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 leaders of beer in the state have a new leader, another Chicago brewery opens this week, an old dog keeps on growing, homebrewing is quite the big deal, and we wonder just what happened to our promised beer, cake, and oysters. Let us know what else went on in the beer world in the comments.
CHICAGO, IL – While the average Illinois drinker may not even be aware of their existence, the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild is behind a lot of the things that make this such a great state to brew and drink beer. That’s why the recent announcement of Danielle D’Alessandro as their new Executive Director is such big news. Charged with leading the future of beer in the state, D’Allessandro’s experience lobbying for the Guild should come in handy. Also a big congratulations to Katie Long, who earned a promotion to Associate Director. [THR Wire]
OLD IRVING PARK, CHICAGO – The city’s newest brewery, the aptly named Old Irving Brewing Co. is set to open later this week. DNA Info got a look inside the space that features a roomy industrial look, complete with “game room” for bags tournament and basketball. While the food menu from former Yusho chef Matthias Merges hasn’t been announced yet, it’s sure to impress alongside their six to eight in-house brews. [DNA Info]
WARRENVILLE, IL – It feels like we’re always hearing about another expansion from Two Brothers and the latest one is a doozy. The Ebel brothers recently closed on an undeveloped 20-acre plot of land down the road from their Warrenville location. They plan to break ground in 2018 on a massive 75,000 square-foot brewery and eventually add a restaurant, coffee roastery, distillery, barrel-aging facility and an events space. [Crain’s Chicago]
USA – While homebrewers aren’t selling their product to consumers, the economic impact of the hobby is significant. A study by the American Homebrewers Association claims the total impact of homebrewing to be $1.225 billion and it created 11,672 jobs, just in the US. So, what are you waiting for? Get brewing! [American Homebrewers Association]
PILSEN, CHICAGO – Remember when Moody Tongue made a big deal about opening their tasting room by late August? Nearly a month later and the brewery has gone completely silent on the status of the much anticipated space. We’re always skeptical when breweries claim opening dates in Chicago as they almost always get held up, but this was announced just weeks before their anticipated opening. Anyone have any updates?
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Photograph of Pilsen’s Moody Tongue Brewing from our Summer 2015 interview with founder Jared Rouben — by Jack Muldowney.