FIB War Room

[Mugatu]

I've just been taking pictures in front of industrial buildings and titling them "LATEST PIPEWORKS RELEASE" are you implying that's unorthodox?

Well that my friend is genius. You may just be the next Tom Skilling of overhyped beers ...errrr weather storms

 

[tinypyramids1]

late to the mikerphone party, but i despise his marketing and branding and think the name 'mikerphone' sounds like something a 2 year old came up with, but all the beer i've had from him was at least worth trying and i hope he succeeds despite my dislike of his branding. at least i feel the branding is merely lame rather than actively offensive like the few breweries that basically only survive due to ****** misogynist marketing.

edit: i'm drunk. ps: 90 miles is a killer spot to crack a couple of beers and eat fish soup.

 

[lb304854]

Maple Tree in Blue Island had burnt ends as the special tonight and god damn if they weren't some of the best I've ever had. Between Blue Island Brewing, Maple Tree Inn, and Rock Island Public House, you can really make a night of it on that block.

 

[Mugatu]

Ditto about the lame marketing schtick but good beer

...also about 90 miles

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Every time I'm in MI I pass aisles of dusty Short's bottles in just about every liquor store. I picked up some very outdated Huma on two separate occasions last year.

Agree, as someone who travels to Traverse city on a regular basis it's sitting up there as well, I goto the pub when I'm up there but never buy bottles from a shelf.

 

[danbanana]

My review of Imperial Oak's Blood Orange-Coco BA'd Ragnarok:

Base beer is the kind of porter I wish more places did. BA'd version is very hot right now. But it did reveal to me that I'm only a few miles away from a distillery. No idea this place existed!

 

[lb304854]

Chitlords - a new term to use for Chicago beer traders. What do you guys think?

 

[trickytunadicky]

Chitlords - a new term to use for Chicago beer traders. What do you guys think?

Amd Chitdicks

 

[Hopping Tiger]

Daft Funk is awesome. Still can be found and is a worthy tick. Smells like horseshit but tastes amazing.

 

[Mugatu]

Daft Funk is awesome. Still can be found and is a worthy tick. Smells like horseshit but tastes amazing.

Please message me the location where you can find daft funk

 

[thewimperoo]

Please message me the location where you can find daft funk

Ardmore in Villa Park still has like every Mikerphone beer and pretty much every other local beer from the last year. Place is a beer graveyard.

 

[danbanana]

Ardmore in Villa Park still has like every Mikerphone beer and pretty much every other local beer from the last year. Place is a beer graveyard.

I will shop at that place once every few months and every time I go in, it gets even more overcrowded. The giant pile of cases in the middle of the store, stacks of them at the end caps, bottles on the floor in front of the shelves... I have no idea what sort of inventory management they use but it sucks.

 

[IronDave]

Amazingly the place was far less organized before they reconfigured the store. The first time I went there I asked for a beer, the guy starts digging into boxes on the floor and in the back. "Is this it?" "No." "Is this it?" "No."

 

[Gonzoillini1]

My review of Imperial Oak's Blood Orange-Coco BA'd Ragnarok:

Base beer is the kind of porter I wish more places did. BA'd version is very hot right now. But it did reveal to me that I'm only a few miles away from a distillery. No idea this place existed!

Yea that is a pretty apt description of the beer, and while I wish they would've gone a bit lighter on the juice, it nailed the flavor profile they were going for. Wish you would've hung around for a bit as you missed the 55 person bus that pulled up around 3:30 pm and the ambulance fire truck combo for the person who collapsed around 5:30pm.

 

[fear0251]

Chitlords - a new term to use for Chicago beer traders. What do you guys think?

We should have some poker chips made up that say "lord" or "chitlord" on them, and hand them out to people at beer events.

 

[danbanana]

http://www.porchdrinking.com/articles/2016/02/01/inside-the-tank-off-color-brewings-john-laffler/

Now all of a sudden people out East people are literally throwing flour into their beers to get cloudy beers because that’s now the sign of quality. It’s a sign of “quality” because it has an imperfection in it. It’s just a bunch of ********.

We only filter our pilsner. We’re not intentionally trying to create haze. Troublesome is hazy because there’s yeast in it. Apex is hazy because it’s rustic – it is what it is. We’re not intentionally doing it.

Laffler FTW.

 

[afternoondelight]

Seriously! I don't get why Arlington Heights or Schaumburg doesn't already have a well established brewery.

Don't forget about Granite City in Schaumburg. Place is packed every night as they have a decent menu. Mainly posting this to repost one of my favorite reviews from the other site:

Granite City Batch 1000

"If you were looking for a double IPA that does absolutely nothing for hopheads except leave a vague ghostly hop cloud in your mouth, head down to your local Granite City (TM), flip open to their "Beer-Flavored Water Drinks" section, and order up a cold glass of Batch 1000. The fine folks that work there will describe to you exactly what your suppose to taste, so when you buy your 30 dollar Granite City (TM) take-home growler, you can explain to your landlord why the rent's going to be a few days late."

texecutive, Nov 17, 2014

I'd love to have a beer with this guy. Just not at Granite City.

 

[LSMroz]

Don't forget about Granite City in Schaumburg. Place is packed every night as they have a decent menu. Mainly posting this to repost one of my favorite reviews from the other site:

Granite City Batch 1000

"If you were looking for a double IPA that does absolutely nothing for hopheads except leave a vague ghostly hop cloud in your mouth, head down to your local Granite City (TM), flip open to their "Beer-Flavored Water Drinks" section, and order up a cold glass of Batch 1000. The fine folks that work there will describe to you exactly what your suppose to taste, so when you buy your 30 dollar Granite City (TM) take-home growler, you can explain to your landlord why the rent's going to be a few days late."

texecutive, Nov 17, 2014

I'd love to have a beer with this guy. Just not at Granite City.

Been there once. Decent for a date night with the wife. Asked for a sample of the 2 beers that sounded interesting. Didn't order a beer with the meal.

RAM is also a great date night, but again might have 1 or 2 beers that I'd want to pay for. I hear their stuff is getting better and their CHAOS was suppose to be good. But it's still a chain brewery that doesn't really get craft beer.

 

[mdomask]

Seriously! I don't get why Arlington Heights or Schaumburg doesn't already have a well established brewery.

Property costs and zoning issues?

Guessing there's a reason Tighthead and Finch's are in Mundelein and Long Grove. And the production breweries in Chicago (GI, Rev, Half Acre, PW, Off Color) are all in semi-industrial areas...

 

[mjohnson171]

Property costs and zoning issues?

For Arlington Heights I'd also guess our weird alcohol statutes are probably a pain in the ass to navigate around. For example you can't sell anything togo in 12oz or less containers all because people thought that would curb bums from drinking on the Metra platform. All it did was make beer releases a pain in the ass for liquor stores and clients because they can't split up 4 or 6 packs to sell individual bottles.

On the plus side if I ever want 120 Minute I can but it in 4packs for like $75

 

[LSMroz]

you can't sell anything togo in 12oz or less containers all because people thought that would curb bums from drinking on the Metra platform.

Wait? Srsly? What bum would pass up buying a 40 and get a 12ozer instead?!

 

[mjohnson171]

Wait? Srsly? What bum would pass up buying a 40 and get a 12ozer instead?!

I know, right. Apparently our bums are bougie and only sip Black Note and 2 day old ZD.

 

[Lansman]

I know, right. Apparently our bums are bougie and only sip Black Note and 2 day old ZD.

I thought that description applied only to the magical land of Dekalb. <Mind blown.gif>

 

[Ferowcious]

http://www.porchdrinking.com/articles/2016/02/01/inside-the-tank-off-color-brewings-john-laffler/


Laffler FTW.

Is he referencing Treehouse/Other Half/Trillium?

This seems like a new revelation.

 

[trickytunadicky]

Is he referencing Treehouse/Other Half/Trillium?

This seems like a new revelation.

Who Farted.

 

[Alum]

That Off Color read was genuinely honest and kinda refreshing to see.

 

[Hopping Tiger]

I wish Off Color would open a taproom. I think they would do a great job with one.

 

[lb304854]

I wish Off Color would open a taproom. I think they would do a great job with one.

Why when they have Northdown?

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Why when they have Northdown?

Was thinking the exact same thing, let Kate deal with the issues of running a bar and they get to concentrate on brewing and growing the brand.

 

[Lansman]

Was thinking the exact same thing, let Kate deal with the issues of running a bar and they get to concentrate on brewing and growing the brand.

Just wish they would move away from 12 Percent Imports. Ridiculous markup on their beer from these guys hurts their sales outside the Chicago market, which could stifle growth long-term. Remember seeing bottles of Apex Predator for over $3 each out in the PNW. Ridiculous.