Oldies But Goodies - a Classics Appreciation Thread (2023)

OK, sad to report this won’t be happening, as my guy confirmed this morning they won’t open until Summer (largely based on permit delays by the city throughout the project).

Also, miraculously the 2/20 “secret Chicago” article I read last night (and still cached in the DuckDuckGo search results as a March 17 opening) has been edited to now list an August opening.

Live search result:

Clicked link:

Latest Chicago Taproom Dates:

Guinness: OG Scheduled 3/17/23, Current Estimate August 2023

Lagunitas: OG Reopen Fall 2022, Current Estimate Spring/Summer 2023 - They have actual job listings and held private events recently, so this should be a go.

Goose Island: Current plans to close Clybourne and open their new Salt Flats location this Fall.

Indiana:
Three Floyd’s: OG Closed Permanently, current rumor reopen in 2023 (though no official press release, including whether this is just the distillery or if it’s their incredible OG Taproom. Makes sense since Dark Lord Day also returning this Spring for the first time in four years.

 

Introduced in 1988, Alaskan Smoked Porter has been credited with helping inspire an American revival of smoked beers. Alaskan Smoked Porter is one of the most award-winning beers in the history of the Great American Beer Festival and a perennial winner at the World Beer Cup.

 

It tastes exactly as I remember...has definitely been a few years for me. Bitter roast with candied bacon. A real balanced and smokey delight

 

You may already know this but here's a quote from Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing:

"The 3 Percent Factor Guinness uses a secret potion in their stouts that is made by deliberately souring some of their beer. When added in small amounts to the stout, it confers a lactic tanginess that makes their products absolutely unique. Technically, this is a difficult thing to do, although commercial cultures are available to homebrewers. Hold out a quart or three of beer and experiment. Hint: Lactobacillus is happiest at higher temperatures, so incubate at 85 degrees F or so. You might try commercially packaged lactic microbes such as Pediococcus Damnosis or one of the Brettanomyces wild yeasts. It will probably be best to pasteurized these errant cultures before adding them back to the main brew. Or, simply add a tablespoon of 80% lactic acid, sometimes available at homebrew shops. A simpler approach would be to use a pound or two of sour malt, available from many German maltsters."

 

Been enjoying some black butte porter today and I randomly grabbed a speedway stout earlier. Two epic west coast classics that bookend well the post 1970 "micro/craft" era of dark beer in America.

 

Maaan that was probably the third craft I had, loved it and down the rabbit hole I went

 

Not a Gordon Lightfoot fan?

 

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I had picked this up last month for the March Madness thread, but it got eliminated before I could cast my vote. Enjoyed it with some pizza tonight. A great beer to pair with a casual meal.

 

It is an "oldie" if it is in a stovepipe can!?!

Cheers!

 

I love those stovepipes!

Really great to revisit the Pre Prohibition Lager of Kings county!

It's fantastic. Deep, caramel rich malt leads, but finishes dry and nicely bitter. Hop aroma is quite noticeable, and a perfect balance of evergreen and spice.

Best beer of it's type. Still.

 

I think Brooklyn Lager is even better on draft. Also note that the Pre-Pro of Kings County is mostly or all brewed in Utica -- that's not a criticism. It has always been so.

 

Yup, totally get that. I was being a little tongue in cheek, though the overall sentiment is real.