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, cooler days signal Chicago’s barrel-aged beer season is here, a long-awaited Motown brewery opens, the year in beer design is analyzed, and Illinois wins big at the biggest beer festival around.
WEST TOWN, CHICAGO — Cooler days are upon us and, to the Chicago beer fan, that signals the impending release of Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout. As they did last year, the brewery is hosting Proprietor’s Day, the second edition of the much sought after lottery-based chance to purchase the rarer variants of the annual release and sample the entire 2017 lineup. If you’re interested in being a part of the festivities, the lottery is open through October 16 and you can enter once per day. [THR Wire]
CHICAGO — Another Chicago Fall beer-tradition is known as FoBAB — the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. The event that turns a university conference room into a mecca for beer geeks announced their list of breweries attending this year’s festival. As usual, the list is likely among the most impressive you’ll ever see at a beer event. May as well get in line for that Jester King, Lost Abbey, and Grimm Brothers now…. [TimeOut Chicago]
DETROIT, MI — Eastern Market Brewing Co., who we visited earlier this summer, has put the final touches on their downtown Detroit space, opening their doors to the public in the final days of September. The beautiful looking space is the latest of many beer-centric reasons to visit Motown’s revitalized core. [Eater Detroit]
USA — CODO design takes a look at the year in beer from a design perspective, highlighting some of the recent trends in the world of craft beer branding. If beer and design is your thing, be sure to check out our weekly series, Beer & Branding. [CODO Design]
USA — With The Great American Beer Festival done and dusted, we can now take a look at the beers and breweries that received accolades at this year’s event. As big time homer’s, it’s great to see Illinois well represented in the winner’s circle. On Tour especially stood out, taking home two beer medals as well as the award for Very Small Brewing Company of the Year. Check out the full list, including several who’ve been featured in past THR interviews, at the link above.
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Photo of the 2016 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers at the UIC Forum — by Jack Muldowney.