Goose Island Honker's Ale

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by Ceddd99, Sep 13, 2018.

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  1. Ceddd99

    Ceddd99 Zealot (609) May 14, 2018 Michigan
    Trader

    I am curious why I can't find this anymore. It used to be one of my favorite beers. I thought that after Anheuser-Busch acquired Goose Island their beers would be more available but instead I can't find this beer anymore which used to be relatively common on store shelves. I don't even live that far from Chicago. Was it just not selling well? It's still being brewed, not just sent out to store locations near me anymore I guess.
     
  2. beardown2489

    beardown2489 Pooh-Bah (1,966) Oct 5, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Don’t bother. It was stripped of its prior glory when it started production in New York, Colorado, and wherver else they were mass producing it.

    Haven’t seen it in a long time either, and I’m not angry about it.

    Just wish there were more options in the style. I was one of my dads favorite beers. We haven’t found the perfect substitute since
     
  3. Ceddd99

    Ceddd99 Zealot (609) May 14, 2018 Michigan
    Trader

    That's unfortunate. I haven't been able to find a substitute either. There's really not much to choose from in this style where I live. I can get Blue Bird Bitter, which is very good but also much more expensive and lacks that buttery quality that is part of what made Honker's Ale so interesting to me.
     
  4. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Brewers/distributors don't "send out" beer to retailers - retailers order it. Have you asked the stores why they don't stock it? Most stores will gladly order a case of a beer for a customer if it is available from the local distributor.

    Or you could check your local AB house to see if they carry the beer and if they know local retailers who have it on their shelves.
    AB Wholesalers
     
  5. Quilentro

    Quilentro Maven (1,398) May 12, 2017 Illinois
    Trader

    Goose Clybourn has this on cask, wet-hopped with hyperlocal Zeus hops right now...
     
  6. Jplachy

    Jplachy Pooh-Bah (1,848) Feb 12, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    The word on the street lately had been that they were going to kill off Honker's but now they are brewing it in Chicago....soooooo....¯\_(ツ)_/¯
     
  7. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (5,247) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yes, outside of possible future Brewpub / Taphouse pours, Honkers production is ceasing. Nice beer when I had it at the Brewpub, this didn’t translate well when they transferred production out of Chicago. Sad.
     
  8. HawksBeerFan

    HawksBeerFan Maven (1,378) Dec 24, 2011 Illinois
    Trader

    That's really too bad, I've missed Honkers, especially this time of year.

    I really hope we don't see less hyped styles just dying off completely.
     
  9. ChiPez66

    ChiPez66 Pundit (775) May 21, 2018 Illinois
    Trader

    Honker's was delicious, and until you mentioned this, I hadn't really noticed that I don't see it on shelves anymore.
     
  10. HawksBeerFan

    HawksBeerFan Maven (1,378) Dec 24, 2011 Illinois
    Trader

    I was actually just looking for it this past week and was disappointed I couldn't find it.
     
    ChiPez66 likes this.
  11. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (5,247) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Liked the bottles and cask conditioned at the GI Clybourn. Hoping they revert to their old substantive releases of barrel aged stouts this winter beyond BCS. Also hope to see Honkers down the road at the taproom/brewpub
     
  12. dagmer

    dagmer Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Illinois

    I've seen it just last week at a grocery store on ashland ave,Carniceria Guanajuato,was tempted to buy some as I always thought it was a great beer...next time i'm over there i'll grab some.
     
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