I guess you can say I live in the belief that we have a great beer city.
For starters, don't we have the nation’s best (?) brewing school located in Goose Island: The Siebel Institute of Technology?
And sure not every Goose Island beer is a favorite of mine, but that is more due to preference than quality. Their IPA is one of my favorites of the class, and their Reserves rank up as some of the best beers I have had. I could only drink Demolition and Matilda the rest of my life and be happy.
Sure we don't have a brewpub on every corner, but what we do have is excellent. I can't imagine it being easy and affordable to acquire the space required to run a brewery in the city proper, so I imagine that is a major part of why.
I often wonder if people take for granted what we have. Like in most things in life, what you can't easily get is considered better, so breweries that do not distribute here are put on a pedestal. Sure I love Two Hearted, but I also tried to gag down a Cherry Stout and failed. Worst beer that has ever touched my lips, well 2nd worst, worst will forever remain Golden Eagle Lager.
New Belgium used to be on this pedestal, until Fat Tire crossed the Mississippi and everyone changed their tune, realizing that beer is crap (yes they make great beers as well). Before that I'd guarantee if you ask 10 beer lovers to name their top 10, Fat Tire would fall in the majority of those lists.
Just take a look at the Goose Island Clybourn brewpub
beer list right now, and tell me another place, in another city, that I can go and find better beers?? I know where I will be this eve...
Jamie
Honker's Ale 4.3% ABV
BRONZE MEDAL WINNER 2006 WORLD BEER CUP! Goose Island’s classic Honker's Ale is a subtle and elegant American Pale Ale in the English style. Beautiful honey amber hue with a pronounced hop aroma perfectly balancing a medium malt body and a dry hop finish. Food pairing suggestion: Buffalo Burger and BBQ Pork Sandwich.
312 Urban Wheat Ale 4.2% ABV
“312” is a crisp and refreshing unfiltered wheat ale with hazy straw color. The light floral hop nose is followed by a vibrant, fruity ale flavor. A blend of pale barley malt and torrified American wheat yield a smooth body, clean malt character, and crisp finish. Food pairing suggestion: Caesar Salad and Shrimp Martini.
Blueberry Ale 4.8% ABV
A fruit twist on our golden ale. We took our Golden Ale and aged it with real blueberries, not any artificial sweeteners. Served in a Pint glass for $5.00.
Schwarzbier 4.8% ABV
Our German-style Black Lager is medium-bodied with nice roasted malt flavor and low to medium hop character. Weyermann Carafa malt gives the beer it’s opal color without malt astringency and a long maturation period also helps make this brew very smooth and easily drinkable. Served in a Stein for $5.00.
XXX Porter 5.6% ABV
Our hoppiest porter is almost roasty enough to be a stout. Hopped exclusively with Centennial hops for a spicy aroma and a long dry finish. Brewed with pale malt, black barley for color and lots of wheat malt for a creamy head. Served in a Pint glass for $5.00.
Reserve Matilda 7.0% ABV
Gold Medal winner 2005 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal winner 2006 World Beer Cup Brewed with Pilsner, Munich and a touch of Crystal malt, this Belgian strong ale is a golden hoppy delight. What makes it special is the yeast strain used in this brew: it produces a mellow tartness to complement the complex malt character. Styrian Golding and an abundance of Saaz hops add to the crisp flavor. Served in a Reserve glass.
Autumn Ale 6.0% ABV
To celebrate the harvest season and the approach of the cold weather, we serve a soothing glass of this Belgian-style ale reminiscent of autumnal hues. A blend of barley, oats, wheat, rice, corn and rye malts give us a full-bodied brew with a complex malt flavor while the Belgian Saison yeast imparts a fruity/spicy complexity. Served in a Tulip glass for $6.00.
India Pale Ale 5.9% ABV
Celebrated as the very best if its kind, our India Pale Ale recalls a time when ales shipped from England to India in the 18th Century were highly hopped to survive the long journey. Truly a hop lover's dream, this honey golden classic starts with a soaring tropical fruit aroma set off by a tart toasted malt middle with dried fruit undertones followed by a long, palate-cleansing, earthy hop finish. India Pale Ale holds its own with our Cajun and Asian inspired dishes: Jambalaya and Blackened Catfish Po’boy. Served in a Pint glass.
Harvest Ale 5.7% ABV
Our latest creation is brewed in the style of a traditional American Extra Special Bitter (ESB). As Summertime fades, the sun shines less bright, and evening comes a little sooner. Harvest time arrives – it’s a time to reap the benefits of a great Summer. Fresh picked cascade hops from Washington and the richest Midwestern malts makes Goose Island Harvest Ale an extra special beer worthy of your devotion.
Dunkelweizenbock 8.0% ABV
Each Fall we brew a strong, dark Bavarian style wheat beer. It has a fragrant malt nose with notes of alcohol and an assertive banana ester fruitiness. Intense raisiny caramel sweet malt character greets the tongue while the fruity esters shine through mid-palate. It finishes slightly tart with lingering alcohol warmth, which has been mellowed by a lengthy maturation (2 months) period. Served in a goblet for $7.00.
Old Aberration Barley Wine 10.2% ABV
Affectionately known as Old Abe, our original barley wine is an example of the brewer’s art taken to the extreme. In early March we brew a thickly sweet and sumptuously hoppy wort that evolves into one of the strongest beers that we make here at the brewpub. It starts with a huge fruity malt / hop nose then carries through to a full-bodied biscuity, toffee-like sweetness on the palate. It has a good hop balance and a bit of alcohol warmth in the finish. Served in a snifter.
Reserve Imperial I.P.A. 9.0% ABV
At Goose Island, we live and die by hops. With our Imperial IPA, we pushed the hop limit to the extreme. We took three of our favorite hops, Tettnang, Simcoe and Cascade and balanced their spiciness with tons of malt… then we added more hops and more malt until this beer was exploding with citrus aromas and flavors… you’ll smell the hops from a yard away. What will surprise you is how drinkable it is. Served in a Tulip for $10.00.
Bourbon Imperial Brown Goose 11.0% ABV
This special ale was first brewed to commemorate batch #1800 here at the original Goose Island Brewery. This brew is based on our American Brown Ale, Naughty Goose, but with 60% more malt and twice the hops. This version was aged in Jim Beam Barrels for three months. Served in a Snifter for $9.00.
Nut Brown Ale 4.5% ABV
A deep chestnut-hued light-bodied ale of unusual complexity with a hint of sweetness. A nose of earthy hops and roasted grains continues to a subtle malty middle with notes of chocolate, honey, and fine tobacco leading to a satisfying "nutty" finish. Pairs well with the BBQ pork sandwich. Served in a Pint glass.
Reserve Pere Jacques 9.0% ABV
Pere Jacques is a dark, sweet Belgian-style ale. Brewed with 100% Belgian yeast, Pere Jacques’ flavor is highly influenced by the beer’s esters – which impart notes of banana and dried stone fruit. Esters, which are byproducts of yeast, are volatile flavor compounds that often do not survive the brewing process. By fermenting the beer slowly, and at a higher temperature, Goose Island’s brewers ensure that these delicate esters make their way into the bottle. Pere Jacques is brewed with a blend of American and Belgian malts, and Saaz hops - a traditional choice of Belgian brewers. Served in a Reserve glass.