Chicago breweries that don’t need their own thread (2025)

Looks like the full flameout of 18th st is almost upon us.https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1198410285659884&id=100064727706612

 

Is this good? I haven't followed them in awhile but thought it was noble that someone was trying to make a big brewery work in Gary...

 

Wasn't so long ago that 18th street was one of the hottest breweries in the Chicagoland area.

 

A few new releases this week from Roaring Table might interest some. A fan of their Helles and looking forward to trying at least a couple of the others if I can.

• Rice is back and delightfully subtle, with notes of fragrant jasmine and the hint of vanilla we associate with Junmai sake.
• Helles returns, an ode to German malt that reminds us of warm, honeyed baguettes.
• Augie Bavarian-Style Pilsner makes its debut in cans, and we expect this to become a part of our regular lineup. It’s tasty!
• Met West is another new one, a throwback IPA with a bunch of resiny C-hops and what old timers might call a ‘malt backbone.’
• And finally And The Evening And The Morning, a New Zealand-Style Pilsner featuring Motueka and Nectaron. It’s light and crisp with the unmistakable tropical and lemon-lime notes unique to hops grown in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

*checks mic*

ahem. Ahem!

*blinks against the lights, surveying a dark and possibly empty room*

Hello? Hello! It’s been a while.

Do you like beer? Like, real beer? Yeah? Ok, yeah, good, good. Because boy do I have a treat for you.

Art History’s ESB…!

*pause for applause*

Well, uh, it’s real nice. And… it tastes like an ESB. You know what I mean? It brings me right back to bonfires in the boundary waters, drinking Summit ESBs, many decades ago. The crisp summer air fading to fall’s chill. The pleasant malty biscuity hug resolving cleanly to a smooth and balanced mild finish. The hops integrated perfectly, like sparks from the fire intermingling with the stars shining above. The mouthfeel is just right, a little full but oh so gentle. It resolves quickly, but leaves an enduring satisfyingly bitter aftertaste that lingers forever.

It looks like this was brewed in July, but it’s drinking like a perfect fall day.

Walk, don’t run, slowly, and with distracting nostalgia playing tricks on your mind, to your local bottle shop and find one of these cans. Pour it slow. Sip it slower. And reflect on the passing days.

 

Congrats to the following IL breweries in medaling in the GABF competition. And in some tough categories I would think. Well done. Winners link is here.

 

I don’t see Cruz Blanca mentioned here often, but I was sold last time I was in town.

 

Huge win for Molson Coors.

 

Doesn’t Chicago consistently show well in Barrel Aged Beers and Hazy IPAs?

 

Yes for hazies, but the best of the best hazy breweries never enter. (Not that the Chicago winners aren’t great (shout out Alarmist and Old Irving specifically) but it always feels like an asterisk is needed.

 

Brothership hazies are the best that I have encountered in the Chicago area. Their "West Coast" IPAs are even better.

 

A name I haven’t seen talked about in a while: More is dropping Mendhi.

$25 for 16 ounces is an INSANE price tag.

Futhermore, I wonder how they’re doing.

 

I don't think that is insane at all? Seems in line with a lot of places.

 

Roaming Elephant is a 16oz can, but they also announced Mendhi?

 

No! I made a typo!

 

Roaming Elephant. As a Bairal Society member I was not happy to hear that Roaming Elephant was being packaged in cans this year.

As for how they're doing, still pretty solid. The MBS bottle this year was really good, I thought both Henna's and the extended aged Roaming Elephant released at More Fest were great. There is still Mehndi to be released along with at least one other release before the year ends.

 

Cruz Blanca quietly and unexpectedly dropped two luchador series beers this morning on Oznr. Nothing on their socials about this as of me typing this up.

Double barrel barleywine with chocolate,
Vanilla, ancho, and canela called La Dama Catrina

Double barrel Rey Gordo

Both available for purchase now with pickup starting Friday.

 

sadly they have switched over to 16 oz cans , otherwise these would be appealing

 

The posted on socials and sadly these are the only two beers in the series this year it seems like. Cruz had the most intriguing and ambitious release of the year going for a bit, now relegated to an adjuncted barleywine and DB stout. Many people I’ve talked to were hopeful their acquisition would help the barrel program continue down its unique path, but I’m fearful this is what we will be left with in the future.

 

They've always had their BA stuff readily available for months/years after release, so I wonder if this was a concerted effort to trim the fat. Both sounded great to me (admittedly I'd prefer the 12 oz. option) so I figured I'd give them a shot this year.