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 Robert Battista.
November Beer of the Month
Each month, we share a beer that we think you oughta pick up. We’ve been working with a local bottle shop to select a beer that’s seasonably appropriate, accessible, not too harsh on the wallet, and might even impress your friends. The leaves have begun to change and fall off trees indicating cold weather is on the way. We’ve got the perfect companion for anything that Fall can bring.
On their journey to create more beer for Chicago beer drinkers, Aquanaut Brewing has had their fair share of setbacks. Finding a new home and a name change (formerly Strange Pelican) didn’t slow them down much. Their new facility in the Bowmanville neighborhood is absolutely beautiful and you’ll eventually be able to check it out yourself when they open up their taproom (date TBD). We sat down with Founder and Brewer Eric McNeil and the rest of the crew at Aquanaut last June to find out more about their plans. Since then, we’ve seen their beers popping up at bars and they’ve rolled out cans too. The Search is the first thing Aquanaut has put in cans so making it our November BOTM was a no brainer. Below are a few more details.
Brewery: Aquanaut Brewing Company (Chicago, IL)
Style: Extra Special Bitter
ABV: 5.4%
Brought to us by Bottles & Cans
You can pick up Aquanaut The Search at Bottles & Cans (4109 N. Lincoln Ave.) in Northcenter. If ya get to Bottles & Cans, ask for other recommendations from owners Joe and Carly or any of the other knowledgeable staff on hand. And tell ’em we say hey!
THR Thoughts…
Before we even opened this beer we were diggin’ the can artwork. Creators Ennis Martin and Eric McNeil used the entirety of this can to portray the breweries nautical theme. So much detail went into the outside of the can and that trend continued once we opened this thing up. Poured out we see a brown and amber beer topped with slightly off white foam. From the can we got a good amount of creamy foam that slowly dissipated as this was sipped down. Aroma is full of caramel, toasted bread notes and a hint of sweetness. The taste lines up perfectly with the aroma. A slightly sweet, caramely, and biscuity taste that pairs perfectly with this full bodied beer. A creamy and silky mouthfeel make this a great beer to sip on any day. At only 5.4% ABV you get a full flavored, full bodied beer that you can have a few of.
Photography by Robert Battista