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.
In this week’s Hoplinks, Chicago sees yet another (sorta) new brewery open. We also touch on the political correctness (or lack thereof) in today’s beer scene, as well as craft trends across the world. Cheers.
IRVING PARK, CHICAGO – In case you’ve missed it, BreakRoom Brewery’s former space has officially re-opened as a new brewed version, dubbed “Finch Kitchen,” as of June 8th. The brewpub is a collaboration between Finch Beer Co. and chef Matthias Merges (Billy Sunday, Yusho). Given the bizarre history and short term of BreakRoom–and Finch’s lack of Chicago presence–we’re hoping this space has a better runt he second time around. [DNAinfo]
NORTHCENTER, CHICAGO – Another anti-Trump inspired beer from Chicago is hitting the market. This time, Spiteful Brewing is getting in the GOP-nominee-mocking-game, with a rather tasty sounding double IPA with key lime dubbed Dumb Donald. The label description is as quirky as always–this time with a “Dumb Donald is, well, dumb.” [Chicagoist]
GALT, CA – Tactfulness and discretion haven’t always been the strong suit of every brewery owner. Enter: northern California’s “Special Ed’s Brewery.” As a small business owner, your name may be “Ed” and you might be “special,” but come on. With several offensive names across their beers, the labels even include a particularly off-color tagline. A new brewery low. [Chicago Tribune]
PARIS, FRANCE – In 2015, France saw it’s first increase in beer consumption in over 30 years, of course still second fiddle to wine there. And unsurprisingly, folks are looking to cash in on the trend, including one new Parisian beer distributor: Hop Buddy. This video takes a look at why the founders chose to get into the beer game, and how they plan to grow it. [BeBetter Paris]
WORLD – Ever wonder the price of beer in different cities around the world? A recent survey of 32 “beer cities” has the findings, and they’re plenty intriguing. [Couponbox.com]
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Image from our 2014 interview at Finch’s Beer Company’s original location.