Midwest Saison and Wild Ale Appreciation

Supermoon is my new favorite Milwaukee area brewery. Everything has been really good, at monthly bottle pickups there are usually some good taps that aren't always what you're picking up and sounds like the tap room will be open in the near future. They did a cellar session during Black Friday and listening to the owner's plan and how he got where he got was super interesting and this should be a great spot for years to come hopefully!

 

For Chicagoland area, along with Afterthought and Is/Was, I'd add Roaring Table, Off Color, Une Annee, and though I've only had a few, Hopewell's wild ales have been great. Also going to mention a new, super small operation called Sundial Brewing & Blending -- they brew and release bottles out of Flesk in Barrington, IL - they've released 3 beers since launching in April. I believe they're aiming for bottle releases once a month - keep an eye on them, great stuff.

 

I've bought bottle(s) from every release they've had and am yet to be disappointed with a purchase. Some are not up my alley for what I like but I still appreciate the quality they are made with.

I certainly don't have my finger on the pulse of all things going on brewing related around here but the other two that come to mind are Rookery (gypsy brew out of Mobcraft and do releases at various breweries/beer bars) and Radix (releses at Indeed Milwaukee) but I have not had enough of their stuff to give an intelligent opinion.

 

Supermoon is on IG and posts most of their release stuff there but you can sign up for their e-mail on their webpage and they use that as well for release alerts. Rookery is primarily through FB & IG I believe and Radix is FB & IG and believe they too do a newsletter you can sign up for on their web page. Definitely come up for a SM release (once a month, pop up taps until the taproom is ready)...it's a good time.

 

Barrel + Beam (Marquette, MI) is putting out all sorts of great farmhouse ales. Definitely seek them out if you travel to the U.P. They distribute bottles pretty widely up there.

Also, Jolly Pumpkin is still pumping out some great beer, after all these years.

 

Thank you for getting another thread like this going. I hope more people get excited about beers that fit into this thread.

beers that are typically lower in ABV, but provide great flavor, and a lower caloric weight than most other styles in the market. Also, I’ve never gotten burnt out of this style, which is saying something. I’m the king of getting burnt out

Here are a few locally produced beers to try if you want to get into this style.

clean saison (non acidic)
Penrose Silo. 5% pale saison masterpiece in a green bottle. DuPont lite if you will. Bone dry, beautiful yeast/malt character and really high carb.

Apex Predator - really solid year round option with a nice price tag. It’s not quite “old world” Belgian (like Silo) in the sense that it doesn’t seem bone dry, and isn’t highly carbonated. But it’s a great value and really approachable.

Wild Saison (varying levels of acidity)

Afterthought Brewing - if you want something that isn’t going to have a big acidic bite, try afterthought. Especially the hoppy stuff, or the “classic” Belgian styles that don’t call out barrels/fruit on the label. Everything is bone dry, highly carbonated, drinkable/complex. This is the only style afterthought brews, it’s their specialty.

Lots of small wild programs in Chicago. My favorites recently have been from Roaring Table, Hopewell, and Keeping Together. RIP to Half Acres wild program. Hopefully it returns one day

if you like higher levels of acidity, checkout some of the wild stuff from Une Anne. They seem to like the higher impact stuff, meaning more acidity, more intensity. They approach these beers the same way they approach their stout program. Over the top, in your face

 

Can anyone find info about Sundial? I am near Flesk often for work and would totally check them out

 

Idk if they ALWAYS have something on tap @ Flesk, but on release days they have. Follow them on the socials for bottle release updates - shooting for once a month. The first release they had 2 beers; one was on draft and the other they were doing bottle pours. Second release was just one beer, and I believe it was on draft then, too.

They're also on draft and available at a few restaurants locally - I know for sure Consume in Lake Zurich and Yankee Doodle Inn in Barrington have had them.

Sundial IG
Sundial FB

 

Thank you!!

 

I’d really like to go to this, but not in the cards:

https://www.iswasbrewing.com/buy-beer/ticket-to-levain-release-party-on-618

 

Where is Is/Was? Can't find an address.

 

Humboldt Park-ish, I believe? Could be completely wrong though.

 

Sorry, I was confusing it with Orkenoy.