Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr Helles in Chicago Area

So, I've been on a massive Muich Helles lager kick lately, and I've found that there are a serious lack of great options available on the shelves, either imported or domestic. I want to focus on the imported most of all as you'd think that they'd be relatively available like most other German imports, but I noticed that this is not the case both in my experience and by searching Binny's website. The only four imported Helles I can even think of are Spaten, Augustiner, Weihenstephan, and Andechs (I'm not counting Schlenkerla because it's a bit different due to the smoke flavor). Conspicuously absent are the Paulaner and the Hacker-Pschorr, which is really what this thread is about.

Does anyone know why these are seemingly only available in fairly distant suburbs, why they don't seem to be on any shelves in Chicago-proper? Is it a distribution issue? What's the deal?

Please don't recommend replacements for them as I'm well aware of the alternatives both foreign and domestic. I just want to know why these specific beers aren't available when they obviously should be considering the high profile these two breweries have.

Thanks for any and all information.

 

You've got it backwards in that Hacker-Pschorr is the Munich Gold. Paulaner's is called "Original Munich Lager."

Anyway, exactly as you're saying, the reason it really registered with me that I never see it around is because I'm on a business trip right now in Ohio, saw both reasonably fresh and thought, "How have I never noticed that these aren't on the shelf in Chicago? I spend enough time in the German import aisle to know basically everything Binny's has...so where are they?"

Both are great, revisiting them now (I prefer the lighter ABV but somehow deeper flavor that Paulaner has going for it, but HP is no slouch). I noticed places like Naperville, Algonquin, etc. get them, but Marcey, Clark, Lincolnwood, South Loop, Irving Park, etc. don't get them. I guess I will ask the next time I'm at a Binny's if they can get them in. Having a case of them wouldn't be the worst thing if I need to buy the whole thing to make it happen, but I really do assume it's some weird distribution thing because it's very odd that none of the city locations of Binny's (nor the close suburbs) have them.

On a sidenote, they get Sixpoint Alpenflo here, too, and while I probably prefer Andechs, Weihenstephan, Augustiner, and Paulaner to it (not to mention Dovetail, Great Central, and Metropolitan), it's a really great beer and easily worth the hype. If only Sixpoint could distro it to at least WI, since it probably doesn't make logistical sense for them to come back to IL with how insane the market is right now.

 

The labels do look a ton alike, agreed.

Andechs is my personal favorite, too. I wish it came in sixers. I usually buy Augustiner at Marcey Street or Clark Street.

I didn't mention Stiegl because literally every can I ever buy of them has a very strong metallic taste. It's the only beer I've ever gotten that from, and I have no idea why that is since I know the cans are lined like any other can. I love Goldbrau on tap, but I won't buy it packaged (the bottles are never fresh, it seems).

Will do. I won't be back in the area for a while, so it'll take me a while to get an answer, but I'll be sure to do so!

Yeah, I had to really search for it in the Toledo area, but I tracked it down and bought a bunch. In the 12-pack format, it's a little cheaper than the German ones, and a whole lot fresher, so that's why I chose it to keep around instead of stocking up on German examples.

 

Yeah I don't get it either. I never see anyone mention this either: in reviews, in person, even at the company thar imports all the Stiegl for the US where I used to work, no one mentioned it. It is just Pils and Goldbrau, too, which are both really great beers on draft. The radlers are somehow immune.

 

Good to know, but that's quite a bit out of Chicago proper, which is what I am talking about. I acknowledged that many of the 'burbs have it, but I have never seen it in the city itself.

Likely there is a different distributor out there. The lines for distribution are very, very weird and arbitrary in Chicagoland.

 

This makes the lack of bottles in Chicago proper even more puzzling.

 

Yeah, I dig the Wiesn for sure. It's a very good beer.