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The Beer Blog

Your guide to craft beer news, events, and breweries in Chicago! Signup for our newsletter for notifications on new posts.


10 Fall Beers To Keep You Warm This Season ›
On September 29, 2016  ·  in Bell's Brewery, Boulevard Brewing Company, Founders Brewing Co., Schlafly Beer, Stella Artois, SweetWater Brewing, Tallgrass Brewing, Tasting Notes, Uncategorized, Virtue Cider

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Of course we all love summer, but there’s nothing quite like these first days of autumn in Chicago. Crisp evenings and leaves on the ground mean it’s time to swap out citrus for spices and start pouring these malt-forward favorites. So bust out your flannel, watch too many horror movies, and start putting together that epic Halloween costume. Here are our fall beer picks to keep you warm this season. Read More


Tasting Notes: 8 Beers for Oktoberfest ›
On September 12, 2016  ·  in Burnt City Brewing, Central Waters, Goose Island Beer Co., Old Style, Shiner, Spaten, Tasting Notes, Upland Brewing Co., Urban Chestnut Brewing, Video

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Time to dust off your lederhosen and/or dirndl, it’s Oktoberfest! The 183rd annual German beer festival kicks off year this weekend and we’re here to give you a rundown of some of our favorite Märzens to celebrate with. Read More


Upland Sours Now Available In Chicago ›
On August 23, 2016  ·  in Tasting Notes, Upland Brewing Co.

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I’ll be the first to admit I’m sour beer ignorant.

My first tasting was what you might expect: I took a sip, pursed my lips, and thought to myself, “This is beer?”

It was fruity, funky, and unlike anything I’d ever tried before. I was intrigued. And after several more tastings and conversations, my exploration led me to a familiar name: Bloomington, Indiana’s Upland Brewing Company.

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Meet Virtue Cider Michigan Brut ›
On August 01, 2016  ·  in Tasting Notes, Virtue Cider

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Photo courtesy of Virtue Cider

Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, then Goose Island Brewmaster Greg Hall would regularly travel to renowned European beer cities like Munich, Brussels, and London for inspiration on how to bring great beer to the United States. Fast-forward to today and Hall says he doesn’t need to go that far to find great cider—in fact, according to Hall, Virtue Cider’s Fennville, Michigan farm gets about the same amount of rainfall as “those fancy European apple growing regions.” Because of this, Western Michigan is somewhat of an apple growing haven and Virtue Cider takes pride in its home there. Known for creating a variety of complex and dry ciders, Virtue recently released their first cider in 12 oz. bottle format, Michigan Brut, and we were able to sit down with Greg to chat about the latest release.

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Brewery Ommegang Introduces 6-Packs, Great Beyond Double IPA ›
On July 18, 2016  ·  in Beer Review, Brewery Ommegang, Tasting Notes

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Fresh off their Champion Brewery and Brewmaster award at the Brewers Association World Beer Cup this spring, Brewery Ommegang brings us yet another reason to celebrate them—this time in the form of six-packs and a brand new double IPA, Great Beyond. We sat down with Brewery Ommegang’s Market Manager, Andrew Berlanstein, to hear the story behind the two new developments.
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Tasting Notes | 5 Beers for 4th of July ›
On June 29, 2016  ·  in Against The Grain Brewery, Budweiser, Holidays, Pabst Brewing Company, Tasting Notes

IMG_45124th of July means lots of fireworks, lots of hotdogs, and of course, plenty of beer — especially if you find yourself hosting or attending a backyard barbecue with your friends and family. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility, and we want you to curate your beer cooler responsibly. We know there are errands to run and burgers to grill so leave the beer to us. Here are some 4th of July beers for just about everybody at your party — from your domestic drinking grandfather to your beer nerd cousin.

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