The highly anticipated and coveted Bourbon County Stout lineup from Goose Island is set and ready to go. Scaled back to just four variants this year, Goose is going back to the basics with this release, focusing on the four styles that are at the heart of this brand. Bourbon County Brand Stout, Bourbon County Brand Barleywine, Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout, and the Chicago-only Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout make up the four offerings. As is tradition, BCS will release on Black Friday, but we were graciously invited to a special media preview of the lineup on a cold and rainy fall evening in October. We’d have it no other way. Read More
Most of us have likely been on a brewery tour at some point. They’re fun, give you a chance to learn something new, and oh yeah, there’s beer. Lots of beer. But, as much as it pains me to believe, beer isn’t for everyone. As such, cider continues to grow and carve out its place in the modern craft beverage scene, offering long time beer drinkers something different, and wine drinkers something they can easily relate to. One of the leaders in farmhouse cidermaking is Virtue Cider. Located a quick 2 1/2 hour drive from Chicago in Fennville, MI, Virtue Cider is a perfect trip for those looking to get out of the city for a day or weekend. We were recently able to spend a day up at the farm to get to know the faces behind the cider. Read More
Last week we welcomed our newest brewery partner, Wiseacre Brewing Company, into the Chicago market and had a blast introducing their beers to our great city. Thanks to everyone who came out to our launch party at Little Goat Diner in the West Loop and all the other events throughout the week. As usual, the food was phenomenal, the views were Instagram-worthy (despite the rain), and we all learned how to use a Wiseacre Flowzie. Be sure to grab some Wiseacre near you using our Beer Finder and thank you to Britography for the amazing photos!
We get it, pumpkin beers can be a bit divisive. Most folks either love them or hate them. But before you write off pumpkin ales for good, consider the fact that some of the first beer brewed in America was made with pumpkins. That’s right, 18th century colonists used them as a source of fermentable sugar due to the cost and limited supply of barley. History is neat! Anyways, here are three distinct pumpkin beers we hope you’ll enjoy this fall. Read More
Memphis, TN (October 4, 2016) — Memphis-based WISEACRE Brewing Company is thrilled to announce its official entry into the Chicago market on Monday, October 10. Since its founding in 2013, WISEACRE has become not only one of the South’s most popular craft breweries (as the producer of the two best-selling Tennessee-made beers Tiny Bomb and Ananda IPA) but also one of the most critically acclaimed, having won a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival. Read More
Beer and running don’t always go together, but Goose Island Innovation Brewer Tim Faith makes it work. He’s racing his second Chicago Marathon after running last year’s (appropriately) in 3:12 and he somehow manages to balance his life as a brewer with a disciplined training schedule. Read More