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, the north side’s Malt Row gets another look, a local brewery concocts a very special beer, a legacy brewery is set to be sold to the highest bidder, barleywines are ranked, and a photographer dives into the seedier side of the London pub scene.
RAVENSWOOD/NORTHCENTER/BOWMANVILLE, CHICAGO — We’re big fans of “Malt Row” at The Hop Review (check out our Craft Crawl) and it’s a common occurance to find us at one of the many breweries and one distillery along the route. Neighborhoods.com put together their own guide to the alcohol libations along Ravenswood Ave. Get to know each space before you hit them this weekend! [Neighborhoods.com]
WEST TOWN, CHICAGO — Chicago’s Spektral Quartet is partnering with Illuminated Brew Works to recreate a 1908 Vienna beer recipe. Available one night only at the Quartet’s Close Encounters event, the series was created to close the distance between performer and audience member. If beer and/or music are your jam, be sure to check out this unique event. [THR Wire]
HAMPTON, NH — After nearly 24 years of operation, New Hampshire’s Smuttynose Brewery will be sold to highest bidder at a bank auction of March 9th. Best known for one of the better brown ales out there, Old Brown Dog, along with a host of other tried and true brews, the brewery seems to have been left behind by the recent surge in craft industry trends. Here’s hoping someone picks them up and resurrects one of the pioneering brands in US brewing history. [Seacoastonline.com]
USA — Barleywines are generally something we enjoy immensely, though in limited quantities. That’s why we’re glad to see Paste Magazine take one for the team and blind-taste 62 of the best barleywines available. As we usually see in these posts, a few usual suspects rise to the top, along with a few surprises. [Paste Magazine]
LONDON, UK — The seedier side of London pub culture is highlighted in this gallery of photos taken at the city’s working class drinking holes. As in any city, establishments like these attract a huge range of interesting folks. Well worth a look. [The Guardian]
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Photo of Band of Bohemia, one of the six breweries along the north side’s “Malt Row” — by Jack Muldowney.