FIB War Room

[SSTroller]

I think the breweries are coming into the market now, and trying to fight for shelf / tap space with mediocre products are not going to cut it in 3-5 years. But places that don't distribute, produce good to better beer, and satisfy their local area with a good atmosphere and fun place to relax / drink will thrive in the coming years. Every local municipality with 15K+ people can support a small 3-7bbl brewery catering to that area's demand / clientele.

I hope we will see more of this. I fell in love with Imp Oak on my first visit, and wish newer breweries would follow their model. Pumping out plenty of new beers every week with almost all of them being pretty damn good and not relying on adjuncts and gimmicks.
And for the love of god, can we get more them to adopt Crowlers! And to fill ******* 750mL swing tops.

Also call it what you will, but Zombie Dust fits the bill for the IPA / DIPA with hype you are mentioning. Or at least it did before the upgrade to the new system.

I swear ZD keeps getting clearer and clearer.

And I know you can't consider this to be regular production, but at the last Transient release, Chris was pouring a pale ale that I believe is what BobCobb is targeting. Using a yeast that the NorEastern guys use to get that OJ-like appearance and super juicy aroma. It needs a little tweaking to get the flavors right, but I thought the aromatics were on point. I hope to see that one appear again/often.

 

[middlebrow]

guys....green line is being bottled. discussion over.

joking aside, marz, temperance, brickstone & spiteful can make some tasty hoppy treats not previously mentioned. not quite hyped but damned if i dont enjoy em.

 

[Lognar]

Probably the wrong forum, but I think there is still a lot of growth potential for on premise / brewpub / non distributing entities who are comfortable working within that niche.

I think the breweries are coming into the market now, and trying to fight for shelf / tap space with mediocre products are not going to cut it in 3-5 years. But places that don't distribute, produce good to better beer, and satisfy their local area with a good atmosphere and fun place to relax / drink will thrive in the coming years. Every local municipality with 15K+ people can support a small 3-7bbl brewery catering to that area's demand / clientele.

I wholeheartedly with this agree based on my wife and I's habits. We are perfectly content with Miskatonic, Imperial Oak, and now Alter all close to us in Downers Grove. The consistent crowds and diverse age demographic at these breweries all speak to the growth potential I think.

If we are drinking beer at home bought locally and it's not something "special" it's been largely something from Revolution, or High Life, but if we want to go somewhere and drink beers it's one of the 3 breweries I listed above - and over the last 6 months they've gotten significantly more money from us than any brewery whose beers we bought off the shelf.

When we were visiting family in far Northern Wisconsin (Eagle River) this summer even they had a brewery in their town. The beers were not all that good/to my liking, but the place was busy and my relatives said it is consistently so. So, I think there might be a "my local brewery" factor to the potential of "on premise / brewpub / non distributing entities who are comfortable working within that niche" with "every local municipality with 15K+ people can support a small 3-7bbl brewery catering to that area's demand / clientele."

 

[furley]

Bonus Post: Who would win in a fight: Frog or Toad?

am i high right now?

are we talking about the children's story?

 

[mdomask]

I do agree this forum is not representative of the average craft drinker, let alone the average beer drinker. But I think over the next several years, the number of beer drinkers who continue the shift closer to being goons like us will increase significantly. And so if they walk into a bar that is predominantly GI and mediocre AB "craft" brands (whether they know it or not), it's not going to be a place that they stay long, or to which they return.

For that to work, AB somehow needs to keep these people fooled that whatever they have on there is basically representative of craft / the best it has to offer. Or it just caters to hardcore Bud / Bud Heavy drinkers who want a slight change of pace every so often.

I think they already have people fooled, given that people seem to genuinely think of Shock Top as a "high quality craft beer" or some such nonsense. Or GI's "we just have to be the best beer" tagline. It doesn't need to be true; people just need to believe it's true

Is this true? Average bar gets a few kegs of BCBS and variants, if any. Might give a bump in traffic on food and other drink during a release, but have a tough time thinking it is terribly impactful when looking at annual numbers. Kind of akin to how some describe the modest impact of BCBS vis a vis the remainder of GI's (let alone AB InBev's) entire portfolio. I suppose this could change if BCBS were to become a year-round beer.

I guess my thought was these captive bars would also get migration events and more consistent access to BCS. Shift away from a more even distribution model to something where a few favored places in each city tend to somehow always get it.

 

[mdomask]

I find contract brewing more interesting as an operations management / utilization thing than as a quality-of-beer thing. I suppose that it could allow more experimentation of sorts that could not or would not otherwise happen among the risk averse, and hopefully some better beer from that.

I find contract brewing interesting because of all the directions it can go. Want to start a brewery? Contract can get you up and running fast... with the advantage of experts who know how to scale that homebrew recipe to production levels and consultants who can help you get through all the regulatory stuff.

Want to expand a brewery or start offering things like cans? Contract can do that, with experts who get the recipe right on the first try, already have a canning line (while yours gets set up), and can help you smooth out any bumps in production while new equipment gets installed.

Want a "house beer" for your regional/national chain? Or a themepark (like Duff at Universal Florida)? Work with a contract brewer who not only does high quality work but also matches the beer to your signature dishes.

Basically, contract brewing has the potential to become a lot more ubiquitous than smaller breweries. Like that Midwest Grain Products place that sells whiskey to start-up distilleries. Or like Blommer Chocolate, who does the actual hard work of making chocolate for high-end chocolatiers.

 

[trickytunadicky]

I find contract brewing interesting because of all the directions it can go. Want to start a brewery? Contract can get you up and running fast... with the advantage of experts who know how to scale that homebrew recipe to production levels and consultants who can help you get through all the regulatory stuff.

Want to expand a brewery or start offering things like cans? Contract can do that, with experts who get the recipe right on the first try, already have a canning line (while yours gets set up), and can help you smooth out any bumps in production while new equipment gets installed.

Want a "house beer" for your regional/national chain? Or a themepark (like Duff at Universal Florida)? Work with a contract brewer who not only does high quality work but also matches the beer to your signature dishes.

Basically, contract brewing has the potential to become a lot more ubiquitous than smaller breweries. Like that Midwest Grain Products place that sells whiskey to start-up distilleries. Or like Blommer Chocolate, who does the actual hard work of making chocolate for high-end chocolatiers.

You forgot: have a band? Want to have a beer to go with it?

Ugh Point.

 

[Beerlistman]

guys....green line is being bottled. discussion over.

joking aside, marz, temperance, brickstone & spiteful can make some tasty hoppy treats not previously mentioned. not quite hyped but damned if i dont enjoy em.

You beat me to it. Fresh Brickstone to me is about as good as it gets hop wise.

 

[BobCobb1]

You beat me to it. Fresh Brickstone to me is about as good as it gets hop wise.

Just finished a sixer of Hop Skip and also enjoyed the APA.

For me, it comes down to this. I lived in New England for 4 years in the not-too-distant past, and I don't think I once wished I had regular access to what was coming out of Chicago in this style. I realize some may not care at all what's coming out of NE or elsewhere and/or think that Chicago offerings are comparable or better. Just not the case for me right now.

 

[afternoondelight]

For Chicago IIPA goodness you need to look no further than PWs. Square Grouper, Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom, Sure Bet - all world class IMO. I'm investing in my first Spotted Puffer today and heard/read good things.

 

[gtx281]

For me, it comes down to this. I lived in New England for 4 years in the not-too-distant past, and I don't think I once wished I had regular access to what was coming out of Chicago in this style. I realize some may not care at all what's coming out of NE or elsewhere and/or think that Chicago offerings are comparable or better. Just not the case for me right now.

The one thing from Tree House that struck me as pretty unique was their Curiosity series. Really nice and juicy.

Some of the others, comparable stuff all over Chicago. Haze? Standard DIPA. Lights On? Multiple pales that are just as good. Double Shot? Great stuff, yet Wig Splitter from FFF is close to the same caliber IMO. The difference is that there isn't a 1 hour growler line for Wig Splitter and you can buy it at your local.

 

[trickytunadicky]

For Chicago IIPA goodness you need to look no further than PWs. Square Grouper, Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom, Sure Bet - all world class IMO. I'm investing in my first Spotted Puffer today and heard/read good things.

Lizard King!

 

[afternoondelight]

So I'm "working offsite" at Lunar Brewing in Villa Park as I type. I've been meaning to try this place for too long and finally got around to it today. Three beers in - not a fan. I started with a doppel bock aged with cherries; smelled great and had a nice cherry note but a weird chemical taste ruined it. Next was a Citra cream ale, smells like musty gym socks and has a pretty weak flavor. Got a taste of their mainstay IPA Moondance. The only good thing I can say is it was free. Anyone else have a better or similar experience here?

 

[SSTroller]

While all these mentioned are fantastic, and I drink most of them weekly, I get where BobCobb is coming from. I can't think of many Chicago locals that compare to the hazy NE canned examples.

For Chicago IIPA goodness you need to look no further than PWs. Square Grouper, Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom, Sure Bet - all world class IMO. I'm investing in my first Spotted Puffer today and heard/read good things.

If these were canned and ABV reduced slightly, then yes. These at $12 after tax per bomber are just not "sustainable" for me.

 

[afternoondelight]

Lizard King!

Best pale in Chicago!

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Just finished a sixer of Hop Skip and also enjoyed the APA.

For me, it comes down to this. I lived in New England for 4 years in the not-too-distant past, and I don't think I once wished I had regular access to what was coming out of Chicago in this style. I realize some may not care at all what's coming out of NE or elsewhere and/or think that Chicago offerings are comparable or better. Just not the case for me right now.

People seem to forget though there was a lot of bad beer in NE just say over 5-6 years ago. I first went to VT in '96 and have been going twice a year for at least the last 6-7 years and it's a whole new ball game up there... But I've seen the change most people just assume it's been like that always...

 

[gregkoko]

People seem to forget though there was a lot of bad beer in NE just say over 5-6 years ago. I first went to VT in '96 and have been going twice a year for at least the last 6-7 years and it's a whole new ball game up there... But I've seen the change most people just assume it's been like that always...

Used to be all Magic Hat, White Birch, Rock Art, etc.

 

[PHBoiler]

Just finished a sixer of Hop Skip and also enjoyed the APA.

For me, it comes down to this. I lived in New England for 4 years in the not-too-distant past, and I don't think I once wished I had regular access to what was coming out of Chicago in this style. I realize some may not care at all what's coming out of NE or elsewhere and/or think that Chicago offerings are comparable or better. Just not the case for me right now.

Last Tuesday I was wrapping Christmas gifts and watching Christmas Vacation, next thing I knew I had put away Julius, Alter Ego, Eureka w/Citra, & Lights On. There's no way I kill 4 pint cans of anything else. Flavor profile, mouthfeel, balance, and juiciness are all head of the class. One of the biggest things that set them apart for me is also ABV. Same for HF in that regard. I can't think of any other places in the country pulling those flavors from 4% to 7% consistently.

Many of the beers mentioned locally are DIPAs produced a few times a year. While they are indeed great ala Square Grouper, that's not a viable alternative from availability or ABV.

I don't think this is a knock on the virtues of Spiteful IPA, Fist City, AntiHero, and others. There are plenty of tasty hoppy offerings available locally and consistently. They just aren't stop you in your tracks hoppy beers like ones I get from Tree House, Trillium, or HF. It would be interesting if someone opened a brewery locally to focus on hoppy beers and see if they could be done consistently at that high level here or if there's some regionality to the water source or whatever else. Some folks think they are easy to brew or that it is beneath them, and then I chuckle to myself when they produce hoppy offerings that are subpar. Guess it isn't that easy after all.

 

[trickytunadicky]

I can probably take this to the unpopular beliefs thread: Hill Farmstead is just okay.

 

[BobCobb1]

I can probably take this to the unpopular beliefs thread: Hill Farmstead is just okay.

You can take it to BA because you are banned.



I really just want to see the bizarro world BA thread about TB ban stories.

 

[BobCobb1]

I can probably take this to the unpopular beliefs thread: Hill Farmstead is just okay.

Joking aside, I think a blind taste of Chicago area offerings vs. HF and others would be interesting. Now that I do not have regular access to any of those any longer, it's possible the gap has narrowed quite a bit. I've certainly found that with other beers that were way ahead of the pack early on -- that they had not necessarily gotten worse, just many others had caught up in the interim. I don't think that would be the case here, but...

 

[trickytunadicky]

Joking aside, I think a blind taste of Chicago area offerings vs. HF and others would be interesting. Now that I do not have regular access to any of those any longer, it's possible the gap has narrowed quite a bit. I've certainly found that with other beers that were way ahead of the pack early on -- that they had not necessarily gotten worse, just many others had caught up in the interim. I don't think that would be the case here, but...

I am not a hop head, and I find what I have had of theirs is middle of the road. I lean towards citrus bombs, so the classic ZD/ Lizard King flavors are what I gravitate towards. It's been a while since I tried Sip of Sunshine from Lawsons to give that a fair shake, so I honestly think fresh and local are the way to go. What I got from around the corner and fresh is going to be better than an old pale from elsewhere any day. Old Pliny has to be one of the grossest things I have encountered.

Now I do think Chicago is more or less behind the 8 ball in the saison game. But even then there are plenty of other saisons at the park I enjoy playing with.

 

[mdomask]

Now I do think Chicago is more or less behind the 8 ball in the saison game. But even then there are plenty of other saisons at the park I enjoy playing with.

But, we have Metropolitan to put us ahead on the lager game.

 

[JRBecks]

So I'm "working offsite" at Lunar Brewing in Villa Park as I type. I've been meaning to try this place for too long and finally got around to it today. Three beers in - not a fan. I started with a doppel bock aged with cherries; smelled great and had a nice cherry note but a weird chemical taste ruined it. Next was a Citra cream ale, smells like musty gym socks and has a pretty weak flavor. Got a taste of their mainstay IPA Moondance. The only good thing I can say is it was free. Anyone else have a better or similar experience here?

I typically only go to Lunar for the guest taps

 

[afternoondelight]

While all these mentioned are fantastic, and I drink most of them weekly, I get where BobCobb is coming from. I can't think of many Chicago locals that compare to the hazy NE canned examples.

If these were canned and ABV reduced slightly, then yes. These at $12 after tax per bomber are just not "sustainable" for me.

I see your point on the basis of bomber price fatigue - hopefully PWs will get some of these babies on their canning line once they're fully established in the new place.

 

[SAISON FUCK]

I would like to bring to the discussion the amount of ICUs in Vermont IPAs vs. Chicago IPAs.

 

[SSTroller]

I see your point on the basis of bomber price fatigue - hopefully PWs will get some of these babies on their canning line once they're fully established in the new place.

But also, like PHBoiler mentioned too, drop that ABV a bit.

 

[ClCardinal84]

I am not a hop head, and I find what I have had of theirs is middle of the road. I lean towards citrus bombs, so the classic ZD/ Lizard King flavors are what I gravitate towards. It's been a while since I tried Sip of Sunshine from Lawsons to give that a fair shake, so I honestly think fresh and local are the way to go. What I got from around the corner and fresh is going to be better than an old pale from elsewhere any day. Old Pliny has to be one of the grossest things I have encountered.

Now I do think Chicago is more or less behind the 8 ball in the saison game. But even then there are plenty of other saisons at the park I enjoy playing with.

I had a fresh 4 pack of SoS this summer and nothing here compares to that, IMO. I was legit sad when I got to the bottom of the can because of how tropical and juicy it was. Lizard King is always my default buy in Chicago. Love that stuff so much.

 

[gtx281]

Last Tuesday I was wrapping Christmas gifts and watching Christmas Vacation, next thing I knew I had put away Julius, Alter Ego, Eureka w/Citra, & Lights On. There's no way I kill 4 pint cans of anything else.

 

[ChicagoGuy]

I would like to bring to the discussion the amount of ICUs in Vermont IPAs vs. Chicago IPAs.

?