This Week's Murder Mysteries, Beer Events & Socials
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Lots of breweries go big for Halloween, but not many breweries host a murder mystery and get their social media into it.
I want to recognize Crown Brewing in Crown Point, IN for “murdering” their bartender Jake, starting with this impressively well-produced reel and moving on to a sort of game of Clue — was the murderer Mike with a Tap Handle? Steve with a Mash Paddle?
Just yesterday they revealed who the Crown Killer was. This was also the first post I saw in this series and if I’m being honest, and the photos made me think they were literally celebrating the capture of an actual murderer (they even got a local police squad car into the photos!).
Then I saw the part where they also announced the winner of a $100 gift card and I realized it was a gag. Well played, Crown Brewing. Well played indeed.
This Weekend:
Half Acre’s Benthic Box is now on sale. Just shy of $200 for two cans each of six variants. Learn more about in another one of their weird half-melted Max Headroom talk show videos.
If you missed out on their closing events, Beer on the Wall is hosting a “Last Hoorah Tasting” of Temperance beers this afternoon.
To celebrate the end of Daylight Savings Time, The Open Bottle is tapping a special keg of 2016 Surly Darkness at noon on Saturday. Love this idea. Crack a bottle from the cellar and welcome the darkness. Then let’s do it again on the solstice.
Also on Saturday afternoon: The Beer Temple got a fresh batch of Sierra Nevada pale ale on cask for the first and possibly only time.
Casa Humilde celebrates their 5th anniversary tomorrow featuring live music and pitcher specials.
Sketchbook celebrates Dia de los Muertos at their Skokie location all day long on Saturday…
…and Garage Band Brewing is also having a Dia de los Muertos event at their brewery on Saturday as well.
Beer and a live glass blowing demonstration? Cool! Head to D&G Brewing on Saturday to check out what Wallander Glass is doing.
Also tomorrow night, Nightshade and Dark hosts a special Masquerade costume ball event. Don’t worry, they’ve got plenty of masks if you need one.
Later This Month (and Beyond):
I know I’ll need a beer or three on November 5, but if you want to drink in public on that evening, District Brewyards is hosting an Election Night Watch Party with a BBQ buffet starting at 6pm.
Tonality Brewing celebrates their first year in business over the weekend of November 8-10 and apparently if you attend you could win dinner and beer for an entire year.
Beers named after arcade games? Old news. Working with the original creator of Q*Bert to make a new beer, which is of course called Q*Beert? Awesome move, Imperial Oak - and they’re hosting a special event on November 9 to celebrate with proceeds going to a local charity.
Plank Road Tap Room is going full English Pub from November 13-17 and that sounds awesome.
Phase Three’s says there are limited tickets remaining to their Soaked in Oak event on the 16th in Lake Zurich, so if you felt like maybe attending, sounds like it’s time to commit.
And way out on the 21st: If you love birds, and know a lot about birds, and want to prove you know a lot about birds, Speciation Artisan Ales in Grand Rapids is hosting Bird Trivia on this date.
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Brewing a secret beer for a special Advent Calendar and naming it “IYKYK”? Clever, Kinslahger.
Lake Effect is approaching “has a bar” status as their construction continues.
Need a beer and some games on the way from Chicago to Grand Rapids? Three Blondes Brewing in South Haven now has a mini-arcade in their Library area. Stop in and say hi.
Looks like Will County Brewing Company is bringing back their Brews Brothers Lager.
The new Pure Michigan Porter is coming to IN/IL/MI soon from Shorts, and having just had one at their Pull Barn, I can tell you, it’s pretty good.
Black and Grey’s annual barrel-aged stout, Laux Brau, gets three variants this year and that maple cinnamon donut version has my attention.
Merch update: Noon Whistle has joggers with dinosaurs on ‘em. That is all.
I don’t know what inspired this Moment of Unnecessary Power involving a beer and a chainsaw from Tonality Brewing but I’m into it.
Confirming something our Premium Subscribers saw months ago, Goose Island revealed that single barrel picks of BCBS are about to become a thing.
Hop Butcher’s most divisive beer (IMO), Minted, is back.
Old Irving Brewing wants you to know that Krampus is coming.
Jolly Pumpkin’s 20th anniversary La Roja is out now, in a 1.75L Magnum, blended from 37 different barrels, and I very, very much want one.
Off Color’s malt liquor returns today, just in time for the oncoming holiday season, but the real big deal is this awesome Not Ugly Christmas Knit Sweater they have available now. Also, happy birthday to the Mouse Trap.
Props to Leinenkugels for putting their 9.5% ABV Big Eddy Imperial Stout into 16oz cans. Go big or go home.
Solemn Oath beer is back in Wisconsin.
Energy City Brewing is welcoming November with the release of their S’mores Stout.
On Halloween, “Cicada Malort” made a return visit to Noon Whistle Brewing … sorta.
It looks like Nightshade and Dark is doing a good job of building community in downtown Waukegan, which is pretty cool to see.
Premium Subscribers recently learned about Hopewell’s Olde Duck Barrel-Aged Barleywine, but now everyone else gets to know about it too. Sounds delicious.
Here’s a very early heads up that Plank Road Tap Room is taking all of January off.
Thank you all for being here! Have a great weekend.
~Karl, a Guy Drinking Beer