Hand of Fate Brewing’s game night

Mike Allison
Owner and head brewer
Hand of Fate Brewing Company Co.
Petersburg, IL

The last really good beer I drank was…

Atrial Rubicite, a barrel-aged raspberry wild ale from Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas, which is one of my favorite breweries right now.

Locally, I’d say Keller Clown, the kellerbier from Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling in Springfield. It’s really crushable, really bready and lightly floral, and it just hits all the right spots.

What fellow Illinois breweries and specific beers have impressed you lately?

I find myself always going back to anything new that White Oak Brewing is putting out in Normal. I love their hazy IPAs, and pretty much anything they do I’m a fan of. They’re in a really good position where they distribute to a lot of the state, so people are catching on to them. We’ve done several collaborations with them, and I really dig those guys.

We’ve become known for our cream ales, which are perfect for people who don’t typically drink beer. We’ve created a bit of a cult following with our Double Bean Dream cream ale with vanilla and hazelnut coffee beans.”

White Oak Brewing in Normal, IL

What are you most proud of at your brewery?

Probably winning the official Illinois bicentennial beer competition at the Illinois State fair in 2018. We were tasked with creating a beer that represented the state — and we did a really tasty saison called 1818 using a ton of local Illinois ingredients. We pride ourselves on being approachable and making beer that everyone can drink. We’ve become known for our cream ales, which are perfect for people who don’t typically drink beer. We’ve created a bit of a cult following with our Double Bean Dream, which is a cream ale with vanilla and hazelnut coffee beans.

I find myself always going back to anything new that White Oak Brewing is putting out in Normal. I love their hazy IPAs.

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

We are expanding our distribution back to the Quincy area, and this winter we released Breakfast Debauchery, our imperial porter aged in maple syrup barrels and rested on espresso coffee beans. If you’re in the area, swing by because we only make a limited supply.

Hand of Fate Brewing