Distributor Locations: Lakeshore Beverage (IL)
If anything bad can be said about Chicagoans, it’s that we have a tendency to think of the city as the only worthwhile part of the Midwest. Beer Trips (Driveable Craft Beer Destinations) is a blog series about places that are just within our reach. These posts will put you in the passenger seat of Lakeshore Beverage’s blogger and beer traveler, Matt Tanaka as he journeys to nearby craft beer destinations to see what makes them worth the trip.
In the second installment of the series, we take you on a trip to lovely Bloomington, Indiana to visit Upland Brewing Co.
Last night we had the great privilege of officially welcoming Urban Chestnut Brewing to Chicago. In true Urban Chestnut fashion, there was plenty of tasty beer, a German-style feast and, of course, a punk polka band playing NOFX, Op Ivy and Brian Adams covers.
The event was also a part of our Secret Beer Party series, which meant that we got to party with a bunch of you guys! Thanks for joining us, we had a blast. Read More
If anything bad can be said about Chicagoans, it’s that we have a tendency to think of the city as the only worthwhile part of the Midwest. Beer Trips (Driveable Craft Beer Destinations) is a blog series about places that are just within our reach. These posts will put you in the passenger seat of Lakeshore Beverage’s blogger and beer traveler, Matt Tanaka as he journeys to nearby craft beer destinations to see what makes them worth the trip.
After reading these guides, you should find yourself equipped to make the same journey… or at the very least with a whetted appetite for a fresh pint.
First up: Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, MI.
Last week we took you behind-the-scenes as Chef Chris Cosentino and the Virtue Cider team created a custom cider called Offalgood Cider. Now that the cider has officially been released, we sat down with Lakeshore Beverage craft beer and cider expert, Jenn Eppich for a closer look at the final product.
Photo Credit: Urban Chestnut
Lakeshore Beverage is proud to welcome Urban Chestnut Brewing Company to the family. Urban Chestnut is an unconventional-minded yet tradition-oriented craft brewery with a a “new world meets old world” brewing approach that pays reverence to classically-crafted European beer styles, while contributing to the modern American craft beer scene. Their sentiment of reverence to old world beer is of second nature to their German-born brewmaster, Florian Kuplent, who views the chestnut as a symbol of the tradition and heritage of beer.
I sat down with Urban Chestnut’s Head of Sales Operations, Jon Shine to talk about the brewery, the beer and the super-secret launch party.
It’s 7:30 in the morning and I’m drinking gas station coffee while flying down the highway and cursing myself for the now-empty bag of Taco Bell’s breakfast tacos greasing its way into my passenger seat. Despite this, spirits are high because I’m heading to Virtue Farms for a unique blending session with Virtue’s Cidermaster Ryan Burk and Chef Chris Consentino. No amount of bad breakfast decisions can take that away from me.
Chef Chris Cosentino, winner of Top Chef Masters, is known for his incredibly unique nose-to-tail cooking and offal dishes. He’s adventurous and award-winning with, as his website claims, “meat as his muse.” Today he’s visiting the farm to work with Ryan and the Virtue Cider team to construct a beverage with food and flavor in mind. By the end of the day, he’ll have created a custom cider to complement his unique cooking.