Halloween is coming up faster than you know and with all the parties coming up, do you have a costume ready? I know I don’t! So, if you’re a beer or cider lover like us, why not let some of our amazing spooky-themed beers be your costume inspiration this year?
A perennial favorite for peanut butter fans everywhere. The iconic Absence of Light monster from the can will surely draw some attention. Throw on some short horns, put on a brown shirt and make sure you have plenty of peanut butter cups on hand to share.
As the antagonist of one of the greatest horror movies in recent years, this goat could be the GOAT for drink-inspired costumes. Made with real fruit, this blood orange and cranberry hard cider could easily fool some into thinking you’re drinking something much spookier. Find some goat horns and drape yourself in something black with vvhatever you can find!
Darkness is an apt name for a stout this massively opaque! Chocolatey and sweetened even more so with tart cherry and raisin, this beer is balanced by its piney resinous hop character. Every year the packaging is done by a different artist and this year’s eyeball-filled eldritch horror could be too much for some. Grab a pack of self-adhering googly eyes and embrace your inner goth for a quick and easy costume.
A lot of alliteration for Alien Avatar Amber Ale. This smooth and malty beer has a nice hop backbone that should please IPA drinkers. Go retro with an 8-bit themed saucer costume or make it your own by going full Roswell Grey. If you can find it, go with the classic Alien Abduction costume – it brings a smile to my face every year.
All Hallows Treat hopes to rekindle your favorite childhood Halloween memories with the aromas and flavors of dark chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and soft vanilla swirl. This rich and malty beer will have you entranced! The artwork from the can gives you two options – zombie searching for “graaaaaiiins” or the classic white sheet ghost!
A barrel-aged take on a classic German style – this lager is transformed into something out of this world with complex wood and whiskey notes over a soft roastiness. Go check your parent’s attic to see if they kept your costume from your solar system project. Or rush out and find a moon-texture printed tee shirt to pair with this lunar-themed doppelbock.
What is more quintessential to Halloween than a Jack-o-Lantern? Ill Repute is chock full of pumpkin pie aromas and flavors. Built upon complex layers of caramel and chocolate to create an imperial stout, this beer is an ideal pairing for all that Halloween candy! Pumpkin-head masks and costumes are sure to be around but if you’re in a real last minute pinch, a real pumpkin on your head will surely spark some interesting conversations.
Apples and oven roasted pumpkin – yum! This delicious and naturally gluten-free choice might just be what you’re looking for. If you have the face painting or make-up talent, this would be a great chance to break out those reds and oranges. Go half apple, half pumpkin face and watch the confused faces until you break out a pack of Apple Lantern!
Also called “The Patch” – this wild pumpkin ale from no other than Jolly Pumpkin finally broke the streak of no pumpkin beers from this brewery. Fortunately for us, they did make La Parcela and it was worth the wait! This ale is packed with real pumpkins, hints of spice, and a gentle kiss of cacao. I’m going to admit that I’m not familiar with this bat-winged cat but if you have a cat that will put up with it, get a few pictures of them doing their best La Parcela impression. You can always up your cat costume from the past with a pair of wings too.
Are you someone who goes against the trend? Don’t want all those porters and stouts coming out for the fall? Well Duvel 6,66 might be exactly what you want! An easy drinking Belgian blond Ale with 6 refined hop varieties. Keep your summer glow going a little longer and dress up not as a devil but a Duvel – yellow jumpsuit and some tiny yellow horns will have you feeling lively and zesty just like the beer itself!
The entire Beer Hug series from Goose Island has been flying off the shelves this year. From Hazy, Neon, and Tropical, these local Chicago IPAs are perfect for any Halloween party. Throw on those big shades or go all out with a bear costume and make sure to bring a pack of Beer Hugs.
Happy Pi Day!!! To celebrate we made a KBS French Silk Pie, and now that KBS is available year-round, so can you! Here’s the recipe, enjoy!
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped bitter chocolate)
24 large marshmallows
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup KBS
1/3 cup heavy cream or evaporated or condensed skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ready-made butter-cookie-crumb or graham-cracker pie crust
Place chocolate chips, marshmallows, and salt in a medium bowl.
In two separate saucepans, heat Stout and heavy cream until very hot but not boiling. (Don’t heat them together in one container, or the cream will curdle.)
Pour the Stout and cream over the chocolate and marshmallows and let sit for 5 minutes. Gently whisk together to thoroughly blend. Add the vanilla and bourbon (if using), continuing to whisk until very smooth.
Pour the mixture into the crust and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or until firm.
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons premium bourbon
In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft mounds form. Gradually add sugar, whipping until cream forms stiff peaks. Gently fold in bourbon. Chill until ready to serve.
And Finally the most important step. DIG IN!!!
We had a blast last night at the third installment in our event series with The Hop Review, Arts & Crafts: A Celebration of Art and Craft Beer. The series is an opportunity for us to explore the connection between two things we care very much about: craft beer and art, and Vol 3: Hand Lettering with Frances MacLeod allowed us to do just that. Read More
Last night was a blast. I hope you were there.
It was the second installment in our exciting new series with The Hop Review, Arts & Crafts: A Celebration of Art and Craft Beer. The series is an opportunity for us to explore the connection between two things we care very much about: craft beer and art, and Vol 2: Artist Designed Footwear with BucketFeet allowed us to do just that. Read More
Day 8 of Chicago Craft Beer Week marked the first in a series of events Lakeshore Beverage is co-hosting with The Hop Review called Arts & Crafts: A Celebration of Art and Craft Beer. The inaugural event featured the work of Chicago artist Nate Azark of 12 Line Studio, including a screenprinting demonstration and a custom piece designed especially for the event. Read More