Guys Drinking Beer

04/09/2024

With Labor Day weekend in the rearview, we thought we'd acknowledge the spiritual close of the summer months by taking a look at some of the beers (and one RTD) we dragged with us to the beach this year.

Some were delicious. Some...underwhelmed. But all of them were drank on the sand or on the water, which is always a great place to have a beer. Premium Subscribers just found out what our favorite was out of all of them (it surprised us too) -- sign up now to see what we're talking about:

https://open.substack.com/pub/karlgdb/p/this-years-beach-beers

26/08/2024

Last call: This is the final week to check out One Trick Pony Brewery (for now). The south suburban brewery closes its doors Sunday night, 12 years after we first wrote about them opening in a Lansing industrial park. Attorney Mark Kocol has been a hands-on owner, handling brewing, bottling, delivering sixtels, you name it.

We recently popped in and enjoyed a couple of the very first beers they ever made – the pale ale Spotted Saddle and Hanoverian, a hoppy hefeweizen – which are back on draft, along with Warlander, a 10% triple IPA, and each threads the needle on the respective styles. Kocol was clear from day one they didn’t want to be a “one trick pony” brewery focused on just one style and they’ve always checked that box, offering a diverse range of styles, while never getting caught up in the hyped trend of the moment.

One Trick Pony has served as a starting point – whether supporting Kocol or contract brewing – for several area brewers, even as the brewery moved down the block of that industrial park to a larger space with a cozy outdoor patio.

Plans were announced five years ago to move to an old furniture store in downtown Lansing, but those haven’t progressed much, so this weekend may mark the end of an era for a local brewing scene that has gone from three brewery taprooms in just five square miles (Three Floyds, Windmill, One Trick Pony) to none.

That alone makes it worth coming by for a final pint, sitting around the fire pit, listening to music from local bands and chowing from food trucks on the final weekend menu. Sounds like Mark's looking for a new spot nearby, but for now, we're bidding this chapter of OTP a fond farewell.

18/08/2024

We recently caught up with Moor's Brewing Company co-founder Damon Patton at a Black Business Month event on the West Side, discussing the recent expansion beyond Chicagoland for their beer that earned them the attention of a recent Scripps news story as well.

During his remarks, Patton said Moor's is now available at Whole Foods stores in New York City and Total Wine & Liquor stores in New Jersey. (Closer to home, we recently spied Moor's at the Binny's in Orland Park. "Black business always needs access to capital," he said. August is Black Business Month, which dates back to 2004.

https://www.scrippsnews.com/business/black-business-month/moors-brewing-is-one-of-the-few-black-owned-breweries-in-the-us-with-concrete-plans-to-expand

16/08/2024

We spoke with Executive Director Ray Stout about how JB Pritzker's JBeer came to be, and how and helped make it happen. Link's in our stories or head to our Substack for more!

13/08/2024

Tilray making another big move into craft today, taking on four MolsonCoors brands including Atwater Brewery which changes hands for the second time in less than five years:

Tilray Brands announced “a definitive agreement” with Molson Coors Beverage Company to acquire four craft beer brands in its Tenth & Blake division.

12/08/2024

Just in time for football season:

Powered by pretzels, naturally

09/08/2024

Really? We're still doing this?

If you're unfamiliar with Spirit Water, located in NW-suburban Cary, it's the brewery and distillery from the original creator of Not Your Father's Root Beer.

Not only do we think it's sh*tty that Spirit Water thinks its fine to name a drink something this awful, but using AI-generated slop and stealing IP from cartoons (that are made for kids!) is a new low.

Just garbage. Do better.

02/08/2024

In just the last week or so, we've spotted nearly two dozen marzens and festbiers entering the market. Find out who's already O'festing here:

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29/07/2024

The few dozen of us lucky enough to snag tickets for the first-ever beer pairing dinner at Beer Temple did so with a bit of blind faith in those involved – there was no promotion of the food or beer to be served in collaboration with Scratch Brewing Company. Surprise! It exceeded *all* expectations.

From a dandelion-infused saison to a rose root-infused old ale, spring squash gazpacho to lamb shoulder, it was another outstanding step in The Beer Temple’s continued growth and an amazing way to get to know one of America's most interesting breweries. Click through for the full report:

https://www.guysdrinkingbeer.com/beer-temple-scratch-team-up-on-remarkable-dinner/

26/07/2024

This weekend is so, so full of events:

A landjaeger party at Dovetail Brewery
A pilsner fest at Art History Brewing and a Lager & Friends gathering at Cruz Blanca Brewpub
An ABV Chicago 10th anniversary shindig at Beer on the Wall - Park Ridge
Rabid Brewing's Feast of the Goat Queen
Summertime parties from Printers Row Brewing and Funkytown Brewery
..and more! Details in this week's Friday Events & Socials email plus some less fun news from Keeping Together. If you don't already have this in your inbox, don't forget to subscribe. Click to find out why we put a GIF from The Bear in there too:

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25/07/2024

Almost 9 years to the day since they opened their doors, we finally popped into Ascension Brewing Company in the Detroit suburbs. They got on our radar at a Michigan Brewers Guild Winter fest followed by some World Beer Cup wins, meaning a detour to Novi was long overdue.

Tucked in a strip mall, it’s cozy, with a comfy porch and a welcoming scene inside. They're clearly community-focused judging by the Little League players at one table, parents at another, and even as that party grew from 12 to 25, the staff remained friendly and attentive. Not to mention the “Beer It Forward” wall that isn’t specific to a person, but to people – like adoptive parents, veterans, or that person “with a regretful tattoo.”

And from a west coast DIPA to a pastry stout, pilsner to session IPA, the beer is worthy of the hype. The bacon sampler board sure doesn’t hurt, nor did the other farm-to-table offerings like fried green tomatoes and more.

Going forward, it won’t be a detour, but a destination.

22/07/2024

This year's Goose Island BCS variants dropped this AM. Here's what to expect on Black Friday ... and we've also got the labels for variants they *didn't* release:

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19/07/2024

Lots going on this weekend and next, including events at Imperial Oak Brewing, Goldfinger Brewing Company, Is/was brewing, The Beer Temple, Rabid Brewing and a heck of a lot more. Plus the weirdest thing Half Acre Beer Company has ever posted. Check it out:

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11/07/2024

One Trick Pony Brewery announced its closure of its taproom and brewery:

"While this is a closing on Chappel Avenue, we hope to be able to raise a glass with you all again in a future OTP Lansing location."

28/06/2024

How did the Metropolitan Brewing IP wind up at a brewery near O’Hare that primarily makes IPAs? We talked to Short Fuse Brewing Company owner Nick Teague to find out.

https://karlgdb.substack.com/p/q-and-a-short-fuse-brewing-owner

19/06/2024

Another brewery announcing a closure at the end of the month:

17/06/2024

Dyer's Windmill Brewing has announced its final day in business will be June 29th:

Hey friends. We’ve had an amazing (almost) 9 years serving you all and making many new friends and memories. We’ve decided that Saturday, June 29th will be our last day of tap room service. With the impending, months-long road construction project that will affect our primary road access and will turn a pretty bad parking situation into a really bad one and other compounding factors, we’ve decided it’s time to close down for good.

First things first, Luther will be fine. We have a wonderful home lined up for him where he’ll be very well taken care of. Make sure to swing in before we close to get your last pets and scritches in.

Friends of Luther club members, we made you a promise when you bought into our mug club and we’re going to do our best to honor that. For every month you have left on your membership we’re going to give you $9 in credit towards any in-house purchase until the 29th and your $1 off full pints benefit will still be valid until the 29th.

Until then….business as usual. Normal hours. Stop in, grab a pint or some cans of some of your Windmill favorites, and say ‘Hi’ to your favorite bartender. Thanks for all your support over the years. 🍻😻

14/06/2024

There is a tremendous amount of beer stuff going on this weekend -- here's what we spotted going on, in case it helps you make a few decisions about what to do with the next 72 hours of your life.

Oh, and subscribe while you're there, won't you?

So much stuff going on over the next few days, but before that, a gentle nudge as we head into this Father’s Day weekend, where it’s possible someone might say something like, “Hey, did you hear that Hulk Hogan has a beer coming out? It’s been all over the news in the past few days!”

12/06/2024

Gallo getting in on Montucky, the Kelce bros taking a stake in Garage Beer ... light lager being the hottest thing in beer in 2024 is definitely not what I expected.

Football stars Jason and Travis Kelce teamed up to invest in Garage Beer, one of the fastest-growing craft light beer brands in the U.S.

07/06/2024

What were you drinking a decade ago? It was probably a beer from one of the many brand new breweries hitting tap lines and store shelves in June 2014.

The amount of 10-year anniversary celebrations this month made us ask: Was June 2014 the busiest time in Chicago craft beer history?

Featuring Imperial Oak Brewing, Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, Beermiscuous, Hailstorm Brewing Co., Werk Force Brewing and others:

There was a LOT going on back then.

04/06/2024

A very strong introduction to the new owner of Anchor Brewing Company, and a great first step in the revival of the brand. Hoping for good things to come.

28/05/2024

The forthcoming rooftop space at Midwest Coast Brewing Company looks pretty rad:

The Near West Side brewery's outdoor area, which offers views of the Downtown skyline, will open to the public in June.

23/05/2024

It took a while, but Chicago is finally home to locally-made beers from Other Half Brewing Company thanks to their brewing space adjacent to the Ramova Theatre.

Those iconic Other Half hazies are still there, and so is a chocolate-heavy barrel-aged Snowbirds 7, but on Friday night, Chicago brewer Todd Haug (formerly of Surly and Three Floyds) delivered a mild but fruity IPA, as well as a tropical hazy and the neighborhood salute, Bridgeport Ale, a malty red.

Interestingly, it was Haug’s collaboration lager with The Budos Band, playing that night, that really stood out. Here’s hoping it comes back even after the band’s phenomenal performance next door.

It was a packed taproom and lively atmosphere, thanks to a rock-heavy DJ set from Mad Squabbles, and we even got to cross the street to check out the new neighborhood dive (said with love) Electric Funeral Bar – which couldn’t have been more fun and gives another reason to make 35th and Halsted a regular stop.

23/05/2024

Nearly a decade after unleashing the largest brewery the Midwest has ever seen, Lagunitas Chicago TapRoom & Beer Sanctuary is closing its doors. According to reports, the production facility will be done in August, and the taproom is closed as of today:

https://karlgdb.substack.com/p/breaking-lagunitas-chicago-production

22/05/2024

A legal battle over Boneflower is brewing.

Boneflower Mead co-founder Aaron Schavey filed suit Friday against fellow co-founder Geoff Resney, alleging he has misspent business funds, including through fraud, to the point the Northwest Indiana business is all but insolvent, with available funds now less than $400.

Click through for the whole story, which includes allegations of changing locks, dismantling security cameras and more:

The co-founders of Boneflower Meadery are battling over control of one of the nation's best meaderies. Here's what we found out:

21/05/2024

A trip to Goose Island Fulton pick up bottles of the hype-worthy Dapper Rye BA stout led to two new taproom-only discoveries that we hope leads to something more than just R&D production. The first Fulton & Wood release of the year (pictured left) is a refreshing cucumber saison, Mara, which is as flavorful yet light as you'd want on a summer day.

We followed that with a thick, fruity, hazy pineapple NEIPA called Where the People Are (pictured right) that again nails everything enjoyable about summer, which was made to celebrate taproom ambassador Jonny Coffman's 3-year mark of surviving terminal melanoma. You may remember his Lost Palate, which was the original beer brewed in honor of his cancer battle; that mango-cinnamon IPA was also on draft and remains just as good as it was then.

20/05/2024

Another Dark Lord Day has come and gone. Thankfully, our buddy Jaime was on hand to get some great photos of this year's event. Were you there? How was the Egregious Philbin? Did you survive the mosh pit? There's a few more photos at Jaime's IG, so go check it out!

https://www.instagram.com/jaimelikesbeer/

17/05/2024

Hey, remember when Lagunitas Brewing Co was fun?

Facebook reminded us today that about a decade back, Lagunitas Chicago TapRoom & Beer Sanctuary launched their first Beer Circus, which would return a few times over the following years. We posted about our visit in '15 (linked below) but here are a few photos that only scratch the surface of the glorious weirdness of that era of Lagunitas. Enjoy.

https://www.guysdrinkingbeer.com/the-lagunitas-beer-circus-come-one-come-all/

16/05/2024

On May 10th, beer lines were back - at least for one day. That's the day that Phase Three Brewing Company - Elmhurst released 100 bottles of its coveted Five Year Anniversary Stout at its stellar Elmhurst kitchen and taproom (members entered an Oznr lottery). Did a couple guys camp out in a tent? Yes. Did a guy bring a baby in a stroller? You know it. Were share pours flowing in the morning? Of course.

In a sign of the times, P3 didn't distribute all of the 100 tickets until shortly before the 11 a.m. on-sale. The line moved efficiently, and the brewery also allowed those in line to buy either a Eunoia 15 or 16, which was a nice bonus.

As for the beer, it spent 45 months in three different types of bourbon barrels and clocked in at 19.4%. There was so much fire, P3 added two types of vanilla beans to the last round of barrel aging to cut the heat. There was a lot of vanilla in the 3 oz. draft pour we had. We are looking forward to letting the bottle age a year to see how it develops/if it calms down a bit.

Also available was a variant aged partly in rum barrels without vanilla. We liked this one a lot better. The rum served the role of the vanilla, cutting the heat. It was super tasty. Both are still on tap in Elmhurst and Lake Zurich as of today.

13/05/2024

Last year, we told you about the drive south to Emancipation Brewing Company in rural Fairbury, squarely between I-55 and I-57 near Pontiac, and their "beer made without water," a maple brown ale made from maple tree sap at a neighboring farm.

Well, it's back - with bottles and growlers now available to go and we happened to be in Central Illinois as it hit the taps. It hits with a strong maple nose and is just a bit sweeter than last year's, but definitely still a solid maple brown.

And if you're looking for an extra excuse to make the drive south, they're hosting their 7th "Kolsch Night In The Boonies" on Wednesday, a traditional Kolsch service that has even drawn the attention of Craft Beer and Brewing magazine. Reservations are available at their website!

https://www.emancipationbrewingco.com/kolsch-night-in-the-boonies