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 Jack Muldowney.
It’s been a couple weeks since we shared some linkage, so a lot of news has built up. So forgive us, here, for spanning a couple weeks – consider some of these “ICYMI”s. This week’s recap has us seeing doubly why Lincoln Park’s Local Option is one of the best, a back-to-back night of boozy TV returns, a couple Chicago breweries hit milestones, beers get mapped, Madison sets a date to celebrate 5 years & [pause for breath] Atlanta’s biggest brewery reaches Chicago. Whew. Enjoy.
LINCOLN PARK, CHICAGO – Matt Tanaka from Lakeshore Beverage catches up with the Bierwerker’s at Lincoln Park’s Local Option to chat about their new Exorcist Foreign Extra Stout. Be sure to follow that read up by checking out our interview with the metal loving guys from early last year. [Lakeshore Beverage Blog]
CHICAGO – Speaking of the Bierwerkers, Thrillist has named their 33 Best Beer Bars in America, and Chicago’s Local Option and Maria’s Packaged Goods are named. The rest of the places read like a who’s who of famous beer destinations around the country. [Thrillist]
UPTOWN, CHICAGO – Revolution Brewing celebrated their 5th anniversary in style on the 13th at Uptown’s Riviera Theater. Photographer Will Byington has a full set of photos chronicling the entire event – take a peak if you haven’t yet. [WillByington.com]
EAST VILLAGE, CHICAGO – Forbidden Root‘s brewery is has shared the update that they are planning to open by ‘early summer.’ The brewpub will have 12 of their botanical-driven beers on tap when their space opens at 1746 W. Chicago Ave. [Eater]
AVONDALE, CHICAGO – Parachute – the home base of West Loop’s Illuminated Brew Works beer on tap – is one of a few Chicago restos given finalist status for a James Beard Award. The Korean-American restaurant is run by Top Chef alum Beverly Kim.
MADISON – Wisconsin’s state capital has announced the dates for their 5th Annual Madison Craft Beer Week. The celebration will return May 1-10 and include over 80 area restaurants, bars and breweries across 350+ events. Worth the trip for any craft nerd in the Midwest. [madbeerweek.com]
USA – TV’s “Booziest Night” returns for your viewing pleasure on 4/1, thanks to Esquire Network. Kick it off with Best Bars in America season two premiere (9/8c). Follow that up with the aptly named Brew Dogs‘ season three premiere(10/9c). For those not familiar, Best Bars chronicles two comedian pals’ galavants around the US to, you guessed it, the best bars (according to drink expert David Wondrich’s ‘Best Bars’ list). Brew Dogs follows the BrewDog Brewery founders as they concoct record-breaking brews. This season includes stops in Scotland, Mexico, Brooklyn, Louisville, Grand Rapids, & Nashville to name a few.
ATLANTA – Newly-distributed-in-Chicago brewery, SweetWater, has been celebrating much success in growth lately hot off their 18th anniversary. However, some of the acclaim has brought attention to some rather off color naming choices. Chicago’s Binny’s recently decided not to stock their “Happy Ending” stout, prompting the question, ‘Does craft beer have a sexism problem’? [Chicago Tribune]
ETC – Next Door Self Storage has cone up a helpful graphic for those looking to tidy their home-brew equipment. Take a look at the infographic here for tips on ideal setup and temps to keep things in tip-top shape for next brew. [Next Door Self Storage]
ETC – The social analytics platform, StatSocial, has taken on the daunting task of compiling the ‘most popular’ beers on social media from across 15,000 cities spanning the US, Canada, Ireland and the UK. The interactive Beer Map can be reviewed here. Fair warning, this one might be your Friday afternoon time suck… [StatSocial]
Brew Dogs photo provided by Esquire Network.