I spent some time yesterday afternoon and found out the following, with respect to their upcoming canning line:
- They are going with 16oz. cans, something that I'm pretty excited about. I can't exactly pin down the reason why, mind you, but I guess I just find tall boys more punk rock.

- Via their rarely-updated blog, the initial line-up actually appears to be the following:
The current plan is to can four year round beers -- Anti-Hero IPA, Bottom Up Wit, Eugene Porter & Riot Pilsner
I'm not a huge fan of the Riot but good for them for putting a lager into the mix. Hopefully they'll do seasonal cans, too, so we may yet see those cans of Mad Cow.

(ETA correct info on the cans)

I am glad to hear they will be canning their pilsener. I went to the Glunz Beer Expo last week (ran into Burt and Sharon there), where Revolution was handing out samples on draft. I have to say, the Revolution Pilsener was one of the highlights of the event for me. It is a great example of that style of cold-brewed lager. The other highlight was (of course) 3 Floyds' Zombie Dust. What I DID NOT enjoy was all the flavored beers that were on display. Mole and Chipoltle flavored beer seems to be the next big thing (along with a multitude of herbal and fruit flavored brews). Double-Yuck.

Revolution had some kick-ass tap handles too. I hope their canned Pils is as good as the draft version. I think Chicago is finally ready for some more sophisticated beer styles, having taken the ultra-hoppy spin-inducing high ABV IPAs to their maximum conclusion. Kudos to Glunz for taking a chance on a new micro-brewery. It is tough for the little guys to break into the 3-tiered system.

d4v3 wrote:I am glad to hear they will be canning their pilsener. I went to the Glunz Beer Expo last week (ran into Burt and Sharon there), where Revolution was handing out samples on draft. I have to say, the Revolution Pilsener was one of the highlights of the event for me. It is a great example of that style of cold-brewed lager. The other highlight was (of course) 3 Floyds' Zombie Dust. What I DID NOT enjoy was all the flavored beers that were on display. Mole and Chipoltle flavored beer seems to be the next big thing (along with a multitude of herbal and fruit flavored brews). Double-Yuck.

Revolution had some kick-ass tap handles too. I hope their canned Pils is as good as the draft version. I think Chicago is finally ready for some more sophisticated beer styles, having taken the ultra-hoppy spin-inducing high ABV IPAs to their maximum conclusion. Kudos to Glunz for taking a chance on a new micro-brewery. It is tough for the little guys to break into the 3-tiered system.

I do have to stand up for Metropolitan, a local who has been doing the non-ultra-hoppy styles extremely well for a couple of years now. Krankshaft Kolsch and recent full-time lineup addition Iron Works Alt in particular are standouts, although the other two in their regular lineup are good beers as well.

Completely agree about Metropolitan. Iron Works does run a little hoppy (which is fine by me), but it's clearly still a lager. The other two - Dynamo and Flywheel - aren't quite as interesting for me. I'd love to see some seasonals from them - I've had a dopplebock from them before and I know they're doing some different stuff this week (including a maibock), but I'd love more frequent specials. I know, tiny operation and they may well be working at capacity already.

And Goose deserves some recognition, too - adding Pepe Nero and Fleur to their year-round offerings is pretty gutsy. I'm not a huge fan of either (I think they adjusted the recipe on Pepe Nero when they started bottling since I swear I enjoyed it more in the past), but I can't think of another brewery bottling beers like these two. Now if only they start bottling Oatmeal Stout again...

Also, re savory flavors, there are some good ones out there. Goose's ancho chile bourbon county stout is jaw-droppingly good. On the other hand, New Holland's Mole Ocho was pretty bad and not something I really want to see more of. And there is a big difference between the two, at least as far as production. The Goose variation is a special event/festival only beer (sadly) while Mole Ocho is bottled. I'm guessing that scale is a factor.

danimalarkey wrote:Also, re savory flavors, there are some good ones out there. Goose's ancho chile bourbon county stout is jaw-droppingly good. On the other hand, New Holland's Mole Ocho was pretty bad and not something I really want to see more of. And there is a big difference between the two, at least as far as production. The Goose variation is a special event/festival only beer (sadly) while Mole Ocho is bottled. I'm guessing that scale is a factor.

I am sure it was the New Holland Mole beer that left a bad taste in my mouth. To each his own, i guess. Nobody is forcing me to buy flavored beers. I thought they were pretty damned awful, especially the stuff they had Mr. Mosher pushing. As a brewer, I have a lot of respect for Randy, but the flavored beers he was handing out at the Glunz expo, were not my cup o' tea.

Mostly to clarify a couple of things here, Iron Works is actually not a true "lager," it is an ale. In Duesseldorf they still produce this style almost exclusive, using the "old" style of ale brewing that persisted far before lager brewing did. The key is to ferment at lower temperatures to suppress ester expression. And it is a bracingly hoppy style of beer that few people truly seem to understand. Even judges are overwhelmed by the bitterness of the style due to lack of exposure and an assumption that German beers aren't bitter or particularly hoppy (which is ironic, really). That being said, Iron Works is a fine beer and virtually the best commercially available Altbier (though I also really dig Headless Man Amber from Tyranena).

Re: Pepe Nero and Fleur, both have their beginnings in the Clybourn Brewpub and have gone through an evolution between production there and moving to the bottling plant over at Fulton. Personally, the most impressive additions I've seen from Goose Island have been the production of the sour ales (Lolita, Madame Rose & Juliet), as well as their production and bottling of beers like Rare, King Henry, Big John, et al. This is a great time to be in the Chicago beer scene, for sure!

danimalarkey wrote:Completely agree about Metropolitan. Iron Works does run a little hoppy (which is fine by me), but it's clearly still a lager. The other two - Dynamo and Flywheel - aren't quite as interesting for me. I'd love to see some seasonals from them - I've had a dopplebock from them before and I know they're doing some different stuff this week (including a maibock), but I'd love more frequent specials. I know, tiny operation and they may well be working at capacity already.

And Goose deserves some recognition, too - adding Pepe Nero and Fleur to their year-round offerings is pretty gutsy. I'm not a huge fan of either (I think they adjusted the recipe on Pepe Nero when they started bottling since I swear I enjoyed it more in the past), but I can't think of another brewery bottling beers like these two. Now if only they start bottling Oatmeal Stout again...

I think the ale/lager thing comes up frequently with Altbier, but isn't fermenting at lower temperatures precisely lagering? Sure, they don't use the mutant yeast that became lager yeast, but it is cold-fermented or "lagered," even if it's not cold-fermented with lagering yeast. To me, that's the beauty of it--just enough of an ale characteristic to keep me interested in the yeast end of things, but clean enough to let the malt and hops shine. I also wonder just how hoppy the style is supposed to be. I've appreciated it a great deal in Iron Works, and I've worked through a few six packs of that by now. Yet I've never had it fresh in Germany, and almost every Alt that makes it here is probably past its hoppy prime, including everything from Uerige I've had, and many many maß of Kutscher at Resi's (Not from Dusseldorf, I believe, but still quite good). Any enlightenment would be appreciated, as I really love this style as I've come to know it.

Technically, you're hard pressed to find a beer that isn't cold conditioned (lagered) for some period of time. It aids the beer's ability to brighten and causes the yeast to fall dormant and drop out of suspension. When one calls a beer a "lager," it just kind of rubs me the wrong way because it is never as simple as that. Just like bottom and top fermenting yeast is a bit of a misconception. A beer is never so simple as a single word will suggest, particularly when you start discussing ester expression of S. pastorianus & ester suppression of S. cerevisiae, as well as the use of "wild" yeasts such as Brettanomyces strains or souring bacteria like lactobacillus or pediococcus. At any rate, that's a discussion for a different thread.

Getting to your comment re: hoppiness, the most robust examples are 45+ IBU's, which is quite bracing. Quite frankly, the best examples you're likely to find around here are going to be homebrewed by educated brewers. My club, HOPS! (Homebrewers' Pride of the Southside) has a number of technically adept brewers, a few of which (myself included) who focus on German styles. I'm currently in the process of brewing more rustic styles, but love altbier and find it to be a very charming beer to make. Upcoming for me are a Franconian Dunkel, which is kind of a cross between an altbier and Munich-style Dunkel, a hoppy dark lager. I'll also be brewing a Lichtenhainer in the coming weeks, as well as a Gose. There are so many old world styles that aren't really brewed that are wonderful.

mtgl wrote:I think the ale/lager thing comes up frequently with Altbier, but isn't fermenting at lower temperatures precisely lagering? Sure, they don't use the mutant yeast that became lager yeast, but it is cold-fermented or "lagered," even if it's not cold-fermented with lagering yeast. To me, that's the beauty of it--just enough of an ale characteristic to keep me interested in the yeast end of things, but clean enough to let the malt and hops shine. I also wonder just how hoppy the style is supposed to be. I've appreciated it a great deal in Iron Works, and I've worked through a few six packs of that by now. Yet I've never had it fresh in Germany, and almost every Alt that makes it here is probably past its hoppy prime, including everything from Uerige I've had, and many many maß of Kutscher at Resi's (Not from Dusseldorf, I believe, but still quite good). Any enlightenment would be appreciated, as I really love this style as I've come to know it.

NobleSquirrel wrote:Mostly to clarify a couple of things here, Iron Works is actually not a true "lager," it is an ale. In Duesseldorf they still produce this style almost exclusive, using the "old" style of ale brewing that persisted far before lager brewing did. The key is to ferment at lower temperatures to suppress ester expression. And it is a bracingly hoppy style of beer that few people truly seem to understand. Even judges are overwhelmed by the bitterness of the style due to lack of exposure and an assumption that German beers aren't bitter or particularly hoppy (which is ironic, really). That being said, Iron Works is a fine beer and virtually the best commercially available Altbier (though I also really dig Headless Man Amber from Tyranena).

[/quote]

Hoppy for a German style no doubt, but compared to the American craft trend of face-meltingly hoppy beers, not so much But yes, if it doesn't have that hop bite, it's a not a good altbier. So many American breweries that have made alt that I have tried have gotten it wrong, and it's certainly a style that suffers when not fresh, even moreso than the west coast-style IPAs and double IPAs in my opinion.

There are at least a couple of CBS members for whom the Dusseldorf altbier is their favorite style. They brewed one with Pete Crowley in his Rock Bottom days and it was really excellent, a shame that it was a one-off. Glad that Metro has put it out as a full-time member of the lineup; originally they had mentioned it as a seasonal. Fresh alt on tap all year long now!

NobleSquirrel wrote:Mostly to clarify a couple of things here, Iron Works is actually not a true "lager," it is an ale. In Duesseldorf they still produce this style almost exclusive, using the "old" style of ale brewing that persisted far before lager brewing did. The key is to ferment at lower temperatures to suppress ester expression. And it is a bracingly hoppy style of beer that few people truly seem to understand. Even judges are overwhelmed by the bitterness of the style due to lack of exposure and an assumption that German beers aren't bitter or particularly hoppy (which is ironic, really). That being said, Iron Works is a fine beer and virtually the best commercially available Altbier (though I also really dig Headless Man Amber from Tyranena).

[/quote]

Fair enough (and I have a question re Kolsch, then, too, below) but for me, the flavor profile of Ironworks just skews more towards what I associate with lagers than ales. That could be because ales in this country wind up being hoppy or very hoppy (certainly with exceptions -- Goose's Honkers Ale comes to mind) and Ironworks just has that malty, bready backbone that I normally associate with lagers.

As much as I like Ironworks, I still think the finest Altbier I have had (and I've never been to Germany) is Two Brothers' Victor's Memori-Ale. They brewed it once, years ago at this point, because their grandfather had just passed away and it was a memorial to him. When I bought it, I was still pretty new to craft beer, in general, and it just blew me away in terms of flavor and body and really got me on the path to seeking out more and more craft beer. My waist line and wallet have never recovered.

So, speaking of Kolsch beers, is that one of those "many think it's a lager but it's actually not' type beers? Again, it is lagered, but like you said, most beers are these days, anyway. Is there a tried-and-true definition of lagers these days that zero in on types of yeast and/or top/bottom fermentation?

Revolution just put a special beer on tap - Pablo Picasso. It's a a dark Belgian style ale, aged in oak cabernet barrels with tart cherries. If that sounds interesting to you - you'll love it. I liked it quite a bit, but my wife thought it was a little overpowering.

Revolution opened their upstairs area about a week ago. It looks like it almost doubles their seating capacity. There's seating and a long bar along one wall. Last night both the downstairs and upstairs were completely packed.

^^^ your post inspired me to stop on my way home from work this afternoon....it's been a while.

I thought that Pablo Picasso was delicious. Very complex flavors from the cabernet barrels and a nice sour finish from the cherries. If it weren't 8USD per 'goblet' (a wine glass), I probably would have ordered 4 of them. And at 9.something%, I probably wouldn't be typing this up right now.

I also got samplers of the Whip, a wheat IPA, which I really enjoyed. And the Rosa, that had hibiscus and some orange peel....quite a delightful summer beer.

I really need to frequent that place more often, especially since it's so close to my house and right on my bike route to/from work. I didn't get to check out the upstairs, but that should certainly help in the frequenting department, as it's been too damn busy when I go there at night.

I really think Revolution is poised to become Chicago's best brewpub. I am blanking on specifics as far as their production facility goes, but I think they are aiming for Two Brothers-level production, even out of the gate. Bringing in Will Turner to run the brewpub can only mean good things as I think his beers at the Goose Island-Clybourn brewpub were among the best I've ever had. Whereas Goose Island is stuck in a rut of belgians/saisons or Haymarket with its belgians/IPAs (or Piece that does a variety to acceptable results), Revolution covers a wide variety and each beer is done well. The food at Revolution is hardly, well, revolutionary, but the kitchen can execute really, really well. For a non-pizzeria, their pizzas are really satisfying and their burgers are just delicious. They recently added a reuben (non-vegetarian) and it's already vying for my favorite, against the pork belly & egg sandwich.

Staff has always been super-friendly and knowledgeable. I will knock them for their cocktail program, though, since it's clear that some bartenders are more comfortable/knowledgeable when it comes to mixed drinks. The room is gorgeous, I think, even if the upstairs space runs a little close to 'Medieval Times". My fridge is usually home to Half Acre or Three Floyds - I suspect that once Revolution starts canning, it will be all Revolution.

Didn't love the Pablo Picasso; it was ok, I didn't pour it out or anything, but both the wife and I thought that it seemed almost watery. I was slightly sour on the finish, but no where near what I was hoping for.

SSDD

I am blanking on specifics as far as their production facility goes, but I think they are aiming for Two Brothers-level production, even out of the gate.

They're shooting for September/October and I believe releasing four to six beers. Glunz Distributors are very excited to have grabbed them and are saying they're geared up to do quantity and stay in stock. You'll see a big push when they get to market.

headcase wrote:Didn't love the Pablo Picasso; it was ok, I didn't pour it out or anything, but both the wife and I thought that it seemed almost watery. I was slightly sour on the finish, but no where near what I was hoping for.

SSDD

I'll agree on this and I almost question if they waited so long simply because the beer never really improved. It seems to be stuck in a weird place, which is a shame. The idea is good on paper but I think that an addition of Brettanonyces B. would have been a positive addition, emphasizing the pie cherry notes and really giving it more depth. Regarding the production brewery, it is definitely going to be large. I believe it's a 60bbl system (possibly with 200bbl conicals). So yeah, they are looking to go big. I'll also agree that they are swiftly becoming the top brewpub in Chicago. I'd rather eat there than at Goose, they have more variety and don't seem to get stuck in ruts. I think that Goose still carries the flag with their pub, but they have been losing ground. Goose has always brewed English & Belgian styles, so it's not to big a deal for me, but I also agree that Wil's addition to Rev is a huge win for them as he is an absolutely fantastic pub brewer and the move will put Jim into the production facility where he can really excell, in my opinion. It also sounds like the barrel program will be growing and moving over to the Production brewery, as will the standards, much like Goose Island's model (which is not surprising given Josh Deth's pedigree). That can only mean that there will be more capacity for Wil to work with as a result. Quite honestly, I'd be surprised if a year from now that there are many guest taps anymore. Pretty excited to see where this goes and really glad that they are living up to the expectations that they carried for the 3+ years that they were in planning/building.

NobleSquirrel wrote:

headcase wrote:Didn't love the Pablo Picasso; it was ok, I didn't pour it out or anything, but both the wife and I thought that it seemed almost watery. I was slightly sour on the finish, but no where near what I was hoping for.

SSDD

I'll agree on this and I almost question if they waited so long simply because the beer never really improved. It seems to be stuck in a weird place, which is a shame. The idea is good on paper but I think that an addition of Brettanonyces B. would have been a positive addition, emphasizing the pie cherry notes and really giving it more depth. Regarding the production brewery, it is definitely going to be large. I believe it's a 60bbl system (possibly with 200bbl conicals). So yeah, they are looking to go big. I'll also agree that they are swiftly becoming the top brewpub in Chicago. I'd rather eat there than at Goose, they have more variety and don't seem to get stuck in ruts. I think that Goose still carries the flag with their pub, but they have been losing ground. Goose has always brewed English & Belgian styles, so it's not to big a deal for me, but I also agree that Wil's addition to Rev is a huge win for them as he is an absolutely fantastic pub brewer and the move will put Jim into the production facility where he can really excell, in my opinion. It also sounds like the barrel program will be growing and moving over to the Production brewery, as will the standards, much like Goose Island's model (which is not surprising given Josh Deth's pedigree). That can only mean that there will be more capacity for Wil to work with as a result. Quite honestly, I'd be surprised if a year from now that there are many guest taps anymore. Pretty excited to see where this goes and really glad that they are living up to the expectations that they carried for the 3+ years that they were in planning/building.

I liked the taste of the Picasso but it seemed to me that it spent so much time in the barrel that I didn't get a lot of the "belgian strong dark" characteristics anymore, it was overwhelmed by the cherries and wood/wine flavors. An interesting effort but like Tart With A Heart (half of the blend was barrel-aged I believe) it didn't quite live up to their barrel-aged stouts and porters, which have been really well done. After how the barrel aged Sodom and barrel aged General turned out, I'm looking forward to whenever they decide the BA Baracus is ready.

And it definitely should be interesting what they can do when they free up pub brewing capacity since I presume they'll supply the mainstays from the production brewery, as Goose does. I don't care if the things they try don't always hit, I appreciate the effort. For example, I liked their wheat IPA they have on right now better than their standard IPA offering (which I think is pretty solid as it is).

Holy Beers. What a great place this is. it's a brewery that produces all of Revolution Brewery Beers.. They had something like 14 really lovely beers on tap last night and they may brew around 50 different beers through the year. The beers here are seriously good. From Saissons to the IPA's and Porters we tried them all last night and we were very impressed. Anti Hero, Double and Triples were all good. If you like Dogfish 90 minute, get the triple fist.
The space is lovely, the staff was more than welcoming and friendly and the space itself is gorgeous. I really love the decor of the place. The wood from barrels are used on the walls, the metal strapping is used for the light fixtures. This place is all beer. Not to mention, the location has it right off the blue line. So, you there is no need to take a taxi and no excuse for not having that extra beer for the road!

I think we arrived last night at 9 pm and spent the next 5 hours drinking and talking. I want to say i had 7 beers but, that can't be correct.. With the majority of my choices weighing in around 8 percent alcohol, I should feel much worse than I do. Not to mention i got in around 3 and was at a 730 meeting this morning. I digress.

Commence the airing for grievances.

Part of the reason is because of the food we ordered. We started with the cheese plate and the charcuterie plate.. Both of these were 15 dollars a piece. The cheese plate came with 3 different types of cheese, macrona almonds and a bunch of flat bread. The cheese while a nice selection of Midwest Cheddar and Gouda was really sparse. LIke three very thin and small tastes of each of the three styles.. It was perhaps a slice large enough to fit on a ritz cracker. And perhaps an 8 th of an inch thin. This is Chicago, I expect a lot more cheese than that. So, i found that while the cheese selection was nice, the portion was paltry.

The charcuterie plate while not cured meats, there was one sort of rillette, one pork terrine and two sausages. these were really nice.

I then moved on a couple of hours later to splitting a pizza with someone. it was a shrimp pizza. They have a pretty oven but, it was just ok. The toppings were cold while the pizza was warm. They must have topped the pizza after it came from the oven. it was not exciting.

My buddy got a pork belly and egg sandwich i believe and he was disappointed.

So, the food is not too exciting though the menu reads really nicely.

My last sort of complaint well, not complaint was there bottle options.. it's strange and I guess a service for them to be offering other beers but, their prices are ridiculous. They are selling beers I have paid 8 bucks a bottle for, for 29 dollars.. i get it, they are basically saying, yeh, you can drink other people's beer at our place but, we are basically going to rip you a new one.. But, then they also had a 3 floyds ipa for 6 bucks so, I would say " navigate with caution"

But my few minor criticisms aside, go here, support them and their awesome beer. Spend some time, drink you way through their list and when you think you have had just about enough, have one more. Great beer, really nice people, life is good.

Daniel wrote:Holy Beers. What a great place this is. it's a brewery that produces all of Revolution Brewery Beers.

Most of Revolution's beers are produced at their production brewery, at 3340 N. Kedzie, not at the brewpub.

Revolution Brewery to Triple Output, Add 120 Barrels to Avondale Brewhouse

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150210 ... -brewhouse

Greg Underhill, 38, the director of retail operations at Revolution Brewery, died of a heart attack on Saturday, friends said.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016042 ... -employees