Summer Wit pours cloudy with a light golden straw color true to style. A thick white head quickly forms and recedes slowly. The nose receives a wide array of aromas including white peppercorn, clove, lemon zest, coriander, orange peel, bubblegum, lemongrass, and a faint citrus hop presence. Bitter zest dominates on the palate from beginning to finish. Mid-palate is greeted with sweet malt and citrus juice notes, which are kept in check by the zesty notes. The wheat sweetness fades in the finish with the entrance of clove and coriander spices and a delicate floral note. The pleasant finish is dry and quite long.

Often times I find many Belgian wits containing meaty hotdog flavors which I do not personally find quite pleasing. Summer Wit is an example of one which does not, making me a huge fan. If you see these bright orange cans sitting on a shelf, be sure to pick them up for a refreshing summer taste, and be sure to check out Wild Onion’s other offerings if you have yet to do so.

As spring finally arrives, it’s always nice to venture out to the suburbs and hit up an event on a perfect Saturday. That was the case with the Mundelein Craft Beer Festival. Nothing but bad weather all week seemed to clear out and make way for a beautiful day, almost as if we deemed it so.

This was the second outing for Tighthead Brewery as they played host to the Mundelein Craft Beer Festival. Last year’s event brought out over 800 people, and this time around aimed to nearly double that number to 1500 attendees. By the looks of it, they met, or at least came fairly close to meeting the goal.

While not the biggest festival, it’s on the lower cost end of the spectrum at $35 pre-sale and $40 at the gate. With many other Chicagoland fests and events charging upwards of $100, its nice to find one that’s a little easier on the wallet.

As you enter the festival grounds, also known as the Tighthead parking lot, you receive your commemorative pint glass for sampling. The brewers are positioned on the 3 sides of the lot with the bands set up on the fourth. The center is a huge, open space for gathering and mingling with friends, with ample seating available as well. Our only critique of last year’s fest was the lack of shade for this open space, which was not the case this year. They added a large tent to cover half of the area. This was plenty of space to get out of the sun when desired.

Another great thing about the festival is focus on local breweries. Many of the breweries that attend are some of the smaller suburban operations like Wild Onion, Church Street, Mickey Finns, Lucky Monk, and of course Mundelein’s own Tighthead. Many Chicago greats are in attendance as well; Revolution, Haymarket, and Half Acre to name a few. Also spotlighted were a couple homebrew shops. One of the newer ones not far from the event location in Gurnee is Grow Masters. They are really doing a great job supplying the far north ‘burbs with a top notch location for home brewing supplies.

The breweries brought many of the reliable favorites, but there were also some great specialties as well. A couple that stood out were Haymarket’s Acrimonious Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, and Tighthead’s Cask-Conditioned Old Dog Kaya Barleywine. Tighthead probably had the largest variety including the cask, as well as multiple trappings of barrel-aged beers. If you didn’t get a chance to make it to the festival you should still plan a trip to Mundelein just to hit up Tighthead and try some of their beers. Definitely one of the great small breweries in the northern suburbs.

Beer Under Glass- Opening Ceremonies of Chicago Craft Beer Week at Garfield Park Conservatory

It’s no secret that this is one of our all time favorite events. Beer Under Glass ranked number 2 last year on our 12 most awesome of 2012 list. BUG is the only time all year that we get to venture to the west side of Chicago for a major festival. Did we mention that it’s the Opening Ceremony of Chicago Craft Beer Week? For me more than anything in this cold weather town that we live, Beer Under Glass represents that time of year where my city come alive! This year’s celebration featured 54 breweries and 8 food vendors. The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild always does a good job of not overselling events, this year was no exception.

In addition to the breweries we have come to expect at these events, we were able to enjoy several breweries making their Beer Under Glass debut. 18th Street, Ale Syndicate, Baderbrau, Triptych, 4 Paws, Church Street and one of STL’s Finest – Perennial Artisan Ales just to name a few. Many people don’t know that the man behind Perennial – Phil Wymore is part of the Goose Island lineage. He is also responsible for the recipes of Madame Rose (Goose) and Big Hugs (Half Acre).

Beer Under Glass kicks off the 11 days of citywide civic pride known as Chicago Craft Beer Week. This town has so many stories to tell. In many ways it is a living, breathing museum that we are constantly rediscovering. For most of us craft beer is not just what we drink, it’s who we are..it’s a way of life. We are a collection of brewers, entrepreneurs, artists, historians, change agents…and beer geeks. This event is not just us converting a national landmark into the city’s largest beer garden for one night. It is also us celebrating all the we are and welcoming the coming of Spring under a classic backdrop.

casks and beards

Art

America’s Finest Pilsner – Baderbrau

one of the largest most stunning conservatories in the nation

John J. Hall and Randy Mosher of 5Rabbit Cerveceria

the ladies of Chicago Festiv-ale w Spiteful Brewing and CBG Nik

The Goose Island Beer Company

Lake Effect Brewing, Jefferson Park, Chicago

over 1500 attendees under 7 different climates

don’t be surprised if you see Jarrett Payton headlining our Bears Bash Event series this fall

Early Burd Brewing Company

Desert House

Bluestone Terrace

steps from the Destihl booth

a classic backdrop

the night ended with us at the Haymarket booth enjoying Acrimonious for what ended up being like 30 mins.. Matt Arata (Beer Download), Kent Weber (BeerFX), Mark Skala (Skalawag Productions) Darien Kruss, Steve Mastny (Beer Download) Ashley Knapp and Natasha from @metacookbook

*photos courtesy of Joseph Harvey

Cyn Cat! live on stage at Bottom Lounge for The Chicago Beer Geeks Tap Takeover Experience

This is the story of the only website in the history of Chicago to have their beer bottled and distributed around town. To celebrate this rare occasion the Chicago Beer Geeks hosted a no holds barred affair featuring 4 burlesque performances, a pair of C5 Beer Pong Tables and 7 choice selections on draft. The Chicago Beer Geeks Tap Takeover Experience drew over 200 people to the Bottom Lounge for a 3 hour celebration of epic proportions. This event was the 1st Chicago Craft Beer WeekEvent for both CBG and BL.

Deception is a collaboration ale brewed with the Wild Onion Brewing Company in Barrington. It’s a 7% Black IPA with loads of Amarillo, Cascade and Chinook hops. The idea to brew a beer together has been on the radar of the crew since visiting their brewpub for a feature story about 2 years ago.

Chicago Craft Beer Week has never seen an event quite like this. It was a craft beer celebration in the middle of the afternoon at a rock venue. The Volcano Room at Bottom Lounge is on the upper level and attached to a spacious patio. Many patrons spent time enjoying views of the skyline on the patio deck.

This was more than just a launch party for a beer..it was an experience. All guests that entered received a raffle ticket for a door prize. The CBG also held an optional Rare Beer Raffle that included some rare and dangerous treats. Raffle tickets were 1$ each.

CBG Oscar & CBG YellowBird

The Chicago Beer Geeks Tap Takeover Draft List

Doom Founders Barrel Aged Double IPA 10% Bitches Brew Dogfish Head Imperial Stout 9%
Deception The Chicago Beer Geeks & Wild Onion Black IPA 7%

Barrel Aged Baume Half Acre Rye Chocolate Stout 7%
Fistcal Cliff  Revolution, Half Acre, Three Floyds Collaboration IPA 7%
Sofie Paradisi Goose Island Farmhouse Ale 7%
3rd Year Beer Revolution Rum Barrel Aged Barleywine 10%
Permanent Funeral Three Floyds Imperial IPA 10%
Hopslayer Wild Onion on cask 7%

Rare Beer Raffle Prizes
Dark Lord Three Floyds 2013
Dark Lord Three Floyds 2012
Bigfoot Sierra Nevada Barleywine 4 year vertical
Deception Chicago Beer Geeks / Wild Onion  Black IPA
KBS Founders

–Nkosi

*Special thanks to John Kainz, Pete Janasus and the entire Wild Onion Brewing Company. Also to Mike Miller, Nick Conti and the  Bottom Lounge crew. Our party was intense, and amazing. It would not have been possible without those guys.

Shotglass Sally live on stage at Bottom Lounge

8 insane beers on draft

rare beer prizes raffle

CBG Mezz and Jody

CBG Dan

CBG Nik

special thanks to C5 Beer Pong, Cyn Cat and Shotglass Sally

sparks!

Jason Newsted tickets

Hopslayer on cask!!

FFF Dark Lord 2012 raffle prize

before you go home home w that righteous raffle prize you just won..yes..you must hit the gong

hit it like you mean it

C5 BeerPong

merch booth.. the only place other than our website where you can score our tshirt

crowd shot

the ladies of the CBG Experience Sally and Cyn gave us 4 awesome performances at The Takeover

everyone got excited about the beer pong..very cool

CBG Mezz and the Wild Onion crew

CBG YellowBird

honestly?… our taplist was pretty sick. Sofie Paradisi, Bitches Brew, Barrel Aged Baume, Fistcal Cliff, 3rd Year Beer, Doom, Permanent Funeral and Deception

until next time…rock on

good times had by all.. looking forward to seeing everyone at our next event

*photos courtesy of Rockin Ray

*for more scenes from The Chicago Beer Geeks Tap Takeover Experience be sure to visit our Facebook page.. don’t forget to hit the like button.

the workaholic CBG Nik w a pocket full of CBG Tap Takeover flyers and Goose Island Founder John Hall at the GI Barrel Showcase Room

Just days after their massive Silver Anniversary Party (that featured 60 of their beers!) at the original Brewpub over on Clybourn, I was able to sit down for 20 minutes with a Chicago Legend. John started Goose Island in 1988 based on his world travels and his passion to build a business based on his dreams.

The beauty of what they have created is that Goose has become the quintessential Chicago craft brewery, they are a crew that has all the moves. GI nails traditional styles and produces them at a high volume year round. They also produce innovative beers that change the way Chicagoans view what beer can be.

On a Monday morning at the GI Barrel Showcase Room over glasses of Napa County Stout and Dark Traveler we shared a conversation. Here are some excerpts from that encounter.

Nik: What have you been up to since the sale and what are you doing with your free time these days?

John: I’m still involved with the brewpubs. I’ve been spending more time there than I have in quite a while. I’ve been involved with Erie Neighborhood House. I am on the board there. They are a social service agency that has been around for 143 years, that’s one more year than Hull House. We have a charter school and 3 different agencies. Its something I am much more involved in now that I’m not tied up. I’m doing that and I’m traveling.

Nik: I have always wondered as part of your succession plan for Goose, was it always in the works for your son Greg to eventually run the brewery?

John: Not remotely. Greg was in college when I started Goose Island. He told his friends he thought he died and went to heaven which gave me a teeny bit of concern (laughs). He started from the bottom in the brewery and always wanted to go to brewing school, but science wasn’t one of his favorite subjects. It became apparent when he started brewing that he had real talent for it. He took over in ’91 only 3 years after we opened and the rest is history.

Nik: There is always talk of this craft beer bubble. The obvious example of craft beer working is Portland.

John: You are right and craft beer represents almost 40% of the beer sold in supermarkets there.

Nik: Is there a bubble and where do you see the craft beer segment in 10 years?

John: Obviously it cant grow at the rate we are at right now. Not everyone starting breweries today will be successful. But that doesn’t mean growth won’t continue. It will continue to grow for the next several years at a pretty good pace. American beer drinkers have developed a palette. They understand and appreciate all the different varieties available in beer and what beer can do in so many different situations, especially how well it goes with food.

Nik: Name something that people don’t know about the early days on Goose Island?

John: Well it was really very difficult to get people to drink something other than light lagers. When we started out we didn’t have nearly the variety or make beer as well as we make it today.  We had to really work to get people to think about having an ale or a dark lager. We created a program called the MBA – Master of Beer Appreciation. It really did work, it got people to expand on what they were used to drinking. We had 2 lagers and 3 ales when we started -Golden Goose Pilsner, Lincoln Park Lager, Old Clybourn Porter, Honkers Ale and Honest Stout. 90% of what we sold were lagers we were trying like mad to change that, and took quite a while but it worked.

Nik: What beers do you enjoy when you are not drinking Goose Island beers?
John: Well I like different things.  There are way too many to name, but I cant say enough about Sierra Nevada. There isn’t a beer they make that I don’t like. There are many others, way too many to name. Right now I think American craft brewers are doing it as well as anybody anywhere. They’re aren’t too many places I go where I don’t try a very good beer. When I’m in London, I love what I drink when I’m there. I love lagers in Germany, I love how they are made. And Belgium is the epicenter of it all.  You know when you go to Belgium and glass isn’t available for use they wont sell you the beer.   So I like a little variety of everything.

Nik: That reminds me something my friend once said. She’s says her favorite beer is her next beer. It’s the adventure of beer over any few in particular.

Nik: Talk about some of your moments of self doubt and things your struggled with in the industry.

John: There will be roadblocks in everything. When we started at Fulton St. we grew like mad the 1st couple years then we ran into some difficulty.  I went out and I started making contract beers for Whole Foods and Traders Joes. I had the equipment and I wanted to keep it running, you know? I think today you have to have a tighter focus. You have to have a real tight focus that you believe in, and you cant worry about what others are doing. You’ve got to do what you are doing and it has to be a little different. If it is the same, there isn’t a whole lot of need for you.

Nik: Can we talk about the A-B Sale?

one of the largest brewery barrel programs in the nation. The Goose Island Beer Company. Chicago, Illinois

John: Absolutely.

Nik: What was the motivation behind selling the company, and were there other options considered before selling to Anheuser Busch?

John: We were at a point where we needed to make more beer than we could produce here. The simple truth is that if you re in a business that’s growing and you are not growing, your distributor partners are going to value you less. Your consumers will value you less if you cant continue to grow when your market is growing. I talked to every brewery around to contract brew for us. We talked to Matt Brewing in Utica, NY who brews for everyone. We had Red Hook make beer for us in New Hampshire. So we talked to some investors to go out and help us build a new brewery. Then we got a call from A-B. Obviously I knew Anheuser Busch, we were in their distribution system. I asked if they were interested in talking, I knew they were considering potentially making an offer to buy us. I talked with Greg and my other senior managers and we all agreed that if they would meet certain conditions then we would sell. And when I look back I think it’s the best thing to happen to me, the company and for beer drinkers.

Nik: When you see Bourbon County Stout become a year round option. And you also see beers like IPA become the 3rd largest selling beer in Yankee Stadium, those things don’t happen without production capacity.

John: Don’t Forget the Fulton & Wood Innovation Series we have launched as well.

Nik: Good Point.

John: Honkers Ale, 312 and IPA are our biggest sellers, and quite frankly they are making them better than we can. They have better equipment and technology to dial those beers in. You can ask our brewers, I used to be very critical. Honkers Ale is a difficult beer to make. And these guys are making it very well,  consistently.

Nik: Is there a style of beer that you enjoy that hasn’t really taken off in the US?

John: That’s a great question. I would say session beers. Honkers Ale for example is a fabulous style of beer, full of flavor and its only 4.2% ABV. I like to drink beer. I love our IPA but at 6% I cant have too many of them.

Nik: I hear that.  Especially when you have things to do the next day.

John: That’s right! It really is… and I like to have more than one beer.

Nik: I can understand it. I know extreme beers get breweries noticed. But I do hope we see the trend continue of sessionable beers coming to the forefront. Nailing a session beer is something I can appreciate.

 
Nik: Tell me about the “ah ha” moment when you decided that this what you wanted to do.

John: I spent 20 years in the corporate world and did well. I made the decision that I wanted to do something on my own. I spent some time in Europe enjoying beers. I read an article about what was happening with small breweries on the west coast like New Albion and it was eureka. I realized I wanted to make beer for a living. What’s wonderful about beer is that it offers so many things. Tasting our first beer was really something.  But I would also tell you that the birth of each beer was a eureka moment.

Nik: The name Goose Island means a lot. Its more than just a brewery, its the name of a neighborhood in town. How did you decide you  wanted that as the name for your brewery?

John: I wanted something that was uniquely Chicago.  We threw around a lot of names and that one stuck. Nobody knew where it was back then…but they know now! Some people approach me and say ” I thought Goose Island was a Wisconsin beer or something. Or an island up in Northern Wisconsin or something.”  Then I tell the story of Chicago and they understand it.

Nik: I just want to say that I appreciate the time we’ve spent together today, this was really fun.  Congratulations on 25 years of brewing! Not too many people can say that… at least not in this town.

John: Nik, I’m not one for looking back but I have been for these past few weeks. I think about it and I have to pinch myself. Making beer is a special thing. Especially making beers that others can appreciate. But to make beer in Chicago in my mind the best place to do it. And to do it right now, in this space and time? I mean c’mon it is the pinnacle.. It really is.

–Nkosi

*This was just an excerpt. for the complete audio transcript be sure to subscribe to The Chicago Beer Geeks Newsletter. A link can be found on our homepage in the upper-right hand corner.

Geese

Skylights

the iconic Goose Island logo

special thanks to Goose Island founder John Hall

Congrats to Goose Island on their 25th Anniversary. This is  Anniversary Ale. 6.4% ABV Extra Special Bitter. pours a beautiful chestnut over ruby hue with an antique-white head. For more scenes from our visit to Goose Island. Be sure to check out our Facebook page….don’t forget to hit the like button.

* Photos courtesy of Joseph Harvey

In just three years Revolution Brewing went from a small brewpub in Logan Square to one of the largest breweries in Chicago. Their bombers and cans were a wonderful addition to city shelves last summer. Outside of their three core canned beers, Revolution has released a few seasonals in that format as well. Their hibiscus ale, Rosa, is currently displaying beautiful floral art in a cooler near you.

The hibiscus adds a gorgeous ruby hue that imparts a pinkish head, which is quite fluffy with great retention. Extreme floral notes trick your nose into believing it’s in a flower shop. The hibiscus is very prominent, but lets subtle notes of white peppercorn, honeydew, biscuit, and honeyed malt show their presence. A honey-like sweetness makes up the backbone on the palate. Delicate floral notes of rose petal and, of course, hibiscus pleasantly grace and compliment the honey sweetness. Despite the fragileness of the floral notes, the body is quite strong, yet super drinkable and refreshing. If there were ever a perfect lawnmower beer, this would be it.

Revolution Brewing has quickly become local a favorite among our city’s thirsty beer geeks. Finding their beer nowadays has become quite the easy task, and easy to spot given their trademark fists. If you see a pink tap handle fist at your local watering hole, or see the attractive hibiscus flower on a can, be sure to indulge with this delicious treat.

This week the focus light shines on who I consider my favorite brewery, or at least the one I fanboy the most. The great neighborhood of North Center houses Half Acre Beer Company, who recently surpassed their five year milestone and are gearing up to celebrate it. In recent weeks, Half Acre added two seasonal beers to their can lineup: the brand new Pony Pilsner and last summer’s hit Akari Shogun, an American wheat ale.

The first remarkable thing noticed on Akari Shogun is the artwork, another knockout from Half Acre-commisioned artist Phineas Jones. I’d definitely consider these the best looking cans out there. In the glass Akari Shogun pours a hazy pale straw hue topped with a moderately retained fluffy white head. The nose carries elegant floral tones blossoming into a fruit salad arrangement of tangerine, apricot and peach while also boasting a sweet candied bubblegum. Seductive wheat sweetness and lemon citrus brightly tease the palate while tamed by assertive hop bitterness. Grass and rose petal sensations delicately join lemon and mango juiciness throughout the taste. The mildly lasting finish is semi-dry and allows the wheat notes to shine; refreshing and delicate enough on the palate to make this a perfect warm weather beverage.

Cans are the perfect beer vessels for outdoor activities and locations, such as sporting games, backyard barbeques and beaches. Daisy Cutter and Gossamer have been perfect companions the past couple summers, and now new siblings join in on the fun. I love seeing new cans from Half Acre and hope to see new seasonals canned in the future. For now, Akari Shogun and Pony will help make this summer a blast.

If a saison brewed by Pipeworks faces you sometime in the near future be sure to try it out. The yeast strain being used is pretty stellar. Pipeworks has been an amazing addition to this city’s craft beer scene and witnessing their growth the rest of the year should be quite interesting, especially if they outgrow their nano status.

Feral Cat would be a perfect thirst quencher after my bike commute home, especially on warmer days. Let’s hope Flesk makes this readily available by summer time, it’d be a perfect companion to the blistering sun. It may be difficult to track down some of their beers, especially living in Chicago, but keep an eye on their Facebook page and website for delivery updates. Cheers to fresh, local beer!

The first item of the night was a deconstructed Chicago-style hot dog paired with Half Acre Gossamer Golden Ale. I had never eaten a hot dog with a fork before but it was tasty nonetheless. Gossamer, Half Acre’s blonde ale paired with the dish, was a refreshing way to start the night.

Chef Won Kim prepping the hot dogs

Next up was deep dish pizza paired with 5 Rabbit Huitzi Midwinter Ale. I was a big fan of the pizza, a deep dish with a crisp crust. This was my first time trying the Huitzi, a Belgian-style strong pale brewed with hibiscus, ginger, thai palm sugar and honey. You could definitely smell the Hibiscus in this one. As for the taste, moderately sweet with fruity Belgian yeast flavors.

Yellowbird enjoying the pizza

The third course was an open-faced Italian beef paired with Revolution Eugene Porter. The sandwich was great, the beef was succulent and the giardinera had the right amount of spice. The Eugene was nice touch, this light-bodied, creamy porter helped counter the spice of the sandwich.

Italian Beef

Eugene

After that, Chef Won Kim served up tamales paired with Wild Onion Hop Slayer. Apparently he couldn’t get corn husks so he had to wrap the tamales in banana leaves. The tamales were served Tamale Guy style in a ziploc bag and served with a green salsa. The tamales were solid and the ziploc was a nice nod to Claudio. The Hop Slayer was a nice change of pace from the other beers, a citrusy, hop forward double IPA that was very drinkable despite the high ABV (8%).

Tamales

Hop Slayer

The final course of was an inside-out “Twinkie” paired with Pipeworks Close Encounter. The dessert was certainly tastier than a normal Twinkie, I particularly enjoyed the fresh strawberries and blueberries. As for the beer, Close Encounter is Pipeworks’ hoppy double stout. I found that the dark, roasty flavors of the double stout, paired well with the dessert.

Dessert

To cap off the night, Nik shared two bottles from his personal collection, a 2007 Lagunitas Gnarleywine and a Three Floyds Barrel-Aged Behemoth. I’ve alway enjoyed Gnarleywine but never tried any of the older vintages. The age really mellowed the heat on this one, very drinkable for a barleywine. As for the BA Behemoth, despite the barrel-aging the hops were still very prominent. These two barleywines were a great way to cap of a fun night. Thanks to Chef Won Kim and the Chicago Beer Geeks, a good time was had by all. Hopefully there will be more beer dinners in CBG’s future. Until then, cheers!

Barrel-Aged Behemoth