How JBeer Happened, with Ray Stout of the ICBG
Plus beer events and socials!
The Democratic National Convention is the biggest political event to happen in Chicago in decades, so if there’s a craft beer angle to that gathering, we’re going to cover it. Last week, we found that angle in the form of JBeer, two different beers from two Chicagoland breweries that’ll be pouring at DNC events hosted by Governor JB Pritzker.
How’d they make that happen? Ray Stout, executive director of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, chatted with us about just that.
While the ICBG works with the Governor's office on efforts related to beverage legislation, this time the Pritzker campaign team came to them for help in creating these two beers. “They approached us pretty early on in the process … the role we played is educating them on how to have this idea come to fruition. And obviously recruiting the breweries,” Stout said.
Originally the plan was to have a single brewery produce a JB-affiliated beer, but Stout pitched them on opening it up to two breweries, which the campaign team went for. The selection process was basically about the personalities of the two breweries, per Stout.
“I thought long and hard about who to pick and the reasons why I brought them forward ... They’re both board members of the [ICBG], and they both have ample production and canning capabilities, they make great beer and they have two pretty interesting stories to tell from their ownership groups.”
“Alter Brewing has spent a lot of its community relations time in brewing beer that benefits soldiers facing PTSD and first responders, and I thought that their brand would play well with the Pritzker campaign because he stands behind all those things,” Stout explained. “And Sketchbook is a family business and a woman-owned business — Cesar [Marron; head brewery and managing partner] is also an immigrant to the US; he’s originally from Brazil.”
“It’s just a great microcosm of what makes Illinois a really great place,” Stout says.
Attendees will be drinking two different styles of JBeer: A Mexican lager (from Alter) and a West Coast IPA (from Sketchbook), both of which “hit the nail on the head with accessibility and not scaring people away with over-hoppiness,” Stout says, noting that the WCIPA JBeer is particularly easy drinking — and that Pritzker himself suggested the name for the beers.1
These beers will be served at Pritzker-hosted events and also in select areas of the United Center during the convention itself, which required “a pretty significant amount” of production between the two breweries, per Stout.2 All politics aside (“As the Guild team, we’re not team red or blue; we’re Team Beer,” he says) it’s all about creating opportunities for Illinois-brewed craft beer to take its place on a national stage.
“Craft beer is something that’s incredibly local and incredibly unique to each individual state,” says Stout. “I think the acknowledgement from the Governor’s office and the desire to showcase something that we do incredibly well is a testament to where the industry is.”
This Weekend:
Tonight, Spiteful Brewing’s Cheeseburger And a Pair of Dice event returns after a four-year hiatus! And for the first time ever, they’re hosting it at their own space. It looks like tickets are still available.
You can also head to Solemn Oath’s Chicago taproom for their 4th annual Clean Sweep Can Derby, aka a pinewood derby with plenty of beers.
They’ve been in soft open mode for a minute but Saturday sees the official opening of the is/was brewing taproom - and they’re celebrating the brewery’s 5th anniversary. Stop by if only to see a place that has ten saisons on draft.
August 17th sees the return of the Oak Park Microbrew Review, now in its 17th year. Golden birthday!
Later This Month:
Monk’s Pub is teaming up with Illuminated Brew Works for a DNC-centric tap takeover on the 21st, featuring some very appropriately-named beers: Dog & Pony Show, Gay Agenda, Trust and Slushy Thing #7: The Watergate Salad Affair.
On the 23rd head to Nik & Ivy to help celebrate their 4th Anniversary.
MobCraft Woodstock is hosting their own WeirdFest on the 24th with some appropriately weird beers.
Head to Milwaukee on September 7th for this year’s Pilot Project Fest, featuring over two dozen beer and beverage makers.
Is your brewery, beer bar or bottleshop hosting an Oktoberfest celebration soon? Want to be added to the list we’re building? Email me and I’ll get you on there.
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Still no opening date yet, but we’re digging the clean design on these Homewood Brewing crowler labels.
As they wind down their operations, Windmill Brewing put the portrait of their brewery cat Luther up for sale on Ebay. Current bid: $510.
Just noting that Village Tap put Begyle’s gold-medal-winning 2018 BA Imperial Pajamas on tap recently, in case you want to go try one of the best barrel aged stouts produced by a Chicago brewery. (I assume it’s still pouring.)
Ever tried a barrel-aged dunkel? Kinslahger is here to help with that and also help you try both marzen and festbier in the same place.
Job alert: Modist Brewing is looking for a sales & marketing manager, P3 is looking for a brand manager in Wisconsin and Hopewell is hunting for a PT delivery driver.
Goldfinger has added a “pizza ordering kiosk” to their taproom for Dan’s Pizza, while Orange & Brew also has their own “Dan Phone” as well.
Omega Yeast now has Mr. Beef/The Bear inspired merch … and new ownership as they announced that they’d been acquired by AB Mauri North America this week.
Brut IPA is dead? Not at Demo Brewing where their Grain Champagne is now on draft.
Half Acre’s new BBA stout has vanilla, marshmallow and … sea salt? I’m into it.
Fall beer update: Lakefront’s pumpkin lager and o’fest are out, as is Roaring Table’s o’fest. Kishwaukee Brewing is also ready to party.
Premium Subscribers might remember a little over a month ago when they were the first to hear about Three Floyds Distilling’s Warspite; looks like it just hit store shelves this week.
Sorry to have missed two recent ten-year anniversary celebrations from Plank Road Tap Room and Crystal Lake Brewing!
Corridor Brewery will be giving away a pair of GA passes to Riot Fest on Monday.
Yes, that really was an inflatable pink elephant at The Hopleaf earlier this week.
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Thank you all for being here! Have a great weekend.
~Karl
If anyone wants a suggestion for other DNC drinks, might I recommend mixing 1oz Aperol, 1oz Malort and prosecco to make a JB Spritzker? … I’ll see myself out.
I reached out to both breweries to ask for production numbers. Alter Brewing marketing manager Adam Hooczko estimated that their JBeer production was roughly 20bbls; Sketchbook did not respond by press time.