This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Tom White.
In this week’s Hoplinks, Indiana gets sour, Sam Calagione brews in Chicago, Trader Joe’s has more beer than you thought, pumpkin beers have a history, and a brewer thinks his beer is good for post-workout relief. Let us know what other big news we missed this week in the comments.
BLOOMINGTON, IN – Arguably the Midwest’s best known sour brewer, Upland Brewing announced they’re expanding their sour program. The $4 million investment includes an upgraded bottling line, new foeders, and a whole lot more barrels. The new facility should should open in April 2016 with beers hitting the market in 2017. Also check out our interview with Upland brewer Patrick Lynch. [Brewbound]
CHICAGO, IL – Brewing icon Sam Calagione released the premier of his new YouTube series “First We Feast Presents… That’s Odd, Let’s Drink It,” filmed at Birreria Chicago (Hey look, it’s Tyler Prokop!). Partnering with Croc toting chef Mario Batali, the two explore the waste foods from Eataly to create a pruno, a beer more often found brewing in a prison toilet. [First We Feast YouTube]
USA – If you frequent your local Trader Joe’s as often as we do, you may have noticed they’ve really picked up their craft beer game in the last few years. Aside from a solid collection of nationwide breweries, they also stock a wide range of TJ’s branded beer, at very reasonable prices. Paste Magazine takes a look at the selection and gives you your best option in each style. [Paste Magazine]
USA – Nothing quite hits the spot after a long run or workout session like a pint of your favourite beer. Having said that, it might not be the best thing for your body. Brewtein aims to change that with a protein enhanced workout beer, currently on Kickstarter. We were under the impression that protein in beer is generally not a good thing (the article includes some of these concerns) so we’re interested to see how this turns out. [Outside Online]
USA – Despite some of our views on pumpkin beers here at The Hop Review, there’s no denying the massive growth of this style in the last few years. With Halloween this weekend, many people might not know that pumpkin beers may be the “one of the first true American styles.” [Redlands Daily Facts]
Photograph by Jack Muldowney during our visit to Birreria Chicago