Harvest telemetry from the Chicago suburbs: the hops were still practically breathing. Noon Whistle Fresh Hop IPA, officially Centennial Fresh Hop IPA, goes on tap Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at both Noon Whistle Brewing locations in Lombard and Naperville, Ill., according to the brewery’s release page. What makes the Noon Whistle Fresh Hop IPA fresh…
/// BARREL-DEPTH ANOMALY DETECTED IN CHICAGO SECTOR /// Bourbon County Triple Barrel Stout is Goose Island’s surprise addition to its 2026 Bourbon County Brand lineup: a rye stout aged for three years through three successive bourbon barrels, bottled at 18.7% ABV, and sold only in Chicago starting Black Friday, Nov. 27. Bureau scanners classify this…
Bureau taste-sensor alert: a porter brewed with soup stock. Sketchbook Brewing’s Umami Porter, a smoked porter made with Japan’s Wakayama Brewery and its owner-brewer Tomoyuki Yoshida, tapped at noon Friday, Oct. 9, at both Sketchbook taprooms in Evanston and Skokie, Illinois, per JollyPint. Sketchbook’s own draft menus list it at 6.0% ABV. One naming wrinkle:…
Renowned international mixologist and Drink Masters Season 1 finalist, Tao Zrafi, will soon unveil his latest creation, No School Tomorrow, in the suburban community of Itasca, Ill. Opening his first brick-and-mortar concept, Zrafi’s new cocktail bar will be located within the Itasca Country Club campus, staffed by locally-sourced talent and is expected to open to the…
Destihl Brewery and K and K Promotions Inc (The Evel Knievel Family) announce a new beer project to honor legendary stuntman Evel Knievel. True Evel American Blonde Ale and Evel Knievel Imperial IPA will be making the jump to store beer shelves across the US in the coming weeks. On several occasions this past year,…
Morton Salt, Inc. and Alter Brewing are pleased to introduce Pure Joy, a limited-edition beer named in honor of Morton Salt’s founder, Joy Morton. The beer is crafted by Alter Brewing and available at its locations in Downers Grove, Oak Brook and St. Charles beginning October 2, 2023. Collaborations have played a significant role in the craft-beer industry allowing breweries and brands alike to expand their reach…
The long-anticipated Guinness Open Gate Brewery Chicago has an official opening date — Thursday, September 28. Doors open at 8am just in time for the morning commute with Guinness’ own freshly baked brown bread, Intelligentsia coffee and assorted treats from Aya Pastry. Located at 901 W Kinzie, the taproom, restaurant and bakery is housed in a 15,000-square-foot…
On the heels of successful partnerships in Texas, Arizona, and California, Nosotros Tequila and Mezcal and Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) partner for distribution in Illinois. With RNDC, Nosotros spirits will extend its statewide reach and increase volume to help grow the distributor’s agave portfolio. The agave category is growing exponentially, with Allied Market Research projecting that the global tequila market will…
Samuel Adams’ Brewing the American Dream, the revolutionary philanthropic program aimed at providing mentorship and access to capital to food and beverage entrepreneurs nationwide, today announces the winner of its 12th Brewing & Business Experienceship. Chicago’s Funkytown Brewery is welcomed to the coveted class of emerging craft brewers to receive support and unique experiences on behalf of Samuel…
For eight and a half years, Off Color has been exploring underserved styles of beer and we now feel traditional American Pale Ale fits in that category. But they always add their own little twist, so their American Pale Ale differs from the most traditional in several ways. First, they use pilsner malt as the…
Off Color Brewing welcomes back their old timey porter, Known Gnome, featuring notes of nuts and biscuits as if they were briefly introduced to a coffee roaster. Licorice root offers a pronounced sweetness and tannins further complement the biscuity backbone while it finishes with a kiss of fleeting brown malt and botanical bitterness. Quassia bark…
A lot of you humans (and us aliens too) are huge fans of DinoS’mores and, yes, while Off Color thought it would launch on Halloween like the past three years, it was ready so why wait? Available now at Mousetrap (12-8pm) and the Bottle Shop (1-7pm) for pickup and delivery. DinoS’mores Imperial Stout with Vanilla Beans, Marshmallow,…
Buffalo Creek Brewing in historic downtown Long Grove (35 miles NW of Chicago) is reprising a scary popular original recipe in light of the Halloween season. Brewmaster/Owner Mike Marr’s Candy Corn Ale is made with real candy corns and combines a silky cream ale with accents of familiar marshmallow, vanilla, and buttery caramel-like flavors to…
Buffalo Creek Brewing is releasing a new specialty beer called North Star with proceeds benefiting YouthBuild Lake County. The German-style Altbier will be available on draft at the brewery in historic downtown Long Grove (a suburb of Chicago) beginning July 24th. $1 from every pint sold will go to YouthBuild Lake County, a local non-profit organization,…
Another month has passed, we are all still being asked to stay home for the greater good, and the updated order in Illinois allows some non-essential businesses to reopen (in a limited capacity) on May 1! And as luck should have it that includes golf courses… just in time for the return of Beer for…
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