danimalarkey wrote:Similarly, will 5 Rabbit take off? While their signature golden ale is pretty good, I wouldn't say it's remarkable (and if it weren't new/local, I don't think I ever would have bought a six-pack). I tried their Ancho-chile brown ale, 5 Vulture, and couldn't taste a hint of ancho. Bad batch? Do we fault the contract brewer who made the beer? Will it be better once they have their own production facility? Etc, etc. Like with Finch's, the owners are marketing executives first, beer fans second and while that doesn't particularly bother me, that may prevent the 'craft beer diehards' from ever getting behind them. But if the craft beer market continues to blow up, I'm guessing that breweries won't need to rely on the diehards quite so much.
danimalarkey wrote: Like with Finch's, the owners are marketing executives first, beer fans second and while that doesn't particularly bother me, that may prevent the 'craft beer diehards' from ever getting behind them.
mhill95149 wrote:danimalarkey wrote: Like with Finch's, the owners are marketing executives first, beer fans second and while that doesn't particularly bother me, that may prevent the 'craft beer diehards' from ever getting behind them.
Once I read that I figured there was no need for me to try their beer.
While if any of my CB buddies told me that the beer was great, I'd try it then...
AdmVinyl wrote:mhill95149 wrote:danimalarkey wrote: Like with Finch's, the owners are marketing executives first, beer fans second and while that doesn't particularly bother me, that may prevent the 'craft beer diehards' from ever getting behind them.
Once I read that I figured there was no need for me to try their beer.
While if any of my CB buddies told me that the beer was great, I'd try it then...
Gabriel Magliaro, founder of Half Acre, didn't come from the beer industry either, he was in marketing/design. The problem with Finch isn't that marketing guys started the company, it's that the beer isn't particularly good, and gimmicks like co-branding with a clothing company for their IPA don't change what's in the can/keg.
Come this summer Finch's three offerings in stores will have competitors in the same style, in cans, also brewed within the city limits. Marketing can take you a long way in the beer industry (the most dominant beers in market share are all about marketing) but I'd like to think the craft beer consumer actually cares more about what's actually in the bottle or can.
Then again, there seem to be a number that mainly care about getting their hands on every limited release in order to sell it on eBay or ransom it for beer trades, so what do I know.
i<3pizza wrote:A got a nice ancho kick from the 5 Rabbit when I tried it at BApple. And I loved the creaminess of their Vita y Muerte (or something like that). I'm really enthusiastic about that particular brewery and hope their distribution spreads further throughout the city's liquor stores.
danimalarkey wrote:i<3pizza wrote:A got a nice ancho kick from the 5 Rabbit when I tried it at BApple. And I loved the creaminess of their Vita y Muerte (or something like that). I'm really enthusiastic about that particular brewery and hope their distribution spreads further throughout the city's liquor stores.
Just curious, was this on draft or via a bottle? I picked up a bottle about a month ago from LUSH and got zero chile. It was just a thick, syrupy, almost sludgy brown ale. I know they recently switched contract brewers but I'm not sure if everything is getting brewed at the same place or not. Despite Mosher's involvement, he's not their brewer, per se, and while I'll be glad to try new stuff on tap (I am excited for their Huitzi), I'm more anxious for consistency.
Craft beer is finally finding its way into the posh North Shore suburbs. Ten Ninety Brewing, a small, two-year-old brewery that got its start contract brewing in Zion, got approval this week to open a brewery and taproom at 1025 Waukegan Road in Glenview.
I'm confident pudgym29 will deliver a moving eulogy.Dave148 wrote:After a lifetime of trying to turn the corner, Argus Brewery shutters in the shadow of coronavirus
Well, since I was challenged by bweinybweiny wrote: I'm confident pudgym29 will deliver a moving eulogy.
In addition to missed connections, used cars and concert tickets (RIP), Craigslist has a particularly unique offering at the moment: a Chicago brewery. Argus Brewery, which quietly stopped operating on Chicago’s far South Side in late March, is available on the people’s internet marketplace for $2.5 million.
Dave148 wrote:Half Acre to sell Lincoln Avenue brewery to upstart Hop Butcher for the World, which gets its first home after years of quiet growth.
As Half Acre sought to scale down its footprint, its iconic original location was ideal for Hop Butcher, which sought a bricks-and-mortar operation.
https://apple.news/AQ8X_ka0cTQ2R7AJZtHBrig
In a surprise move, Half Acre announced Monday it will reopen the taproom at its original Lincoln Avenue facility for 12 days in September before handing the keys to the location’s new owner.
Hop Butcher buys second brewery in 3 months, taking over former 5 Rabbit space in Bedford Park
Dave148 wrote:Dave148 wrote:Half Acre to sell Lincoln Avenue brewery to upstart Hop Butcher for the World, which gets its first home after years of quiet growth.
As Half Acre sought to scale down its footprint, its iconic original location was ideal for Hop Butcher, which sought a bricks-and-mortar operation.
https://apple.news/AQ8X_ka0cTQ2R7AJZtHBrigIn a surprise move, Half Acre announced Monday it will reopen the taproom at its original Lincoln Avenue facility for 12 days in September before handing the keys to the location’s new owner.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/d ... story.html
Hop Butcher For The World, which purchased Half Acre Beer’s original brewery and taproom at 4253-4259 N. Lincoln Avenue in December, has applied for a liquor license, putting it on track to open this spring, as planned.
An astute eye would notice Hop Butcher brand labels already mentioning the Bedford Park brewery.Dave148 wrote: Hop Butcher buys second brewery in 3 months, taking over former 5 Rabbit space in Bedford Park
Dave148 wrote:Dave148 wrote:Half Acre to sell Lincoln Avenue brewery to upstart Hop Butcher for the World, which gets its first home after years of quiet growth.
As Half Acre sought to scale down its footprint, its iconic original location was ideal for Hop Butcher, which sought a bricks-and-mortar operation.
https://apple.news/AQ8X_ka0cTQ2R7AJZtHBrigIn a surprise move, Half Acre announced Monday it will reopen the taproom at its original Lincoln Avenue facility for 12 days in September before handing the keys to the location’s new owner.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/d ... story.html
Brewpubs and taprooms are closing left and right, but while many craft beer makers are struggling, one quintessential Chicago brewery is doubling down.
Maplewood Brewing is expanding its popular, unassuming Logan Square taproom. The company took over the other half of 2717 N. Maplewood Ave., which it previously shared with caterer Food2You. The additional space is allowing Maplewood to add seating and a kitchen.
The taproom's expansion, albeit relatively small in scale, is notable because it comes at a time when so many other heavyweights in Chicago's craft beer scene are struggling. Lagunitas Brewing closed its Douglas Park taproom in May. Then on the same day in December, Revolution Brewing closed its Milwaukee Avenue brewpub and Ravinia Brewing, now named Steep Ravine Brewing Company, shuttered its Logan Square taproom. Scores more breweries statewide have closed in recent years.
This is in part because consumers have switched away from craft beer, turning to wine, hard seltzer and ready-to-drink canned cocktails or drinking less altogether and opting for nonalcoholic options. Some industry experts argue the market was oversaturated during the craft beer craze of the 2010s, which made at least some closures now inevitable.
When asked why Maplewood is succeeding where others have fallen short, Cieslak said he had no crystal ball. He credited his extensive sales team and said Maplewood was able to navigate changes in the industry because the company diversified. Craft beer is still its main product, but Maplewood also offers an array of non-alcoholic options and is now experimenting with THC.
Funkytown Brewery has a contract to buy a vacant, two-story industrial building at 1931 W. Lake St., with plans to convert the site into the company’s first stand-alone facility for brewing, distributing and selling beer, CEO and co-founder Rich Bloomfield told CoStar News.