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 :)