Hello beer buddies!
With the continuation of the craft beer industry’s explosion in Chicago, there have been several developments thus far in 2012. The media attention and reporting have been outstanding, with several papers, websites and blogs accurately detailing breaking stories. Most recently, the Redeye published an article about 12 breweries slated to open in the near future. With all of this in mind, I decided to rank the top 5 beer developments in our city so far this year.
1. Lagunitas announces plans to build a commercial brewery in Chicago.
This is one of the first times that a regional craft brewery will build another commercial brewery in a different area of the country. The owner, originally from Chicago, claimed that they are doing this so that the brewery can service the entire US east coast while lowering distribution (e.g. trucking) and environmental costs. My guess is that several other large regional breweries are going to see how this plays out and may follow suit; I’m not sure if you’ll ever see Bell’s in Texas or a Two Brothers in California, but you never know. The Chicago Tribune reported that the 250 barrel brewhouse will easily be the city’s largest once it’s completed. One thing is for sure: with such an established, high quality brewery moving into the city, it’s only a positive thing for beer drinkers in Chicago.
2. Three Floyds announces plans to build brewpub in city.
Another unusual, although not unheard of, announcement was made when flaming hot Three Floyds announced it was planning on building a brewpub in the city of Chicago. Other commercial breweries have done similar things in the past, but it has not been done in this area. Considering how much media coverage and love Three Floyd’s is obtaining around the country right now, this is big news in Chicago. They have even announced plans to brew separate, Chicago-only beers in the brewpub. Beer geeks, rejoice!
3. Half Acre announces plans to open a 100-seat tap room at their brewery in North Center/Lincoln Square.
Half Acre will debut a 100-seat tap room at their brewery this summer. Considering that they didn’t have a functioning bar area beforehand (although their tours and store are great), this is an excellent development in that area. They are also going to feature guest brewers that will collaborate on new, exciting beers.
4. The New Chicago Beer Company leaves The Plant.
Plans to combine the most anticipated new brewery in the most anticipated new-age green building in the city fell apart this spring. The original plan called for the New Chicago Beer Company to operate in The Plant, which is designed to be self-contained – producing no waste and consuming no outside energy. The brewery balked at some of the timing obstacles facing the space-aged self-contained building. Now, the brewery is looking for a new home and The Plant is looking for a new brewing tenant, as it is necessary for their self-sustaining operations. Here’s hoping both find what they need.
5. Pipeworks opens to resounding success.
Pipeworks, the new small batch brewery in Bucktown, opened to resounding success this spring. Some of their beers sold out within days due to the anticipated demand and the small batch size. One thing’s certain: Ninja vs. Unicorn, the name of their double India Pale Ale, is one of the best names for a beer of all time. Look for them around town, although you’ll need to be quick to purchase them! |  Courtsey of Lagunitas Brewing Company  Existing bar at Three Floyds in Munster, Indiana, courtesy of Bernt Rostad  Half Acre Beer Company, Courtesy of Bobbi Bowers  Artist rendering of the proposed green building hoping to house a brewery, courtesy of The Plant.  Courtesy of Pipeworks Brewing Company | As you can see, lots has been happening, and this is just part of it for not even half the year! Stay tuned as more drama and success are sure to take place very soon.
Cheers,
Bruce
 Courtesy ratebeer.com We’ve advanced so far in technology during the last few decades. Not only has it offered new opportunities for Wikipediaing random trivia, Facebooking old friends, or Googling the nearest pub, but it’s been great for the world of beer. Here are some of my favorite examples of technology’s impact on beer for the consumer, which can aid you in your pursuit of the delicious beverage.
Websites:
- Ratebeer.com and Beeradvocate.com. Both of these websites compile user reviews and rating systems on pretty much every beer imaginable. Whenever I stumble across a beer that I haven’t tried, I use one of these sites to better my understanding of the brewery, style, and particular beer.
- Beermenus.com. I’ve been using this site a lot lately. If you aren’t sure where to find a particular beer, this website is a great way to find out the closest and/or best places to purchase it. While not every bar is on it, the best beer bars usually are. I’ve found it very useful. Paddy Longs, on our tour, is on the site.
 App interface courtesy of beerprophet.com Apps:
There are a TON of apps out there, so it’s no surprise that there are some dedicated to beer. Most of these offer an ability to keep track of beers by checking them off, rate, and even share them via Twitter or Facebook. I’m posting Iphone-related apps, but there are certainly similar if not the same apps available for Android devices as well. Here are some of the more highly rated ones. Some are free, some are not.
 Courtesy www.hop-cast.com Blogs:
There are a lot of great beer blogs, both here in Chicago and around the country. I’m not going to list all of them here; instead, I’m just going to list my Chicago favorites. Both of these list other blogs, so please feel free to explore. If there are other favorites, please list them in the comments and I may edit them in here.
- Hopcast: These guys know beer and have been writing about it and talking about it for years. Check out their videos for cool reviews on particular beers.
- Chitownontap: A premier Chicago beer blog. Paul does an excellent job keeping everyone up to date on the recent beer related happenings here in Chicago.
Let me know if you have any specific recommendations or other hoppy applications for technology!
Cheers,
Bruce
 Photo via Steffen Zahn Much has been made of the growth of the craft beer and decline of big beer here in the U.S. A recent Businessweek article, "Light Beer Fights for Life as Craft Brews Invade Shelves", further highlights the obvious trend. The most striking statistic to me is that light beer is a $50 billion market, so big breweries are extremely dependent on it. Relevantly:
If the companies can’t revive the brand, “we’ve got big trouble ahead of us,” said Bump Williams, whose Stratford, Connecticut-based BWC Co. advises more than 100 beer retailers and distributors. “Light beer has become a commodity.”
I think an obvious solution is to develop more interesting beers that are doing well in the market and lessen their dependence on the light beer segment. However, the big breweries have decided to fight for market share in the same way they’ve been doing so since light beer’s inception.
Marketing.
The article then discusses taglines and packaging innovations of the past ten years. This year, Miller is switching back to “It’s Miller Time,” stating:
Miller Lite focused on its buddy theme after research revealed that sociability was high on beer drinkers’ minds. England said the campaign will go beyond Bud Light’s more generic “here we go” advertising, by focusing on close friends, not just acquaintances.
I’ve seen Superbowl ads - is this really that big of a change in their marketing? While advertising obviously works and I understand the significance of $50 billion, I can’t help but think the strategy a long term losing battle because consumer tastes are changing. Perhaps brewing more flavorful, interesting beers is either too expensive, too risky, too impossible on such an industrial level, or the market is too small to make up for the $50 billion. Of course, you’ll probably see me drinking a Miller Lite watching a Cubs game very soon, so take my opinion for what it’s worth. And I’ll always have a soft spot for Miller Lite because of its glorious roots to Chicago and the Meister Brau brand.
Cheers my friends!
Bruce
 Photo from David Clow Hello my friends!
It’s almost 60 degrees and sunny at the end of February here in Chicago today! Not only am I stoked and fist pumping, but my mind is wandering to the bleachers at Wrigley Field. You know, those 85 degree days at the ballpark. Just thinking about it, I have a huge smile on my face. And nothing makes me happier on those days than taking my first large gulp of an ice cold Old Style.
Cool, refreshing lager beer.
Approximately 90% of the beer we consume in the world is of the lager variety, including most mass-marketed brands. Yet this style of beer has only existed for hundreds of years, compared to multiple millennia for the other major style, ale. The craziness behind the discovery of this beer may allow you to appreciate it even more.
 Photo from Anders Adermark Before the 1500s, nearly all beer consumed in the world was some form of ale. The difference between lagers and ales, from which all other styles of beer flow, is the type of yeasts, which ferment at different temperatures. Ale yeasts ferment at higher temperatures, and lagers lower ones.
Lager was likely first brewed in Germany in the 1500s, but was not necessarily common nor was the lager we think of today. Instead, it was usually dark and cloudy. Since people didn’t really understand that yeast was responsible for turning that sugary water to alcohol (it was magic!), let alone that there were different types of yeasts, beers would vary between lagers and ales based on the time of year and the temperature where it was stored to ferment. It really wasn’t until the 1800s and the discovery of pilsner, that light, clear, hoppy type of lager we know so well today, that lagers caught on throughout the world. And, with a better understanding of yeasts and temperature, brewers could more easily control the process, leading to consistent, high-quality results.
Now, we drink 90% of this stuff.
You may have heard this story before, but let’s set the clock back even farther.
 Photo from Tom Watt Last summer, a group of scientists determined that lager yeast originated in South America, in the Patagonia region of Argentina. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=patagonia-lager-yeast What does that mean, exactly? Well, scientists now hypothesize that these yeasts hitched a ride across the Atlantic on tallships sailing over from Europe in the late 1400s and 1500s during the Age of Exploration. The wet, cool, moist, wooden interiors of ships would have been an ideal place for yeast to hang out. They hopped on board, and before they could go back home, ships were catching the trade winds back to the Old World.
When they arrived, rather than write home, sad and homesick…they partied.
Ale yeast joined in, one thing led to another, and they hooked up. Their offspring, a new, combined yeast, was the result. These yeasts lived in cooler temperatures and patiently waited until some industrious Germans came with delicious sugary water.
Looking back, you could say that lager beer was the result of one of the early globalization and is a product of humans’ impact on their environment…although, I would argue, not a bad one.
My non-scientist brain wonders if there are other yeasts, lurking in the shadows of the world, which could give us even more delicious varieties of beer? One can dream, right?
In the meantime, I’ll see you in the bleachers, cold lager beer in hand.
Cheers,
Bruce
A special shout out to Colin Seals, who assisted with the editing of this post.
Additional sources:
http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/history.html
 Hi everyone! My name is Christopher “Bruce” White, founder of Chicago Beer Experience Beer Tours. I’ve decided to start a blog where I’m going to write some stories about Chicago, beer, and whatever random stuff sticks to my brain…probably puppies. I hope you enjoy it! You can always feel free to email me at cbw@chicagobeerexperience.com with any comments, questions, or suggestions. In Chicago, the craft beer scene has never been hotter.
A number of blogs have investigated the rocketing trend of craft beer in our area. In particular, Chitown On Tap (http://chitownontap.com/2011/12/28/2011-chicagos-craft-beer-year-in-review/), (http://chitownontap.com/2012/01/03/2012-chicagos-craft-beer-preview/) and Chicago Ales (http://aleheads.com/2012/02/06/chicagos-brewery-pileup-i-e-20-new-ale-factory-profiles/) have done an incredible job highlighting new players in craft beer in Chicago in 2011 and 2012, and I highly recommend reading those posts and blogs.
I want to further emphasize our growing craft beer movement, so I am going to delve into the basic numbers. To do so, I’m listing Chicago breweries and brewpubs, their website, and, most importantly, the year that they started production. (Note: These numbers will be skewed because there were breweries and started and failed during this time period that will not be counted, but I still think it is a worthy exercise.) For brevity, I’m just listing the ones that distribute in the City of Chicago, but there are excellent suburban craft breweries and brewpubs as well that I’ll no doubt discuss at a later date. If I missed anyone, please let me know.
Breweries and Brewpubs that have opened before 2012 and distribute in the City of Chicago, listed by date of opening:
Goose Island Beer Co. (http://www.gooseisland.com/), 1988
Rock Bottom (http://www.rockbottom.com/Chicago), 1995
(Note: I had to dig to find the when it opened in River North; check out this interesting article from the Chicago Tribune back in the dark beer days of 1995: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-11-15/entertainment/9511150135_1_rock-bottom-restaurant-goose-island-microbrewery Relevant passage: "We were told Chicago is a lager town," Petchenik says, "but we disagree."
Three Floyds Brewing Company (http://www.3floyds.com/), 1996
Two Brothers Brewing Company (http://www.twobrosbrew.com/), 1996
Piece Brewery and Pizzeria, http://www.piecechicago.com), 2001
Half Acre Beer Company (http://halfacrebeer.com), 2006
Metropolitan Brewing (http://www.metrobrewing.com), 2008
Moonshine (http://moonshinechicago.com/), 2008
Argus Brewery (http://www.argusbrewery.com/), 2009
Hamburger Mary’s (http://www.hamburgermarys.com/chicago/), 2009
Chicago Beer Company (http://chicagobeerco.com/), 2010
Revolution Brewing Company (http://revbrew.com/), 2010
5 Rabbit Brewery (http://5rabbitbrewery.com/our-story/), 2011
Emmett’s (http://www.emmettstavern.com/) 1999, distributed in Chicago in 2011
Finch’s Beer Company (http://www.finchbeer.com/), 2011
Haymarket Pub and Brewery (http://haymarketbrewing.com/), 2011
Look at those dates! Of the 16 breweries and brewpubs identified, 11 have opened in the past six years.
Now, let’s check breweries that are scheduled to open in 2012. There may be more, but I’ve identified the ones that look like they are more certain than not to open. I’ll be happy to add more if you reach out to me.
Proposed 2012 brewery and brewpub openings:
Arcade Brewing Company (http://www.arcadebrewery.com/)
Argyle Brewing Co. (http://www.argylebeer.com)
Broad Shoulders Brewing (http://broadshouldersbrewing.com/)
Empirical Brewery (http://empiricalbrewery.com/)
New Chicago Brewing Company (http://www.newchicagobeer.com/)
Pipeworks Brewing Company (http://www.pipeworksbrewing.com/)
Strange Pelican (http://strangepelican.com/)
Virtue Cider (http://virtuecider.com/) (Note: this is where former Goose Islander Greg Hall has moved after the sale to Anheuser-Bush/InBev last year; it should be interesting. I think he timed the move to cider well.)
That makes seven more breweries and brewpubs, and one cider company, scheduled to open this year, a roughly 50% increase. And I’m sure this doesn’t account for everything that will happen in the year ahead.
With this astronomical growth, there is growing concern that the craft beer market is becoming saturated. With 10 million people living in the Chicagoland area, I believe that these concerns are still unfounded. To put our beer scene in perspective, here is a chart of the per capita brewery numbers in the United States by state as of 2010: http://www.brewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/6291/Capita_perbrewery.pdf. Vermont comes in at #1, with a brewery for every 30,000 residents. Illinois is worse than half, at number 34, with a brewery for every 262,000 residents. This is 9 times less than our maple syrupy east coast brethren. We can do better.
Furthermore, there is plenty of room to grow if brewers continue find more creative niches. Maybe everyone won’t be able to open up a large, regional craft brewery, but there is certainly a lot of thirst to quench on a smaller level. A great example of this is the aforementioned Argyle Brewing Co. (http://www.argylebeer.com), which uniquely plans to use a subscription based system to sell its beer.
The numbers used in this post are limited and simplistic. For example, they do not take into account barrelage; perhaps we’ll go further down the rabbit hole at a later date. But one thing is certain: the future is bright for beer drinkers in the Chicago area. I wish the best to all of the new players coming on the scene and can’t wait to try all of the new beers!
Cheers and thanks for reading!
Bruce
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