Your source for breaking news on craft beer's latest arrivals & limited releases.
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Don’t be fooled by the adorable packaging, Off Color brews some serious beer. Over the past ten years, they’ve produced world class offerings across a vast spectrum of styles, from foeder aged wild ale to Czech dark lager. DecaBeer is a celebration of one of their longest running passions, the saison style. Co-fermented with two different Belgian yeast strains, DecaBeer pays tribute to Tonnerre Neige, a collaborative effort with Three Floyds, and the first commercially available Off Color beer. Like so many other Off Color brews, DecaBeer is thoughtfully designed and impeccably executed. Join us as we raise a toast - to many more years of exceptional beers from Off Color. |
Off Color DecaBeerPouring orange tinted gold and topped with a dense crown of foam, the aromatics are vibrant and perfumed, delivering notes of strawberry, lilac, allspice, and rose petal. Built with a mixture of pilsner, Vienna, and wheat malts, along with wheat flakes and flaked barley, it’s medium in body and soft upon the tongue, delivering flavors of herb crusted baguette, and cantaloupe topped with honey. The finish is spicy and herbaceous, with lingering notes of basil, coriander, and black peppercorn. A must try that stands toe to toe with the iconic saisons of Belgium. |
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We are big fans of Vienna Lager so it’s been exciting to see so many local breweries giving this underappreciated style a shot. Never had a Vienna-style lager? Chances are you probably have, and you didn’t even know it. We talked about the history behind the style and tasted through a bunch on an episode of Barrel To Bottle, The Binny’s Podcast. The key takeaway – this malty Austrian lager was developed in tandem with the more recognized German marzen lager and the two styles are strikingly similar. So, if you love Oktoberfest beers, but are sad to see them disappear each fall, it’s time to start giving Vienna lagers a try. This 2021 GABF Gold Medal Winner from Pollyanna is a great place to start! |
Pollyanna Roselle RedPouring a striking reddish amber and topped with a crown of white foam, the nose here offers a preview of the caramelized malt character to come. Medium in body, a soft wave of nutty malt flavor glides across the tongue, followed by just enough earthy hops to produce an impeccably balanced finish. This food friendly brew will pair well with a wide variety of dishes, but it’s a must try with roast chicken and BBQ. |
Interest in West Coast-style IPA is on the rise, and some of the finest ever made have come from Stone. Double, triple, black, white, red, fresh hop, coffee… over the last three decades, Stone’s been perfecting all manner of IPA, and this mix pack offers an expansive taste of what the style has grown to encompass. Stone IPA Variety Pack |
IPA
Originally brewed in celebration of their 1st Anniversary, Stone IPA stands as one of the most iconic examples of American West Coast style IPA. In 2016, Stone tweaked the recipe by adding some Southern Hemisphere hops to the dry hop bill. While still piney and citrusy at its core, the aroma and finish now feature a touch of topicality.
Delicious Double IPA
When Stone releases a DIPA, they do not mess around. Normal Delicious IPA clocks in at 7.7% ABV and this imperial take finishes at 9.4%. Besides amping up the ABV, Stone also tweaked the hop bill a bit. A mix of Centennial, El Dorado, and Amarillo imbues the beer with bright citrusy flavors and touch of licorice spice. Worthy of its name, this is also one of the best gluten reduced beers on the market.
Tangerine Express Hazy IPA
First released in 2017, Tangerine Express quickly became a fan favorite. Key to this juicy and aromatic brew is the use of tangerine and pineapple puree. At 57 IBU, it offers a good amount of bitterness to balance, making this a hazy with some West Coast flair.
Hazy IPA
The nose here is bright and fruity, offering notes of pineapple and orange sherbet. Soft and juicy across the palate, it delivers notes of mango, lemon peel, and tangerine. The finish is soft and creamy, with lasting kiwi and watermelon.
Samuel Adams Variety PackOne of the most beloved summer seasonals is Sam Adams’ Summer Ale. You’ll find it in their new Ditch Days variety pack alongside three other citrusy selections. If it’s been a while since you last enjoyed some, Sam Adams’ iconic Summer Ale is a soft American wheat, featuring orange, lemon, and lime peels and spiced with peppery grains of paradise. Porch Rocker is Sams’ take on a radler. They add tangy lemon puree to a Bavarian style helles lager hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrueh. At 4.5% ABV it’s got a little more oompah than your average radler. Rounding out the mix pack is Summer Adventure, a fruit forward lager featuring pineapple and lime, along with Take A Day, a juicy IPA made with orange peel. Four refreshing brews for one hot price – stop in and stock up! |
Geneva’s Art History Brewing stands by the credo - Foam Follows Function. When you take a seat in their taproom, you are served a proper pour; be it a pint of English-style bitter pulled from a cask, or a mug of Czech-style lager from the LUKR faucet, your glass delivers a taste of time-honored global beer traditions. Last summer we had the pleasure of collaborating with them on an Italian style pilsner. It was such a hit that Art History’s added Bella Strada to their regular lineup of lagers. Also in stock this week, a fresh drop of Art History’s hop forward homage to the classic helles lagers of Munich.
Art History Bella Strada collaboration with Binny's Beverage Depot
This latest batch of Bella features a slight tweaking of the original hop bill, subbing German Diamant hops in place of Akoya. The nose here is fresh and vibrant, delivering an invigorating bouquet of floral and herbaceous hop aromas. Italian Eraclea malt imparts a honeyed depth of flavor to the palate, offering a more rounded body than your typical pilsner malt base. The finish is fruity and floral, with lingering notes of strawberry, lilac, and thyme. Refreshing as is, it’s also excellent served alongside grilled veggies and creamy goat cheeses.
Art History Good Morning Munich
The 19th issue of Revolution’s rotating League of Heroes Variety Pack celebrates one of our favorite activities, drinking beer and playing video games. Debuting in this pack is Arcade Hero, an impressively fruit forward and aromatic IPA. Revolution League of Heroes |
Arcade-Hero
Revolution remains secretive about the hops here, but the aromas are Southern Hemisphere-esq, offering an alluring combo of jackfruit, gooseberry, and pear. Clocking in at 6.8% ABV, it’s lean and crisp across the palate, with pronounced guava and tangerine. The fruit filled finish delivers an intriguing mix of passionfruit, raspberry, and watermelon. Nicely done Rev, this one’s a winner.
Subz-Hero
The Cold IPA returns. Yes, that’s a thing. As it’s brewed with a lager yeast, you can think of this as a hoppy lager. Offering aromas of cantaloupe and kiwi, it is light upon the palate - with vinous hop character giving way to floral flavors and a hint of pineapple. It concludes with notes of key lime, grapefruit, and kiwi.
Action-Hero
We’re excited to see this one back in action. Hazy, yes, but with enough bitterness to balance. Dank hop aromas float from the glass, delivering pronounced musk melon and carambola. Pillowy soft upon the palate, a rush of mango, peach, and papaya glides across the tongue. The finish is surprisingly crisp for a hazy, offering flavors of blackberry, pear, and tangerine.
Anti-Hero
Anti-Hero is an homage to C hops. A mix of Citra, Crystal, Centennial and Chinook produces an IPA that is piney, citrusy, crisp, and clean. A reliable and refreshing Chicago classic.
Sierra Nevada SummerfestMemorial Day is the unofficial start of summer so we’re already on the lookout for refreshing seasonal brews. Sierra Nevada’s Summerfest has been sorely missed, but thankfully the fans (including us) spoke up, and Sierra listened! Built with a backbone of Pilsner, 2-Row Pale, and Munich malts, it pours a deep golden color - offering aromas of crackery malt and herbaceous German hops. A mixture of Magnum, Saphir, Tettnang, and Tradition is the star of the show here, resulting in a crisp pilsner with a subtly spicy and floral finish. A craft classic we’ll be packing on ice, all summer long. |
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Chicago is home to a long list of respected craft breweries. In 1988, it was a different story. Inspired by English brewing traditions and a burgeoning American craft movement, Goose Island opened and provided many with their first taste of locally made beer. Over the next three and a half decades, they’ve crafted many iconic brews, achieving worldwide recognition for their pioneering approach to barrel aged beer. For their 35th Anniversary, Goose Island offers this unique cuvee of five different barrel aged beers. The blend consists of 48% English style barley wine, 28% oatmeal stout, 13% rye stout, 8% American imperial stout, and 3% Belgian style quad - aged in a mixture of bourbon, rum, and cognac barrels for 18-36 months. We’ve tasted quite a bit of barrel aged beer from Goose Island and are excited to report that this is one of their finest creations. Hats off to Goose and cheers to many more years of remarkable beers. |
Goose Island 35th Anniversary CuveeThe nose here is breathtaking, offering an alluring mix of dark chocolate ganache, walnuts, cherries, and vanilla bean. Voluptuous across the tongue, it delivers flavors or rum soaked raisins and chocolate covered cherries, along with a dusting of allspice. The finish is long and contemplative, offering notes of mint, sassafras, cocoa nib, cloves, orange zest, date, and plum. Perhaps the deftest accomplishment here is delivering all this decadence without being cloyingly sweet. The spicy quadruple competent, and oak tannins extracted during extended aging are undoubtedly key components of this masterwork. |
Bell's Oberon Variety PackWhen it comes to summertime favorites, Oberon is a treasured Midwestern classic that continues to stand the test of time. We’ve tasted a couple tropical takes on Oberon over the years, and Bell’s continues to experiment with different fruit additions - workshopping and testing these variations at their café in Kalamazoo. We’re excited to announce the arrival of the Oberon Variety Pack, which includes a trio of juicy riffs alongside the classic. The official start of summer is still a few weeks away, but with these packs in stock and on sale, the party starts now. |
Central Waters Reese and DesistWe’ve been saying it for years and we’ll say it again – Central Waters produces some of the finest barrel aged beer on the shelf. Their latest release captures the richness of a chocolate peanut butter cup. We’ve seen this type of stout many times before and the easiest route relies on extracts. Central Waters did it the right way, with natural ingredients. Cocoa nibs, lactose, vanilla, and peanut flour compliment without covering up the bourbon barrel aged stout base. Peanut flour results in a peanut flavor that’s natural and nuanced. The lactose employed here is more for creaminess, resulting in a deliciously soft finish that’s not overly sweet. Wonderful as is, it’s also a great partner for s’mores and a wonderful option for a beer float. |
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It’s been a decade since we first tasted Beer Hates Astronauts, and it remains one of our favorite special releases from Half Acre. Originally a SMaSH IPA (Single Malt and Single Hop) – Half Acre’s only made a couple tiny tweaks to this Citra drenched favorite during its long tenure. Citra and Simcoe hops are supported by Vienna and Carafoam malts, along with some flaked oats. The iconic London III ale yeast strain helps amplify the fruity hop character of this wonderfully aromatic IPA. |
Half Acre Beer Hates AstronautsGiven this showcases Citra hops, you’d expect it to be citrusy. It is, but the nose is also vibrantly tropical, delivering notes of mango, pineapple, and cantaloupe. Medium in body, Vienna malt imparts a nutty depth of character that gives way to white grape, passionfruit, and tangerine. The finish is bittersweet perfection, making this 7.8%er dangerously easy to drink. |