Koval Distillery: An Intriguing Look at the Similarities between Beer and Whiskey
Written by Heidi Osmundsen (Edited by Kelly Hueseman)
Chicago, IL — Always in search of a new adventure in our favorite city, the Brewery Tourist and I headed to the north side of Chicago in January 2012 for a distillery tour and whiskey tasting in honor of our buddy Blake’s 30th birthday. Koval Distillery is located in the Ravenswood neighborhood and as the first boutique distillery in the city of Chicago, Koval produces all organic products, including handcrafted white whiskey, aged whiskey, eaux de vie, liqueurs and vodka.
Two Brothers Brewing Company was founded by Jim and Jason Ebel in late 1996. The business was envisioned by the brothers based on their entry into entrepreneurship with The Brewer’s Coop, a retail store catering to home beer and wine making. In 1993 The Brewer’s Coop opened its doors in Naperville, IL selling retail ingredients and equipment for the homebrewing community.
The more they were surrounded by brewing, the more passionate they became about opening their own microbrewery. In early 1996 they decided to take the plunge and start writing a business plan. Several months later their dream became reality. Two Brothers Brewing Company is still 100% family owned.
Two Brothers Brewing Company website
Two Brothers in located in a non-descript industrial complex in Warrenville, Illinois, just a little west of my hometown. Their beers are conveniently sold at Costco in cost-effective 24-packs for only $24. A buck a beer cannot be beat!
Why It’s Named … is an ongoing feature about the stories behind brewery names
When Ben presented the opportunity to join with him to help Finch’s Beer Company become a reality, Paul realizing Ben’s passion for the craft brewing industry saw it as an opportunity to do something fun and different. This endeavor has opened his horizons to great craft beers and the great community of craft brewers.
Finch’s Beer Co. website referring to its owners, Benjamin and Paul Finch
Paul is actually Ben’s father, not the putt-putt lovin’ Paul Finch from the American Pie movies. Finch’s is a promising up-and-coming craft brewer in Chicago. I have tasted their product on many occasions and have never had reason to complain.
Why It’s Named … is an ongoing feature about the stories behind brewery names
As a follow-up to the post I wrote about the debut of Goose Island 312 cans, check out this unofficial promotional video created to celebrate their launch. Gotta love the Hall & Oates!
Brewing My Own Beer – Part 1
By Matt Osmundsen
Chicago, IL — Even though I’ve toured many breweries and listened to various tour guides explain the brewing process, I have never actually brewed beer myself. I wanted to, but my excuses have ranged from “I don’t have room for the equipment” to “I don’t have the time” to “I’ll probably screw it up”. BevArt Brewer & Winemaker Supply addressed all of my concerns and left me with no excuse.
Why It’s Named … Half Acre
Chicago beer aficionados surely know and love the delicious brews cranked out by the Half Acre Brewing Company on the north side of the city. What they probably don’t know is why it’s named Half Acre.
Here is the official word straight from the founder, Gabriel Magliaro:
In concept: The Half Acre is anywhere you can grab some peace and quiet, an opportunity to step back, a chance to sit and enjoy a beer and not do the other things that keep us occupied for so many of our waking hours.
How the concept came to be: I grew up in a very small town along the Delaware River by the name of Lambertville, NJ. This is where George Washington made his fateful crossing to shanghai the Red Coats and claim our independence. He camped right behind my family’s property. Across the bridge in Bucks County, PA, just slightly north, is an even smaller town named Devil’s Half Acre. Devil’s Half Acre is literally a half-acre of land with a bar on it. That’s it, that’s the town. It was built and illegally run when the canals along the Delaware River were being dug to give the men a place to go when done with work so they could drink some beer, relax and take stock before going home and being with family. A town for this exact purpose. It was dubbed Devil’s Half Acre because some men would stay too long, drink too much and fights would break out. Inevitably some men would be killed and buried on that same Half Acre of land. With all things, there is a line where a good thing morphs into something else.
We brought the Half Acre here, as for the Devil, well I suppose he’s here, too.
Heavy stuff. For more info about Devil’s Half Acre, Pennsylvania, check out Wikipedia.
Source: In Your Guts: Why The Half Acre?
Why It’s Named … is an ongoing feature about the stories behind brewery names
Source: inyourguts.blogspot.com
Link Spotlight: Pipeworks Kickstarts a Brewery
You might have heard of Kickstarter.com, a website that allows people to post their own project and try to collect the funds needed to “kickstart” it. In return, these funders receive some kind of reward. Some enterprising individuals in Chicago, Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis, used Kickstarter to raise money to start their very own brewery, the Pipeworks Brewing Company.
Since I’m a huge fan of craft beers and supporting local breweries—especially in my hometown Chicago—I gladly chipped in. As an added bonus, I earned the right to attend a tour of their brewery once it’s up and running.
Pipeworks’ Kickstarter campaign was a smashing success collecting over $40,000 in contributions. I’m very much looking forward to touring Pipeworks and sharing my experience here. Good luck, Beejay and Gerrit! (And please hurry up … I’m thirsty!)
Visit … http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pipeworks/pipeworks-brewing-chicago-small-batches-big-beers
For more brewery-related links, please check out the LINKS page.
Goose Island Brewery Tour
By Matt Osmundsen
Chicago, IL — I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and later moved to the north side of the city after college. Because of my hometown roots, Goose Island Brewery holds a special place in my heart.
Goose Island has three main locations in Chitown. First is their main production facility on Fulton Street. (This is where the magic happens!) Second is a brewpub on Clark Street in the heart of Wrigleyville. (Great place to meet up before, after, or before and after a Chicago Cubs baseball game.) Third is their original brewpub and small-batch testing facility on Clybourn Avenue in Lincoln Park. (The brewery tour is given here.)
