Argus Brewery - California Steam

"Brewed with a Chicago Attitude"

Argus is located in the historic 1900's Joseph E. Schultz distribution stables. This unique building is distinguished by two large terracotta horse heads on the side of the building which once housed the Schultz (owner's family) horse teams and carriages. Argus creates beers in this building to challenge the best beers in the world. 

Argus has become one of the most popular craft brews in the city of Chicago. Argus has developed a rugged attitude by rising from the South side of Chicago, an attitude they are proud of. Argus has three things that you'll taste in each brew: 

1. Flavor
2. Depth
3. Unusual and carefully brewed taste of premium craft beer

The owners, a father and son team, Bob and Patrick Jensen has developed an understanding that hard-working and can-do attitudes brings Argus from above average to exceptional. They prove this understanding in the taste of Argus brews.

Two interesting facts about Argus Brewing:

1. Reduce their carbon footprint: Argus looks for ways to reduce their energy and waste, which leads to minimizing their carbon footprint. Argus is currently experimenting with using solar collectors to heat water during the brewing process. Their strategy is to use less electricity to generate a reduced, long-term carbon footprint. Argus is also a customer of BlueStar's Renewable American Energy, which relies only on wind power. 
2. Help those farmers: Argus tries to recycle as much as they can and cares about the environment. A main by-product of the brewing process is malted barley and brewer's yeast. Pigs, chickens, cows, and sheep love this by-product. Argus wants to give back to the farmers and feed folks, they just ask you to bring a 55-gallon receptacle, and they can make arrangements for farmers/feed folks to pick it up from the brewery. 

Argus brews 3 different beers:

1. Argus California Stream: With an Alcohol By Volume (ABV) of 5.4%, this California Common Style beer pays homage to the historic beers produced in California from the mid 1800's to the mid 1900's. The key distinguishing feature of this beer is that it is fermented with a speical lager yeast that is fermented at a warmer ale temperature. The beer is copper colored and medium bodied, it has a strong malt flavor with a spicy, herbal hops created by a unique character from the fermentation that is unlike traditional Ales and Lagers. 
2. Argus Holsteiner Lager: An ABV of 6.0% makes up this Marzen style lager. Holsteiner Lager is copper colored with a strong malt accent. It is very smooth and hopped with some of the finest German Noble hop varieties. This lager is traditionally brewed in Spring and served in Fall at festivals, it compliments all Germanic styles of food. 
3. Argus Pegasus IPA: An India Pale Ale with a 6.5% ABV. The ale has an intense hop aroma with a citrusy, floral, and fruity flavor developed from American hops. The color ranges from a medium gold to a reddish copper. High hop bitterness with a malt backbone that supports the strong hops and provides great balance. An obviously hoppy and bitter, strong India Pale Ale. 

I chose to review California Stream, it appealed most to my interests out of the three beers. 

A customers experience: Pours a dark, slightly cloudy amber with almost no head. Aroma of caramel malt and a good bit of dank herbal hops. Taste is light bitter. Herbal and pine hops with a somewhat weak malt backbone. Medium bodied with a slick texture. Lively carbonation and a very long finish. Overall, pretty good. Probably one of the most flavorful steam beers I’ve had. 

My Experience: California Stream was much better than I expected. The beer poured as a clear reddish amber with a frothy head that created some lacing. I could smell some floral hops, noticeable caramel malts, citrus hops, and grains. The taste is malty and sweet at first before the hops kick in. It has a long dry finish, leading to me to want to drink more to taste the sweetness again. Overall, California Stream is a very enjoyable and tasty beer.  

I advise you to go out and try Argus Brewery. Argus is trying to improve Chicago's environment one carbon foot print at a time. You can find Argus' brews at most liquor and grocery stores, go ahead and test them out and let me know about your experience! Talk to you next week :)

4 Paws Brewing - Blueberry Lou

"1st Class beer for the Second City"

4 Paws Brewing is located in Chicago, has a unique philosophy most beer drinkers don't come across quite often. The owners, Meghan, Matt, and their dog Sadie (I'll explain later), are committed to making quality brews that appeal to all kinds of beer drinkers. The complexity and care put into each batch that 4 Paws is created for their customers. 4 Paws' philosophy is, "Beer should be inventive and fun." Meghan and Matt began their brewing career with the idea of creativity. They wanted to create something from scratch, talk to people about their pride of each bottle, and give something great for customers to enjoy. They want to create a beer that will bring good conversation, entertainment, and the spirit of loving life. 4 Paws' beers are inspired by Chicago's earlier breweries and their recipes, devoting their efforts to make Chicago a thriving beer town.

The owners of 4 Paws are very environmentally friendly. This green lifestyle effort is a part of who they are and as much a part of the brewery as the beer itself. Along with giving back to Mother Earth, 4 Paws wants to give back to the Chicago community. To go with their name, 4 Paws, a set portion of their profits is donated to local animal shelters. Their dog and co-owner, Sadie, has brought great joy to their lives and wants to ensure others can have the same experience. Click here to learn more about Sadie! Sadie has been at Meghan's and Matt's feet for each batch brewed. 4 Paws also uses a portion of the profits to fund an on-site animal shelter.

4PawsBrewing.com's mission statement - "We believe in our company, what we stand for, and most of all the beers we serve. We would never make anything we wouldn't drink just to turn a profit and we would never say anything or do anything to compromise our core beliefs. We hope that our supporters and friends join us in believing in 4 Paws too!"

4 Paws produces seven year-round brews each having their own inspiration:

• Pupkin Ale - Made with organic malt and pumpkin to create this autumn brew with spices and flavors that make you want to sit around a campfire with pumpkin pie. This brew is inspired by Gebhard Brewing Company in Morris, IL. Opened in 1866 until prohibition closed its doors.
• Kilted Pup - A Scottish ale loaded with 3 different malts and a deep, rich, red color. Kilted Pup is inspired by one of the most influential Scottish immigrants, John Kinzie. 
• Pioneer Red - This beer is inspired by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The first fire department in Chicago was called Pioneer. A smooth red ale with hints of spices including clover, cinnamon, and a variety of malts.

• Brindle Amber Ale - Inspired by the original Atlas Brewing of Chicago, this beer goes perfectly with any meal from BBQs to private dinner parties.
• Blueberry Lou - Honey, blueberries, hops, and golden malts are combined to create this perfect summer beer. Inspired by Huck's Brewery in Chicago, which specialized in lighter, more carbonated summer-perfect beers. 
• Brown Dog - This beer has great caramel and vanilla notes to start, and it finishes with a great chocolate taste. Brown Dog is inspired by Chicago’s Lill & Diversey Brewery’s offerings of porters, stouts and a cream ale. 
• Fawn Blonde Ale - A light, refreshing beer with three varieties of hops to add spice. Manhattan Brewing Company of Chicago produced a picnic beer, and Fawn Blonde Ale is envisioned to be a modern reincarnation. 

The beer from 4 Paws that I found most appealing was Blueberry Lou (probably the most girly one). 
4 Paws Brewing reviews the beer: "Brewed this with tons of blueberries, hops, and hops to create a perfect American IPA. It is inspired by John A. Huck's Chicago Brewery that opened in 1847. They specialized in lighter, more carbonated refreshing beers perfect for hot summer days." 

A customer's review: Blueberry Lou is a peachy-golden color. The nose is overwhelmed, smells more like punch rather than beer, very fruity. The flavor follows the nose but is not as sweet as I had anticipated. Overall, 4 Paws does a good job at delivering what they advertise. That being said it's not really my cup of tea but it definitely has its place.

My experience: This is truly a summer ale. It is delicious, light in color but full in flavor. You can immediately taste the hops, honey, lots of citrus, and blueberries all bringing memories of summertime. It has a sweet taste at first with a slight tart mid-palette taste. The finish is sweet and crisp. Blueberry Lou is very carbonated and perfect for a hot summer day. The ABV (Alcohol By Volume) is at 5.25% 

To find out where you can purchase 4 Paws, visit their website.

If you're looking to buy a beer that goes towards a good cause and have a variety of flavors, 4 Paws Brewing fits right in. They have a wide variety of beers offered, created to suit every beer drinker's preference. Let me know if you have any Illinois-based Breweries that you would like to be reviewed!

Revolution Brewing - Rosa Hibiscus Ale

Located in Chicago on Milwaukee Ave, in Logan Square, Revolution Brewing opened in February of 2010.
Revolution Brewing wanted to capture the changing tastes of beer drinkers that were demanding bigger and better varieties and flavors. Revolution Brewing has stood out in the crowd of a fast growing community of craft brewing. The brewpub creates almost 50 different beer styles each year. Revolution Brewing has fun with what they do and want you to come join their Revolution.

The managing partner of Revolution Brewing, Josh Deth, was first a home-brewer when he got his lucky shot. In 1995, he received a job cleaning and scrubbing kegs at a local brewery. A few years later, Josh landed another job as a cellar-man and brew pub brewer at Goose Island (the previous blog's topic) and thought up of the idea for Revolution. A few first tries left Josh unsuccessful, but in 2003 he opened Handlebar with his wife and a couple friends. Josh had also been working as the Executive Director of Logan Square Chamber of Commerce which lead him to the building on Milwaukee Ave where Revolution Brewing is located today. Revolution Brewing then opened in February 2010 after three years of construction, raising funds, and dealing with the zoning department. Josh then added a 2nd floor Brewers' Lounge in July 2011.

Revolution Brewing produces year-round, specialty, and a deep wood series.
Year-round:

• Anti-Hero IPA: "An American hop assault for all the ambivalent warriors who get the girl in the end." This ale features four different hops varieties, creating bitterness and crisp, floral aromas.
• Eugene Porter: A dark-colored, warm chocolate malt, named after Eugene V. Debs, an American union leader who led the Pullman Railroad strike of 1894. This malt is a mixture of Belgian malts made of a structure of toasted grain, infused with chocolate and caramel. 
• Bottom Up Wit: Brewed with organic pilsner and wheat malts from Canada, Bottom Up Wit is their version of classic and refreshing Belgian ale. "Freshly ground coriander and Curacao orange peel, along with a special Wit yeast strain, contribute wonderful orange and citrus aromas and a crisp, yet silky, mouthfeel."

Specialty:

• Coup D'Etat: French style ale with a citrus hop character and an earthy, spicy aroma. 
• Double Fist: A strong pale ale with massive hops flavor. 
• Cross of Gold: Crisp golden ale with a hop finish.
• Oktoberfest: Classic German-style Oktoberfest beer.
• Fistmas Ale: A holiday red ale with ginger root and orange peel. 
• Mad Cow: A smooth, charcol black milk stout.
• Rosa Hibiscus Ale: A highly drinkable ale, steeped with hibiscus.
• Rise: An American stout flavored with Amarillo, Chinook hops, and traces of chocolate and coffee.
• A Little Crazy: A Belgo-style pale ale with pilsner malts and citrus hops.

Deep Wood Series:

• Straight Jacket: A strong ale to warm your insides during the winter months.
• Very Mad Cow: Bourbon barrel aged milk stout.

Rosa Hibiscus Ale - 
 Revolution Brewing's Description: "A highly drinkable ale steeped with hibiscus flowers and a touch of orange peel for a natural tartness and slight pink hue."
Rosa Hibiscus has an Alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5.8%.


My Experience: This beer pours a slightly hazy reddish-amber color with a medium pinkish-white head that dissipates steadily. Rosa has short strings of lacing and the aroma is floral and fruity. The light body with flavors of caramel malt, floral hops and a bit of fruit really distinguish the beer. The finish is sweet with a short berry aftertaste leaving you with a lasting memory. This beer is very memorable for me, especially the rare pink color.

Leave comments about any Revolution Brewing brews you have tried, I'd love to hear your opinions!