Tag: Great American Beer Festival
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Brewer’s Choice: Horse Thief Hollow’s Andrian Morrison on the Sgt. Reckless pale ale from Evil Horse, admiring Hailstorm Brewing, winning two gold medals and helping veterans with PTSD
Morrison (left), along with Horse Thief Hollow’s Neil Byers and Jake Nelson Andrian Morrison Brewer and sales manager Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co. 10426 S Western Ave. in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood HorseThiefBrewing.com The last really good beer I drank was… Sgt. Reckless from Evil Horse Brewing, an American pale ale at 5.2% ABV. It’s got a ... -
Illinois Brewing Insider: Flipside Brewing owner Erik Pizer on the impressive variety at Werk Force, Horse Thief Hollow’s Little Wing pilsner and relaxing at The Open Bottle and Sheboygan’s 3 Sheeps Brewing
Erik Pizer Owner/head brewer of Flipside Brewing Tinley Park, IL Favorite breweries: It’s impossible to pick just one or even name just a few. Over the years I’ve made so many great friends with Illinois breweries, but Brando and the gang at Werk Force Brewing Co. are some of my closest friends, so I’ll have ... -
Breweries in Bunches: NW suburban Huntley and Woodstock are home to a handful of some of the state’s more creative and comfortable craft breweries
By Trent Modglin Kishwaukee Brewing Co. 1900 Dillard Court Woodstock, IL 60098 KishwaukeeBrewing.com What they’re known for: Kishwaukee founder and brewmaster Dan Payson learned his craft in Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest had a profound effect on him. “The Seattle beer scene was a big influence for both of us,” Dan says of himself and his ... -
Spotlight on Triptych Brewing: Located just outside of Champaign, this 10-year-old brewery with 28 beers on draft has seen significant expansion while focusing on owning the local market
Triptych Brewing 1703 Woodfield Drive Savoy, IL TriptychBrewing.com Monday-Wednesday: 3-9 p.m. Thursday: 3-10 p.m. Friday: 12-11 p.m. Saturday: 12-11 p.m. Sunday: 12-8 p.m. History in short: It all started some 10 years ago, when Anthony Benjamin and a couple friends had an inkling to start a brewery. “I had home-brewing experience and computer engineering experience, ... -
Brewer’s Choice: Double Clutch Brewing’s Scott Frank on the unique vibe at his award-winning brewery, a fondness for Evanston neighbors Temperance and Sketchbook, and gearing up for a big Oktoberfest party
Scott Frank Head brewer at Double Clutch Brewing Company 2121 N. Ashland in Evanston, IL DoubleClutchBrewing.com The last really good beer you drank was… I had a really good Maibock from Church Street recently that was given to me in a can by their sales rep. It had all the flavor profiles and an amber ... -
Brewery spotlight: Both innovative and unconventional, Off Color Brewing, the self-proclaimed “fermentation-focused brewery,” has been racking up awards for 10 years in Chicago
Off Color Brewing 1460 N. Kingsbury Chicago, IL OffColorBrewing.com Sunday-Thursday: Noon-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday: Noon-midnight History in short: Owners John Laffler and Dave Bleitner, like so many others in the industry, did “other stuff” for a while before figuring out they were better at making beer than at the other stuff. The two met at the famed Siebel ... -
Spotlight on Hailstorm Brewing: An award-winning brewing team, spacious patio, expanding barrel-aging program and delicious smoked wings in south suburban Tinley Park
Hailstorm Brewing 8060 186th Street Tinley Park, IL 60487 HailstormBrewing.com Tuesday-Wednesday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. History in short: Chris Schiller, a former consultant and software engineer, always anticipated scaling up to a commercial level while home brewing for better than five years. He and former ... -
Spotlight on Tighthead Brewing Company: Offering plenty of friendly “English pub culture” and award-winning beers in north suburban Mundelein
Tighthead Brewing Company 161 N. Archer Avenue Mundelein, IL 60060 TightheadBrewing.com Monday-Thursday: 2-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday: Noon-11 p.m. Sunday: 12-6 p.m. History in short: Owner Bruce Dir, a self-described “beer geek since about 1992,” has always been a fan of beer history and beer culture, even serving as a beer competition judge for several years. After being “reorganized” out ... -
Spotlight on Mickey Finn’s Brewery: Expect great grub, award-winning beers, a stylish space and beer garden, live music and more at this long-time Libertyville favorite
Mickey Finn’s Brewery 345 N. Milwaukee Ave. Libertyville, IL 60048 MickeyFinnsBrewery.com Tuesday-Wednesday: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. History in short: Mickey Finn’s just happens to be the oldest continuously operated microbrewery in Illinois. The original owners, Pat Elmquest and Bill Sugars, added one of the first ... -
Spotlight on Alarmist Brewing: Recipe development is key at this northwest Chicago brewery that’s home to several award-winning beers
Alarmist Brewing 4055 W. Peterson Ave Chicago, IL 60646 (773) 681-0877 AlarmistBrewing.com Monday-Thursday: 4-10 p.m. Friday: 2-11 p.m. Saturday: 12-11p.m. Sunday: 12-8 p.m. History in short: Owner Gary Gulley served as a web developer in his previous life in corporate America until he figured out he was, in his opinion, a square peg in a ...