midwest beers

Hi guys,

going to be driving back from the midwest and looking for some new beers to take back to Colorado. I have a pretty big list of beers I want to get, but wanted some opinions if I am missing anything that I must try. Sorry I know this is a long list.

My favs that I have had in the past are Alpha King, KBS and double trouble. I couldn't taste all the flavors from two hearted ale, but want to try it again in case it was a bad batch I had last time. Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

Three Floyds Alpha King
Three Floyds Blackheart
Three Floyds Dreadnaught
Three Floyds Broo Doo
north coast Old Rasputin Stout
Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Great Lakes Eliot Ness
Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale
New Glarus Craft Pack
brooklyn party pack
Bells two hearted ale
smuttynose finest kind IPA
smuttynose robust porter
founders porter
founders centennial IPA



seasonal:
founders double trouble
founders cerise
founders breakfast stout
Bell's Double Cream Stout
bells hopslam
Great Lakes Blackout Stout
Great Lakes Sampler Pack

I can't help but tell you to pick up some Grain Belt Premium for your BMC buddies. This is a local brand from the Twin Cities, but its one of those that went under and was picked up by a smaller brewer in New Ulm, MN.

On another note, if you see something from City Brewery, might be worth grabbing. This is the old G. Heileman brewery in LaCrosse. I would grab it for the historic aspect, but that's just me.

Flossmoor Station has some nice brews. I especially like their Chessie Cherry Wheat Ale, but their Pullman Nut Brown Ale is excellent too. And their brewpub is really cool. Highly recommend a stop in.

You don't have any Two Brothers beers on your list. They've got quite a few really nice beers too. Cane & Ebel is a really nice rye. Love it. Their brewhouse in Aurora, IL is phenomenal. It's like guy heaven.

I'm not a huge fan of Bell's beers. I think their Oberon is their best one. Hopslam was a really big disappointment for me.

Good luck scoring some New Glarus beers.

Schlafly in STL is a favorite of mine, but I have a strong bias since a couple friends/family who were "let go" during inbev's purchase of A-B are there now. Their oatmeal stout, heffe and dry hopped APA are pretty tasty. If you can get a six of their "special release" IPA that they make a couple times a year, do.

Boulevard has a good wheat but other than that they're pretty boring with the exception of their smokestack series.

Where are you going to be?

New Glarus out of WI has some great beers.
Surly out of Minnesota is spectacular - but isn't even distributed across MN.

thanks for the tips guys. I was in Milwaukee and Chicago. I stopped at a liquor store in each state and got as much as I could. Since my list was so long, I was trying to get single to create my own sixer, but there just weren't that many beers. Three Floyds was really disappointing and could only get a few bombers and almost every seasonal was not available. I walked by the two brothers beers a lot of times, but didn't pick any up. I was really hoping to grab craft packs instead of sixer so I could maximimze my sampling experience, but it seems that most of these breweries didn't do one.

My wife got everything on her list: cherise, raspberry tart and the cherry one from New Glarus. Now the hard part begins as I wait for my buddy to come out on his hunting trip and deliver the beers to me. Thanks for the recommendations guys.

tante said:

My wife got everything on her list: cherise, raspberry tart and the cherry one from New Glarus. Now the hard part begins as I wait for my buddy to come out on his hunting trip and deliver the beers to me. Thanks for the recommendations guys.

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while I don't normally like beer and fruit combinations - the New Glarus stuff is really great.

tante said:

thanks for the tips guys. I was in Milwaukee and Chicago. I stopped at a liquor store in each state and got as much as I could. Since my list was so long, I was trying to get single to create my own sixer, but there just weren't that many beers. Three Floyds was really disappointing and could only get a few bombers and almost every seasonal was not available. I walked by the two brothers beers a lot of times, but didn't pick any up. I was really hoping to grab craft packs instead of sixer so I could maximimze my sampling experience, but it seems that most of these breweries didn't do one.

My wife got everything on her list: cherise, raspberry tart and the cherry one from New Glarus. Now the hard part begins as I wait for my buddy to come out on his hunting trip and deliver the beers to me. Thanks for the recommendations guys.

Click to expand...

I kinda notice this around Chicago,Its possible it was because of college not being in session also for availabiltiy,I seen nothing but some ageing stringer bombers sitting on the shelf with 3 floydes. And zero six packs to be found anywhere.
Next time go to the East dubuque family liquor store In Northeast IA,you pretty much can grab and swap almost anything you want and have tons of bombers.No floydes .Lots of variety though.There not real great on seasonals reallyalso but have nice variety.

besides two hearted, a must have, I MEAN MUST HAVE is Ninja VS Unicorn. If you can get it. If not visit Pipeworks. Thier on north western ave in Chicago I think. For the exact location Google Pipeworks Brewery. This beer is totally Awesome. If you cant get up there then call them and see what liquor stores have them. Binnys in Chicago might have them in stock. This beer always sells out, so good luck. Two Brothers ahh, its ok. There is the old location which is in Warrenville. They have a nice restaurant, sell beer, (in the bar and in the brewshop). The location in Aurora use to be Walter Peytons Roundhouse. Its a much nicer facility, but I am not sure they brew there. I like thier hopjuice.

I feel like it's getting harder and harder to get 3 floyds anymore. I am not sure if they cut back on distribution, but it is definitely noticeable.

Tell me about it,I thought there was something weird. After getting raped on tolls to get close to Chicago,my main intention was more to pick 3floydes up,not to see one single six pack in the coolers, but some random dusty aged bombers unbought from ealier seasons and ocassional semi-seasonals. Must not be much demand with the older locals.Or they simply went elsewhere to distribute. I know gumball was gone same day it was brought in usually.I got lucky to try it when I did,and even was told so by the cashier when I was purchaseing it when I did last year.