This Week's Beer News: Cheers to the STC Six
...and so long, EBC
Some good news and bad news to launch a new week in beer:
The good news:
The Aurora Beacon News reported on this year’s charitable efforts of the STC Six, aka six breweries in the St. Charles area that are coming together to do some good: 93 Octane Brewery, Alter Brewing + Kitchen, Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium, D&G Brewing, Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling and Riverlands Brewing. More available via the Daily Herald as well.
They’re teaming up this summer to brew a beer for the group Support Over Stigma, “a local non-profit that provides essential services for military personnel, veterans and first responders to help them overcome the mental health and service-related challenges they encounter.”
There’s even a nice looking website for the group built by the St. Charles Business Alliance. It’s nice to see some reporting on breweries teaming up that doesn’t involve a “strategic partnership” or an outright acquisition. And it’s another good reminder that beer in the Tri-Cities area has come a long way since I was stuck drinking Old Styles at the Filling Station a few decades back. Cheers all around.
And some bad news…
Elmhurst Brewing Company shared some sad news via email and Facebook yesterday saying:
“It is with heavy hearts that after 8 years of owning 171 N. Addison, and 7 years of operating Elmhurst Brewing inside, that we are announcing we have sold to another brewery.”
Their final day in business will be Sunday, June 29. Sorry to see EBC go, but we’re glad to know that another beermaker is already on deck to step into the location. When we learn who’s taking over the space, we’ll let you know. Until then, a reminder has been set for us to update our Chicagoland Craft Beer Map.
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The city of Homewood gave Rabid Brewing the shaft when it comes to a new property for a brewery, according to this story.
Job alert: Phase Three is looking for a Director of Sales and Distribution.
Craft Brewing Business shared the press release for the new Maplewood Brewing taproom and kitchen space, if you hadn’t seen it yet.
Tinley Park’s Ale Trail Trolley is back in operation now through August.
The WJCB 100th Anniversary beer made by Lil’ Beaver Brewing is now available throughout central IL.
Shaw Local shared a story featuring breweries you can visit in Starved Rock Country including Coal Creek Brewing and Ginger Road.
Broadway in Indianapolis partnered with Sun King to brew two beers for the local return of the musical Wicked: A blonde ale with raspberry called “Popular” and a sour apple ale called “Defying Gravity.” Hold space for these two beverages.
This year’s Yield of Dreams lager is back from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and Confluence Brewing, made with bushels of corn from 18 Iowa corn farmers.
Scott Graham, executive director at the Michigan Brewers Guild, talked to Detroit’s WXYZ about the further impact that more aluminum tariffs could have.
Second Wave Media has an interesting story about Benchmark Beverage Co., owners of Roak Brewing and Dark Horse Brewing Company, about the expansions that are going on at both breweries and the heritage lager they’re planning to revive.
In Howell, the unfortunately named Eternity Brewing Company announced that it’d close at the end of this month unless someone wants to buy the place.
Beers from Ferndale Project are now available statewide.
We mentioned Odd Side’s new location announcement in Friday’s social updates and now Crain’s Grand Rapids clarifies that it’s going to be a coffee shop in the AM and afternoon, and then a taproom in the evening.
In decidedly unexciting news, Yuengling announced plans to start distributing beer in Michigan and I look forward to a full summer of coverage that looks exactly like what we just saw in the runup to the Illinois launch. Yawn.
Minnesota Monthly has a very cool story about some of the state’s most historic taverns, and covers the revived Waldmann Brewery, which was revived in 2017 after being closed for 154 years.
Fulton Brewing is helping to celebrate the back-to-back championships won by the Minnesota Frost with a “drinkable tribute” to the dynasty.
In Paynesville, Koronis Brewing is now open.
Royal Docks Brewing Company recently announced that their taproom and kitchen in Canton would be closed due to “an unexpected and deeply troubling legal dispute stemming from a failed business relationship with a prospective investor." The story says that the locks were changed and it looks like their website is still down. Yikes.
Rumors are still swirling about a potential move to the suburbs for the Great Lakes Brewing Company production facility.
OnlyInYourState.com says that Cleveland’s Collision Bend Brewing is “the Best Waterfront Dining in Ohio for Peak Summer Vibes.” The views are pretty awesome, even in non-peak-summer-vibe season, like it was when I visited on a very grey and rainy day a few years back:
After an absence of 20 years, Allagash Brewing has returned to Ohio.
Isthmus has a really nice list of a dozen biergartens not to miss this summer. That photo of Tyranena Brewing’s outdoor space does look lovely.
Also at Isthmus, something I was just wondering about recently: What’s up with Copper Turtle, the Wisconsin brewpub from the former Only Child Brewing team? They liked it, calling it a gem - even if it sounds pretty tiny (“Describing it as a microbrewery makes it sound much larger than it is”).
Asahi commissioned a trade film commemorating the first brew of their Super Dry in Wisconsin’s Octopi plant. Worth checking out for a look inside the facility - and a cameo from former Goose Island brewer Jared Jankoski.
Beer and Brewer offers up a story about best practices for entering beer competitions. This line feels a bit ironic knowing that Sierra Nevada Pale Ale won “Best ESB” at the World Beer Cup: “[A] beer should be entered into the correct category according to the Style Guidelines specific to that competition. Judges often come across a superb beer only for it to be disqualified because it is not in the right category.”
Korea JoongAng Daily paid a visit to the Goose Island Seoul taproom and brewery, and honestly I’m quite interested in some of the beers being made there: “The real star of the show, the one that may receive a polarized reception from many, was the Dongchimi Gose. Featuring unorthodox ingredients such as radish, garlic, ginger, large green onion, chili pepper and pear, the beer is supposed to feel like drinking a dongchimi soup, made with a type of radish kimchi.”
Last week’s most-clicked link: Bon Appetit’s story about the best bars in Chicago.
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Very weird that they are listing D&G as one of the breweries for the STCSix. D&G closed back in May