The official release date for Potosi Brewing Company at Binny’s has been confirmed to be the week of May 6th. 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
“Good Old Potosi is golden ale that is purposely brewed to taste like a lager. It will appeal to all beer lovers but particularly those desiring a lighter bodied beer. The aroma starts with toasted grain and flows into a sweet finish. GOP pairs well with any and all food.”
Snake Hollow IPA
“Snake Hollow is a West Coast style IPA. It’s a medium bodied beer with a pine and citrus aroma that results in a slight hint of a grapefruit flavor and a lingering bitter finish.”
Pure Malt Cave Ale
“Potosi Cave ale is brewed as a hybrid of three English beer styles. It provides a bit more body than Good Old Potosi and has a light caramel aroma and flavor that follows through till the end. Regardless of what you’re eating, like wine, beers can be enjoyed with almost any food.”
Gandy Dancer Porter
“Gandy Dancer is a robust American porter that has a French roasted coffee aroma without a burnt flavor. It starts with a medium caramel body that flows into a milk chocolate finish that results in many a light beer only drinker crossing over to the dark side. This beer pairs exceptionally well with braised meats to chocolate desserts.”
Steamboat Shandy (seasonal)
“Steamboat Shandy is a light bodied golden Ale blended with pure cane sugar and 100% real lemon juice. There is no artificial flavoring and, thus, it has a very clean finish. It’s not too sweet but provides for a refreshingly crisp and clean beer that can be savored anytime of year. However, during those hot summer days, I’ll bet you can’t drink just one.”

Pictured below is Petrus Aged Red, quite possibly the best new Belgian beer to debut in our stores this year. Several of Binny’s beer experts sampled this beer yesterday, with many comparing Aged Red to some of the most famous beers in the world. Some thought it was similar to New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red, while a few others found striking similarities to Kasteel Rouge. One even mentioned Duchesse De Bourgogne. Something we all agreed on is that Aged Red can be classified more as a fruit beer than a sour.

Petrus Aged Red shares little in common with sister beer Petrus Aged Pale, despite taking part in a similar aging process in micro organism infected barrels. The main difference stems from Aged Red going through fermentation with cherries, imparting loads of sweet and fruity flavors onto the brew. Aged Pale is sour and acidic, and one of the finest sour beers available on our shelves.

At only $8.49 for a 25.4oz bottle, Petrus Aged Red is an economical no-brainer and quite possibly the most complex beer around that price point on our shelves.

That’s right. Baderbrau is back. The Chicago beer scene was overjoyed last June when the local classic was resurrected, only to have supply run dry several months later. But now it’s back, and better than ever.

Details? Production has been shifted to Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, WI. That means ten times the production capacity and tighter quality control. They’re still working toward a brewery of their own in Chicago. Plus, this relaunch also includes sharp new packaging. Over the coming weeks, you’ll find the new & improved Baderbrau exclusively at Binny’s.

Continue reading →

This week’s Binny’s New Brew comes hand selected by Tom Bergman, our man in the beer aisle in Highland Park. Tom is stoked on the arrival of Two Brothers Brewing Co’s newest year-round release in cans, SideKick Extra Pale Ale.

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.

Continue reading →

Brewery Huyghe, famous for their pink elephant and Delirium branded beers, is planning on releasing a new beer in Chicago for the first time in what seems like forever (we have been selling Delirium Tremens, Nocturnum, and Noel for over 12 years, and haven’t seen anything new from Huyghe since then).  The beer in question is La Guillotine, an 8.5% ABV Belgian golden ale that is most definitely worth a shot if you are a fan of Delirium Tremens or similar beers.  We recommend serving La Guillotine in a Delirium Tremens snifter, which are also available for purchase at your local Binny’s.  We expect La Guillotine to be available at Binny’s in 2-3 weeks.

We just got word that Prairie Artisan Ales will be coming to Binny’s in the near future. Their beers should be available at most of our locations sooner rather than later, including Champaign and Bloomington locations (we don’t have hard release dates yet, but we will post again when we do).  This will be Binny’s first time offering a brewery from the state of Oklahoma.  Prairie’s beers are highly rated on all the premier beer websites, and we are excited to offer them. Prairie does a lot of innovative and new stuff; in March alone they released four new beers. Check out the beer labels from these four new brews below, they are some of the coolest labels we have laid eyes on.