Distributor Locations
It’s beginning to actually feel like winter in Chicagoland now and when the chilly temperatures arrive, that means it’s time to break out the winter warmers! Here are five beers from local breweries that I usually keep on hand to enjoy while getting the feeling back in my fingers after clearing snow.
Alter Brewing Company’s Swedda Wedda is not only fun to say – it’s really fun to drink too! Even at 6.0% ABV, you can usually start feeling the warmth pretty quickly. As an oatmeal stout, the layers of complexity really mask the higher ABV. With notes of chocolate, coffee, toffee, and vanilla, this smooth and creamy stout usually satisfies my craving for a hot chocolate.
Moody Tongue Winter Ale can only be found on draught but I think you’ll really enjoy it if you happen to be at a bar or restaurant that serves it. This 6.5% ABV Belgian-style dark ale has notes of toffee and candied orange peel along with cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger aromatics. As a Moody Tongue beer, it’s made to be paired with food. They suggest braised short rib, roast leg of lamb, a panettone, or date honey nut cake – anything rich and indulgent can work.
Spiteful Brewing’s Jingle Balls is a winter ale that comes in at 6.7% ABV and is perfect as an afternoon beer. Perfectly spiced with ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, this winter ale starts off as an amber ale made with Maris Otter malt so you know it’ll have a nice subtle sweetness to it.
Hopewell Brewing Company’s Long Shadows was something I’ve been waiting to crack open for the first substantial snowfall but I couldn’t wait that long. This red-hued Winter IPA is piney and citrusy with a toasty malt backbone. At 7.5% ABV, this IPA is a great pairing for a holiday roast or a beer to end the evening with.
Of course we had to include Goose Island Bourbon County Stout if we’re talking about local winter warmers because every single BCS is a great winter warmer. As the originators of the barrel aging style, their newest 2023 lineup was packed with great collaboration like the Bourbon County Brand Eagle Rare 2-Year Reserve Stout and Angel’s Envy 2-Year Cask Finish Stout but the one I look forward to most every year is their Proprietor’s. It’s usually the most experimental and most out of the box and I really enjoyed this year’s. Unofficially, I’m calling it the BCS Rice Pudding and I think it’s a perfect treat for the holidays. The toasted rice, vanilla custard, dried fruit, and spice flavors make me feel like I’m in a Dickens novel. At 14.3% ABV, it’s going to be a winter heater for some but it’s perfectly toasty for me.
Here’s the warmth scale just because I liked the way it looked. Maybe I’ll make a Winter Warmer Flight out of it!
Moody Tongue, opened in 2014 by Jared Rouben, has always had a culinary focus to their beer, but now they can finally bring the food to match! Moody Tongue has just opened their new brewery which is located in the South Loop. Boasting a dining room with a full 12 course tasting menu from Michelin star head chef Jared Wentworth, a separate area for the 26 tap bar and a-la-cart menu and a much expanded brewing space hosting over 300 different barrels for aging and much expanded brewing equipment from the previous location. When asked about when Rouben knew it was time to find a new location he said “We knew we were growing out of the old space when we hit capacity. It got to a point in our business where we ran out of space to put tanks and barrels and we wanted to make more beer and different styles of beer and so we needed a new home. We were fortunate to find a new home that allows us to put in a kitchen and to put chef Jared Wentworths’ skills to great work.”
There are cakes, and then there are CAKES. The 12 Layer German Chocolate Cake at Moody Tongue is the latter. Made with layers of dark chocolate cake, German chocolate filling, raw espresso cheesecake, and chocolate buttercream, this eye-popping dessert is made for sharing. So to commemorate National Chocolate Cake Day (yes, that’s a real thing), we spent a day with Pastry Chef, Shannon Morrison, to see what goes into making one of her delectable treats. Watch the video below and make your plans to visit the Tasting Room soon.
Of course, like most college kids, my go-to beers have been domestic lagers…after I turned 21, of course. I often wouldn’t think twice about what beer to order at the bar and my college budget was an excuse for limiting my choices. Now that I’ve graduated and finished my internship here at Lakeshore Beverage, I’ve garnered a newfound knowledge about beer. Hint: they don’t all taste the same.
From recent grads like myself, to your uncle who’s been drinking the same domestic lager his whole life, there’s a craft beer out there for everyone. Listen, I’m not asking you to jump right into trying an intense hoppy IPA, but I am asking you to try a different beer than you’d typically reach for. There’s a huge world of beer out there and it’s time to widen your horizons, so here are 10 craft beers you can enjoy.
On Thursday, July 19th, the Green City Market Chef BBQ offered the most divine and delicious bites for attendees to enjoy. Beer tastings were available from a variety of Midwest beverage purveyors including Goose Island, Moody Tongue, Virtue Cider, Founders, Bell’s, Boulevard, 3 Sheeps, Urban Chestnut, Sun King, Jolly Pumpkin, and Burnt City. Lakeshore Beverage partnered up with the Green City Market Junior Board and Goose Island this year and brought Plinko to our lounge area. Guests could win a variety of Goose Island merchandise and one lucky winner even got to take home a Goose Island Bike!