I walked into the Aberdeen Tap on the near West side around 4pm on a Tuesday and tucked myself at the end of the bar, hoping I had found a quiet place to pass the time before meeting a friend. After polishing off one beer, I conceded a second and asked the bartender if they… Continue reading Around The Bend Beer Co. – A Lesson in History

Every beer that ends up in your glass takes a different route to get there. Certain pours come right from the source, simply making the trek in a keg across the brewery to the in-house taproom, while others make the long journey down the supply line from brewer, distributor, to bottle shop or bar. Much… Continue reading Pilsner Urquell: Part of the Community

“Can you say that again?” John Wyzkiewicz asked as I was saying goodbye to him and his brewing partner, Josh Mowry, at Miskatonic Brewing in Darien, IL. I was happy to oblige and again assured them, “You guys are going to do very well.” Walking into Miskatonic’s production facility and taproom late on a Wednesday… Continue reading Miskatonic Brewing – Veteran brewers, first-time owners

Blogging about beer comes with the expectation that you’ll frequently receive emails from marketers that include press releases, event invites and general attempts at generating buzz around whatever product or infographic a company might be trying to push. I respond in a selective manner mostly because there’s a lot of junk and people looking to… Continue reading The Amazing Sonic Beer Foamer

Citizen Cider out of Burlington, Vermont has humble beginnings much like others in the brewing and cider industry have told. Three friends, Kris Nelson, Bryan Holmes and Justin Heilenbach began pressing apples in Kris’ barn on nights and weekends, which would then ferment in his basement. After toiling away at their hobby for some time,… Continue reading The Tale of Citizen Cider and the Dynamic Duo