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, a brewing behemoth makes a final giant purchase, a local bottle shop rises from its own ashes, shady dealings are exposed, one of our go-to breweries releases a beer to the masses, a beer returns home, a Chicago ‘hood adds yet another brewery, and one more gets swallowed by the big guys.
USA — Anheuser-Busch InBev made have made their last brewery acquisition, at least if the strict provisions instituted by antitrust regulators following their purchase of SABMiller are to be believed. While still not fully endorsing it, even the Brewer’s Association seems to have finally acquiesced, backing off their major objections. Only time will tell how this affects the nearly 4,600 craft brewers now in operation throughout the US. [The Motley Fool]
PORTAGE PARK, CHICAGO — Well this didn’t take long. After closing for the last time at their Jefferson Park home of 20 years a little over a week ago, the owners of Fischman Liquors & Tavern announced plans to reopen in Portage Park. The new shop, aimed for a Spring 2017 opening, will be located next door to the Portage Theater at the booming Six Corners. [THR Wire]
BOWMANVILLE, CHICAGO — Crain’s digs into the shady dealings of serial entrepreneur Phil Tadros, a primary investor in Bowmanville’s Aquanaut. In the article, brewery founder Eric McNeil mentions his displeasure at discovering transfers out of the Aquanaut account without his knowledge, presumably used for Tadros’ other ventures. [Crain’s]
BOWMANVILLE, CHICAGO — Sticking in Bowmanville for more positive news, one of our favorite breweries Hop Butcher for the World announced there will be a much wider release of their Belgian Witbier with Lime, Witka. Previously only available at Ditka’s restaurants, the 6.5% ABV brew will be on draft at select accounts. Be sure to check out our interview with the guys at Hop Butcher, back when they were known as South Loop Brewing. [THR Wire]
LA CROSSE, WI — Making a triumphant return to it’s original home, Old Style will once again be brewed in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Rather than making the original recipe so common in Chicago, the brewery will produce Old Style Oktoberfest, a Märzen-style brew. The new beer is set to roll off the production line starting this Thursday. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
WEST TOWN, CHICAGO — West Town is soon to become the city’s most concentrated neighborhood for beer. On Tour Brewing plans to open this Fall, featuring a large open taproom pumping out beer of all styles. The new brewery will be within a couple blocks of Goose Island, Like Minds, and Great Central, making the neighborhood a real beer destination as soon as each brewery opens. [Eater]
ATHENS, GA — Continuing the recent trend of the little guy getting swallowed by the big guys, MillerCoors will take a majority stake in Georgia’s Terrapin Beer. The brewery will operate as a business unit of MillerCoors “craft” subsidiary Tenth & Blake, making it the company’s second acquisition after the purchase of San Diego’s Saint Archer in 2015. [Crain’s]
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Photo by Robert Battista of Aquanaut’s brewery from our summer 2015 interview with founder Eric McNeil.