This Week's Beer News: Welcome Homewood
Powered by marching band covers of Juice WRLD songs
The big story in Chicagoland beer this week happened about 30 miles directly south of downtown, where the long-awaited Homewood Brewing Company finally opened their doors.
Built from the ground up by Carmela Wallace, mother of the late Juice WRLD, HBC is a tribute to her son and the musician (given name: Jarad) who passed in 2019. The beermaking side of the business is handled by Jarad’s brother, Brian, and if you’ve been following the social updates we’ve been sharing on Fridays, it is a very cool looking facility.
Craft Brewing Business wrote about the opening of Homewood Brewing Company, as did the Daily Southtown, Fox-32 Chicago, and ABC-7. Even WTTW-TV covered the opening.
And it’s not every brewery opening that opens its doors with a marching band performance.
Now that Homewood is open, we wish them the best of luck, especially since proceeds from the brewpub will support Live Free 999, a charity that Carmela founded “following her son’s death to support programs addressing mental health and addiction,” per WTTW.
We have at least one other big opening on the horizon that we’re hoping to see before the end of the year: Suncatcher Brewing appears to be getting pretty close to an opening date at their west side space near Humboldt Park. We’ll keep you posted.
Until then … have you shared a post of ours lately? You should!
This Block Club story about the efforts to remove a “dry precinct” status in Ravenswood is interesting enough on its own, but I was surprised by the neighborhood’s random connection to beer baron Augustus Busch that popped up about halfway through. Worth a read.
For Chicago Magazine, I got to write about a few beers hitting taplines and cans in November, including offerings from Guinness Chicago and is/was brewing.
Eater Chicago covered the announcement of Temperance’s closing, as did Evanston Now.
The Naperville Sun featured Miskatonic Brewing’s Craft Kitchen.
PorchDrinking chatted with Duneyyr Fermenta in advance of their third anniversary.
The Daily Herald covered the reopening of Stockholm’s Restaurant & Brewery after suffering a fire in July.
WQAD-TV and the State Journal-Register covered Obed & Isaac’s efforts to support Hurricane Helene victims through their Appalachia Strong IPA.
The News-Gazette features Urbana’s 25 O’Clock Brewing Company.
Indy Today delivers a comprehensive guide to the city’s breweries, and the Scarlet Lane Brewing entry taught me something about Indianapolis TV’s horror host history, too.
In Fort Dodge, River Hops Brewing has new owners in the form of these 20-year homebrewers.
Hour Detroit looks back at the city’s beer history starting with Stroh’s and moving into the modern craft beer era.
WDET is celebrating its 75th year on the air with a special beer made by Batch Brewing.
Now available at One Well Brewing in Kalamazoo: Duckpin bowling.
With a few days left in Sober October, NA beers from Go Brewing are on store shelves at Meijer.
If you’re flying in or out of GRR some time in the future, plan a stop at the new Bell’s Brewery outpost on Concourse B.
Star-Tribune subscribers get to learn what 13 new beers they loved at the city’s recent Autumn Brew Review.
Former Fair State brewer Niko Tonks has a new side project called Double Elbow.
Side Project Cellar is celebrating ten years with a full week of events in November.
I’m seeing a lot of talk about using kernza in beer lately. Case in point: NPR’s Science Friday chatted with STL’s Blue Jay Brewing about it this week.
The Dayton Daily News profiled the family behind Bock Family Brewing.
The strike by Molson Coors Union machinists is over. More here.
Louie’s Resurrection, a barrel-aged amber ale, is being released by Milwaukee Brewing Company for the first time since 2021 and the first time since the brand was taken over by Eagle Park.
Copper State Brewing Company made the news … because it got hit by a truck.
Wisconsin Public Radio had the first story I saw about this: “Minocqua Brewing Company owner arrested on criminal defamation charges”
Two Marquette alumni from Broken Bat Brewery and Gathering Place Brewing came together to create a beer called Ring Out Ahoya, “a lager created by alumni for alumni.” The beer’s name is also the school’s fight song.
The Milwaukee Record's Meet a Brewery column features Rob Brennan of Supermoon Beer Company.
A fire in Rice Lake destroyed Agonic Brewing and three other businesses.
The first Wisconsin location for Pennsylvania’s Voodoo Brewing will open soon in Delafield.
Leinie’s will bring back their Big Eddy stout for the first time in a decade this year.
Vinepair announced a series of Next Wave Awards, which honored San Diego-based GOAL Brewing’s Derek Gallanosa as Brewer of the Year, Albuquerque’s Bow & Arrow as Brewery of the Year and The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling as Nonprofit of the Year.
Abita Brewing announced plans to open a second brewing facility in New Orleans next year.
MolsonCoors is finishing up a modernization project at the 150-year-old Coors Brewery in Arvada, CO.
Most-clicked link in last week’s email: The vast majority of you clicked through to our full GABF medal recap and roundup on the GDB site. Thanks for reading!
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