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 edition of Hoplinks, a museum brews an ancient beer, a chef tries something new, a brewery ditches bottles, another goes on tour, and a beer from the south looks to come north. Let us know your thoughts on the links below and anything we missed in the comments below.
SOUTH LOOP, CHICAGO – Continuing a collaboration started a few years ago, Off Color and the Field Museum will release a beer inspired by the brewing customs of the Wari people. The ancient Wari recipe, brewed between 600 and 1050 AD, uses purple corn and molle berries, and will be available in stores on March 7th. [THR Wire]
CHICAGO – Chef Cleetus Friedman (Fountainhead, Bar on Buena, The Northman) announced that he’s leaving to take on a new challenge at Caffè Baci Catering downtown. We’re happy to hear he’ll still continue to release the occasional collaboration beer at Fountainhead, something we talked about extensively with him last summer. [Eater Chicago]
DURANGO, CO – Ska Brewing will soon drop the 12 ounce bottle completely, moving their entire lineup to cans. Ska has a long history with this format as the second craft brewery (behind Oskar Blues) to can their beer. Look for the cans on local shelves starting March 1st. [THR Wire]
BEND, OR – Following last year’s successful event, Oregon’s
Deschutes Brewery unveiled plans for a second Street Pub Tour around the US. Last year’s event raised $400,000 for charity and this year’s six stop tour promises more of the same. Here’s hoping they find a new Chicago location as last year’s abandoned lot was the only negative of the event. [THR Wire]CELAYA, MEXICO – Chela Libre Brewery, a family-owned craft brewery from Mexico, is set to become the first Mexican farmhouse brewery to distribute north of the border. Featuring some truly unique Lucha Libre inspired labels, the brewery will look to gain traction in Chicago, a city with a large hispanic population. No word on an exact release date just yet but we’ll be keeping our eye out for these colorful beers. [THR Wire]
USA – Fans of craft beer are frequently guilty of trying to push their drink of choice on their often unwilling friends. But if you want your buddy to join you next time you hit your favorite beer bar, consider the three biggest mistakes when introducing someone to craft beer. [CraftBeer.com]
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Photograph from our interview with Cleetus Friedman of Fountainhead during summer 2015.