Beer Buzz

Ballast Point
Join us on Wednesday, May 8th in our Binny's South Loop tasting room as we celebrate Ballast Point's arrival at Binny's. Several rarities will be on tap from the San Diego brewery, as well as everyday favorites such as Sculpin, which is one of the highest rated IPA's in the world. A plethora of Ballast Point packaged goods will be available for the first time ever at every Binny's on May 8th.

Potosi Brewing Company
The official release date for Potosi at Binny's has been confirmed to be next week. The Wisconsin based brewing company's initial launch into the Chicago market will include five beers, available in 6-pack bottles: Good 'Ol Potosi Golden Ale, Snake Hollow IPA, Pure Malt Cave Ale, Gandy Dancer Porter, & Steamboat Shandy.

Flesk Brewing
Flesk Brewing is a tiny brewery located in Lombard, IL. Our Downers Grove and Glen Ellyn locations will begin carrying their beers (5 total to start) within the next few days. Flesk has expansion plans slated for later this summer, at which time we will be able to bring their beers into more of our stores.

Tallgrass Brewing Company
In early June Tallgrass Brewing from the state of Kansas will be rolling into Binny's. Three different beers will be available, all in four-pack 16oz can formats: 8 Bit Pale Ale, Velvet Rooster Triple, and Ethos IPA.

• Chicago Craft Beer Week Events at Binny's South Loop

Chicago Nano Brewers Meet & Greet
Tuesday, May 21, 5:30-8:00pm
Beers will be on tap and brewers will be on hand from three of Chicago's smallest yet fastest growing breweries: Pipeworks, Spiteful, and 18th Street. Come grab a pint and talk beer with brewers, the Binny's beer team, and fellow beer geeks.

Boulevard Brewmaster Meet & Greet
Wednesday, May 22, 5:30-7:30pm
Boulevard brewmaster Steven Pauwels will be in house to answer any questions you may have over a pint of some of Boulevard's finest brews. On tap selections will include Saison Brett, Rye on Rye, 80 Acre, as well as a rare keg or two from Boulevard.

Big Sky Brewmaster Meet & Greet
Thursday, May 23, 5:30-8:00pm
Big Sky brewmaster Matt Long will be on hand, tapping perhaps both his finest and rarest accomplishment: Ivan the Terrible. This bourbon barrel aged behemoth of a beer is aged in Binny's own hand picked barrels, and is without a doubt one of the premier barrel aged Imperial Stouts that will ever hit your lips.

• Chicago Craft Beer Week Events at Binny's Lincoln Park

Goose Island 25th Anniversary Tasting
Saturday, May 18, 4:00-7:00pm
Come join us at LP for a special 25th Anniversary tasting! Current Brewmaster Brett Porter & Former Brewmaster Greg Hall will be on hand to talk everything Goose Island. We'll be sampling 2 special beers as well, Baudonia & Sofie Paradisi! (Free, just show up)

Beer & Music Pairing
Wednesday, May 22, 6:00-8:00pm
Join Adam Vavrick, our Beer Manager & Music Lover and Phillip Montoro, Music Editor for The Chicago Reader & Beer Lover in our Lincoln Park Tasting Room where they'll present a new twist on pairings: Beer & Music! They'll be selecting beers to pair with some of their favorite songs, and vice versa! Who knows if it'll work, but it'll be fun either way! Tickets are $20.00 and limited to 65 spots.

How often does the beer landscape change at Binny's Beverage Depot? Every single day. 84 beers in one week - including brews from nine new breweries (plus one cider works) - probably sets a new record for us, but we add dozens and dozens of new beers from across the country and around the globe every single week.

Here are just a few of the never ending stream of new beers at Binny's - we can't even list them all!

Revolution Rosa
Gigantic IPA
Gigantic Meddle
Gigantic The Royale
Gigantic Whole In Head
Crown Valley Ba Bison
Astra
Atwater Maibock
Old Speckled Hen House
Big Muddy Blueberry Blonde
Flossmoor Station Panama Red
New Belgium Rolle Bolle
Great Divide Heydey
Abita Lemon Wheat
Prairie Standard
Prairie Funky Galaxy
Prairie Merica
Prairie Somewhere
Speakeasy Vendetta
Speakeasy Playback
Speakeasy Big Daddy
Speakeasy Prohibition
Speakeasy Tallulah
Furthermore Knot Stock
Furthermore Three Feet
Furthermore Oscura
Furthermore Proper
Arcadia Thunder Trail
Capital Lake House
Greenbush Anger
Greenbush Closure
Greenbush Sunspot

Greenbush Distorter
Greenbush Brother Benjamin
Dark Horse Mixed IPA 12pk
Stella Artois Cidre
Echigo Stout
Echigo Koshihikari
Capital Capsized IIPA
Capital Mutiny IPA
Firestone Walker Solace
Vivant Zaison
Finchs Sobek & Set
Newcastle Bombshell
Half Acre Pony Pilsner
Big Sky Brush Tail
18th Street Hunter Stout
Stone Espresso Ris
Half Acre Akari Shogun
Tyranena Variety 12pk
Lakefront 25th Anniversary
Chi Town 1871
Redhook Audible Ale
Spiteful Damn Pigeon
Spiteful Malevolence
Schofferhofer Grapefruit
Cider Boys Peach County
Tieton Apricot Cider
Tieton Wild Wash Apple
Tieton Blend Cider
Tieton Yakima Dry Hop
Vander Mill Hard Apple
Vander Mill Blue Gold
Vander Mill Blue Gold

Of course, not every new beer can be found at every Binny's,
but each location holds a great selection
and you're sure to find something new and cool.

Bell's Oberon
"This beer is a king among summer wheat beers....Fruity, lemonish and light....The perfect summer beer...."
Reviewed by: Beeradvocate.com

Revolution Rosa
"A highly drinkable ale steeped with hibiscus flowers and a touch of orange peel for a natural tartness and slight pink hue."
Brewery Description

New Belgium Rolle Bolle
"Enjoyable honey, grass, and light fruit notes. A good beer to session on the days off from Imperial Stouts and IPA's...Overall a very refreshing brew..."
Reviewed by: Beeradvocate.com

Lakefront Wisconsinite Ale
"...Caught somewhere between a pale wheat ale and a hefeweizen, Wisconsinite truly breaks new ground.. An immediate summer staple with full flavor and low alcohol, Wisconsinite is 100% win!.."
Reviewed by: Beeradvocate.com

Brooklyn
Summer Ale
"....A most refreshing beer and one that has some nice layers of tastes sensations built in. Not complex by any means, but definitely well crafted....." Reviewed by: Beeradvocate.com

Two Brothers
Dog Days
"...This beer is all about mouthfeel, very creamy/light caramel notes, that beg the taster to another gulp...This beer is a must-try for your summer seasonal fix..."
Reviewed by: Beeradvocate.com

Breckenridge Summer Bright
"....Wheaty, husky grain aroma. Citrus peel and a small amount of spiciness in the taste....Light and crisp, a nice hot weather beer...."
Reviewed by: Beeradvocate.com

Anderson Valley Summer Solstice
"...This cream ale literally tastes like an orange cream saver in a can....Very drinkable, and incredibly unique...A good alternative to New Glarus Spotted Cow..."
Reviewed by: Kyle Fornek

Arcadia Whitsun
"...An upfront malt sweetness and strong/distinct honey sweetness pairs well with the bold fruity flavours of melon, peach and apricot...this is an interesting, and very fruity, take on an unfiltered wheat beer..." Reviewed by: Beeradvocate.com

Anchor
Summer Beer
"...The taste of this is pretty big on the wheat characteristics. It also contains nice spicy hop accents. A lemon tang. Very refreshing and easy drinking. A nice change from all the hefeweizens out there these days." Reviewed by: Beeradvocate.com

Furthermore Oscura
Kyle: This is quite different from just about every other coffee beer out there. It is a lager (most are ales), it is only 5.3% ABV (most are around 8-10% ABV), and it is super drinkable (most are big, bold, & boozy sippers). It is also ideal for the summer months-kind of like iced coffee - whereas most coffee beers out there are more suited for drinking by the fire in winter.

Pat: This beer is great! There isn't much I can add to Kyle's description, definitely iced coffee in a beer bottle. I've made the trip across the border many times hunting for this one and other Furthermore beers. Great to have them readily available.

Deschutes Inversion IPA
Kyle: In a sea of hundreds of IPA's that make up Binny's shelves, this is one catch that is memorable. Why? Because its not over the top - a blend of 6 hops and 80 IBU's are restrained by a huge dose of Carastan malts. Want an IPA you can drink more than a few of without annihilating your pallet and filling you up too much? Give Inversion a shot.

Pat: This is one of my favorite IPA's. Very good balance up front but finishes with an intense bitterness. A west coast classic and a welcome addition to Chicago. Now if we can only get them to send River Ale in.

Schofferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen
Kyle: If there is one beer that on our shelf that absolutely screams summer, it is this one. This beer is a blend of 50% Schofferhofer Kristallweizen and 50% grapefruit drink. The result is an incredibly drinkable beer containing only 2.5% ABV. Reminiscent of a beermosa, albeit with grapefruit instead of orange. Move out of the way champagne!

Pat: Grapefruit drink? Sounds suspect, but tastes amazing! I know I've mentioned many lawnmower beers in this feature, and now I have yet another to add to the rotation. This beer is fairly priced, and I could drink gallons. What else can you ask for?

Ommegang Fleur De Houblon
Kyle: Fleur De Houblon is Ommegang's first endeavor at a summer seasonal, and the Cooperstown, NY brewery hit a home run. One thing is still for sure; Ommegang has yet to brew a beer that has been anything short of outstanding. Funky, flowery, fruity, & all around fantastic flavors result in an incredibly balanced & complex brew.

Pat: I wanted to give a dissenting opinion on this beer, but I just couldn't. Balanced and complex, this one wows all the way. A little too heavy for the lawnmower season, but very satisfying.

Greenbush Anger
Kyle: This could very well be the best black IPA on our shelves. Somehow it seems to perfectly harness everything we love about a good porter like flavors of chocolate and brown sugar, with hop aromas and flavors still balancing wonderfully due to the addition of Columbus, Amarillo, Simcoe, & Cascade hops. Despite what the name tells you, this beer will make you happy.

Pat: I really like this one because the dark malts give more of a chocolate and coffee flavor than a burnt and roasty flavor. When black IPA's are overly roasted the hops can lose out and then you just get a bitter porter. The hop nose on Anger is bold and citrus-y and it finishes remarkably clean. Very well done.

Two Brothers
Side Kick Extra Pale Ale

Tom Bergman, Beer Manager at the Binny's Highland Park.

When did you get Sidekick?
A couple weeks ago. SideKick joins Outlaw IPA as a year-round canned release.

Why SideKick?
There comes a point where every beer nerd needs a break from the boozy onslaught of barrel aged stouts and tongue-thrashing bitterness of imperial IPA's. Sometimes you just want to drink a beer (or three). SideKick is a subtle, sessionable option - it practically drinks itself!

How does it taste?
It's crisp and delicate with a touch of sweet malt. There's a nice balance of citrus, melon, and strawberry, and it finishes with just enough bitterness to remind you you're drinking a pale ale.

Sounds delish! Now tell us about yourself - how long have you been with Binny's and what's your favorite part about working here?
I've been at Binny's since September 2009. The highlight of my day is the smile on a return customer's face after I've introduced them to a new beer style. Oh, and someone brought me a can of Heady Topper the other day - that was pretty sweet. Read more about our Binny's New Brew at Binny's Blog.

Gigantic Brewing Company
At a recent beer show, Gigantic Brewing had a gigantic line at their table, bigger than any of the other 30 breweries at the event. Three different bomber bottles from the Portland, Oregon brewery began hitting select Binny's last week: Meddle Vienna Lager, The Royale Belgian Pale Ale, and Whole in the Head Imperial IPA. There isn't much of these to go around; stop into your local Binny's later this week for your best chance to score some.

Prairie Artisan Ales
Prairie is an Oklahoma brewery. If we had to compare them to any other brewery in the world, it would probably be Stillwater. Prairie features funky saisons, lots of different & new releases, and limited availability on a lot of their stuff. Almost all of our stores are featuring Prairie Standard in 6-packs, which is a hopped up saison with detailed picture instructions on the label about how to noodle a catfish. Some of our stores also have large format bottles from Prairie in stock.

Greenbush
Greenbush is currently a tiny brewery with plans for a rapid & massive expansion. They are located less than an hour and a half from Chicago in Sawyer, Michigan. Off the bat Binny's has three different 6-packs: Anger Black IPA, Closure Pale Ale, and Sunspot Hefeweizen. Brother Benjamin is a specialty release 4-pack that will also be available. This is an imperial IPA brewed with honey, which we found to be very similar to Bell's Hopslam.

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
Speakeasy is a San Francisco brewery. Binny's is offering two year round six-packs from Speakeasy (Big Daddy IPA & Prohibition Ale) as well as Tallulah, which is a pale ale and Speakeasy's summer seasonal offering. Select Binny's stores will also be featuring some limited release large format bottles from Speakeasy.

Furthermore
Futhermore beer from Spring Green, Wisconsin has just arrived at several Binny's locations and we expect the following to hit the rest of our stores by next week: Knot Stock (American Pale Ale), Proper (English-style Pale Ale), and Oscura. Oscura was the highlight of Furthermore's portfolio for us. It is a super drinkable coffee lager, which is a pretty unique style to say the least. A few other beers from Furthermore, including Fatty Boombalatty, are set to debut at a later date.