Jan 26
By Kristine Sherred
At Metropolitan Brewery in Ravenswood, head brewer Doug Hurst, who studied Brewing Technology at the Siebel Institute in Chicago and Munich after home brewing for more than ten years, doesn't take bottling his German lagers lightly. He mans the finicky bottling machine (it often goes kaput and needs a little kick in the side) with an eagle's eye and a Maglite, ensuring that each and every bottle is properly filled and capped. Those that miss the mark are capped manually or sometimes imbibed on the spot.
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Nov 29
Seventy-seven years ago this week, the United States repealed prohibition and Chicago’s brewmaster community wants to celebrate. That’s why Encore Liquid Lounge will be teaming up with Chicago’s Two Brothers and Metropolitan Brewing for a five-course “beer dinner” prix fixe, featuring locally brewed beers and German-style fare on December 6.
Encore, 171 West Randolph, may be uniquely suited to host the dinner: it’s located at the Hotel Allegro on Randolph between LaSalle and Wells which, when it was known as The Bismarck, served the first legal beer in Chicago post-prohibition. As part of the commemoration, they will be serving a beer called “The Bismarck,” a Munich Dunkel brewed by Doug Hurst of Metropolitan and Andy Pishko of Encore, brewed especially for that dinner.
“It will not be distributed anywhere else, and there are no plans to brew it again,” says Pishko. “I wanted this dinner to focus on some of the great beers being made in the Chicago area, and I think (we have) a good representation.”
In addition to “The Bismarck,” Encore will be featuring other beers brewed locally by Chicago brewers’ Metropolitan and Two Brothers, as part of this special German menu “specifically designed to be paired with the beers.” (Jonas Simon)
For reservations, contact Andy Pishko at andrew.pishko@allegrochicago.com or (312)325-7121.
