solstice party today.

“Suncatcher is all about going back to the beers I was stoked and inspired by when I was first learning about beer as a younger person… and keeping that feeling going.” — Co-owner Matt Gallagher

Read the feature now at IllinoisBrewing.com
From the archives: Spotlight on @onelakebrewing — Located in a gorgeously renovated 1920s bank in Oak Park, this brewery from a pair of friends focuses on beer that’s true to the region it’s from and fostering a community vibe. And did we mention they have an awesome rooftop? 

“We try to brew beer that’s true to the region it came from. We bring in ingredients from all over the world and use them in their purest form. … We even adjust the water chemistry too, in order to mimic the environment of the local brewers.” — Shawn Stevens

Read the brewery spotlight at IllinoisBrewing.com
Double hazy IPA from @mikerphonebrewing on the pat Double hazy IPA from @mikerphonebrewing on the patio while playing a “candy Monopoly” my kid created on his own? 

Not a bad way to spend a summer evening.
Had a great time at the annual @illinoisbrewing go Had a great time at the annual @illinoisbrewing golf scramble earlier this week — with a tasty variety of beers from the likes of @hopbutcher @midwestcoastbrewing @blindcornerbeer @werkforcebrewing @reserveartisanales @alterbeer and more.

Also swung by for an interview with @brotherchimpbrewing for a feature in the summer issue. Now that’s a day.
Thanks to @maplewoodbrew for the invite earlier th Thanks to @maplewoodbrew for the invite earlier this week to get a sneak peek of their new kitchen and expanded taproom in Logan Square. Stellar smash burger, Pillowy Mellows NEIPA and In Dark Trees dark Czech lager. And a bottle of their finest bourbon to go. Look for more on Maplewood in the upcoming summer issue
Fun event alert: The fourth annual STC Six collabo Fun event alert: The fourth annual STC Six collaboration launch party is happening on Wednesday, June 18 at 5 p.m. at Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling in downtown St. Charles. 

The STC Six is made up of the following St. Charles breweries: @93octanebrewery @alterbeer.stc @brokenbrix_cidery @pollyannabrewingcompany @riverlandsbrewingcompany and D&G. The breweries invite everyone to join in on the celebration for a great cause with the first opportunity to taste the new beer — a West Coast pilsner with notes of citrus, tropical fruit and a touch of pine. 

This year’s collaboration supports the important mission of Support Over Stigma, a nonprofit helping veterans and first responders. For every beer and limited-edition glassware sold, $1 will be donated to the cause. Can’t make it to the event but want to contribute? You can visit any of the participating breweries to try the beer and purchase limited-edition glassware.

More information: STCSix.com
Nice patio session catching up with old friends la Nice patio session catching up with old friends last night at @halfacrebeer on Chicago’s far north side. Really dug the Nebula Double Daisy Cutter hazy IPA, Persephone pomegranate kolsch and Second Setting imperial IPA. New supply of Illinois Brewing is there now too. Summer issue out soon.
Brewer’s Choice: Tom Beckmann @twbeckmann from @ Brewer’s Choice: Tom Beckmann @twbeckmann from @goldfingerbeer on tasty recent brews from @iswasbrewing and @suncatcherbrewing … the growth of his brewery and their fifth annual Lagerversary coming up July 18-20

Read the spotlight from our spring issue now at IllinoisBrewing.com
This is not an event to be missed from the @ilcraf This is not an event to be missed from the @ilcraftbeer Guild. Tomorrow, Friday, June 6 at @gallagherwaychi next to Wrigley Field. Not a bad backdrop, right?

30-plus Chicago breweries serving up some of their best stuff for just $30. Can’t beat it, and the weather looks awesome.
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