|
Check out the latest in Emmett's Brewery.
Written by Emmett's own brewers.
|
Beer, Beer Everywhere!
3-22-13
Sorry about the long gap in the blog, but things have been pretty busy around your local breweries as of late. Back in the fall, the brewing staff decided that we should make a push to increase the variety and amounts of beer that we have available at our pubs. Hopefully you have noticed that our efforts are paying off. Last weekend, for example, all three pubs had 11 different Emmett's beers on tap and Victory Pale, McCarthy Red, and Robust Porter in bottles. And there's more to come! Downers has a Dopplebock and a Dark Strong Ale already brewed and maturing in the tanks. There's also a Honey Blonde Ale should warmer weather ever show up. Palatine has 1871 Lager fermenting and a big Saison in the works. Look for a delicious Citra IPA and sour Brown Ale at West Dundee. Fans of cask ale can look forward to those offerings increasing in the coming months, as well as more barrel-aged beers. There's never been a better time to be a beer drinker than right now, and things are only getting better! We look forward to seeing you soon. Cheers!
~ Rob
The Week that Was
11-10-12
Another week is in the books as your Emmett's breweries keep chugging away. The German Altbier is maturing nicely in Downers Grove and is almost ready for its debut at the tapping party on the 20th. Mike and Doug have been busy conditioning firkins of cask ale from the new batch of Rye IPA. They've been doctoring this already great beer with fresh fruit and various peppers; some even got both. Stop by West Dundee for a taste of these unique one-of-a-kind cask ales. You might love it, you might hate it, but you won't soon forget it. As for the weekend, Doug's Irish hope to answer their wake up call against Boston College, while the Hogs travel to South Carolina to face the Old Ball Coach one more time. Enjoy it everyone, and we hope to see you soon.
Cheers,
~ Rob
Wrap Up
10-19-12
Another busy week at all three breweries. Our new brewer at Downers Grove has arrived from Michigan and has already gotten his feet wet brewing a Victory Pale Ale. Be sure to welcome Mark when you're down there.
Palatine has a fresh batch of Rye IPA in the tank, so look for that on tap in about two weeks.
Mike and Doug continue to monitor the progress of our barrel-aged Imperial Stout and Wee Heavy at West Dundee.
Cheers!
~ Rob
Countdown to Rye Time
8-23
Mike transferred the Rye IPA in Palatine today, so that means we're only a few days away from tapping another tank of that hoppy goodness. If you've had it before, you know it'll be worth the brief wait; if you haven't had it, you're in for a treat. It's a true tongue-bruising IPA with a big malt body to support the boatload of citrus-y American hops we threw in. Alcohol comes in at about 7�y volume. A touch of Rye malt gives the finish a nice spicy dryness. Look for it to be on tap starting this Saturday. Cheers!
~ Rob
Life begins at 40...
8-3-12
40 IBU's, that is! Just finished brewing the newest seasonal at Downers Grove; the German Pilsener. Although super-light golden in color and light-bodied, this lager packs a big, but refined hop punch. It weighs in at 42 IBU, but all of that hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma come exclusively from the noble Hallertau hop imported from Germany. Expect this beautiful golden lager to be crisp, refreshing, and full of flavor. It will be the perfect beer to help you beat the heat through the dog days of summer. Ready in about three weeks. Hefe went back on tap yesterday, and you don't want to miss it. Another batch is already in the works, so don't worry and have all you want, we'll make more. Cheers!
~ Rob
Upcoming beers
8/2/12
August will be a great month for Emmett's beer lovers! The 1871 is conditioning, and tastes delicious! It is still on tract for the end of August. Hefe will be back on all three locations by tomorrow (8/3) Wednesday August 8th I will be brewing the Rye IPA, followed a week later with the Black IPA! Yes you read that correctly! Two great IPA's coming soon! Finally, later this month the Oktoberfest will be brewed in anticipation of the start of the fall season.
Downers Grove will have a German Pilsener on tap in about a month, and Dundee will have a super drinkable Belgian Single on next week.
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan Clooney
Upcoming goodness!
7/17/12
Palatine will be releasing our hopped up Belgian Blonde later this week. It loaded with tons of Belgian spice and dry hopped with Cascade hops to add a nice blast of citrus to the finish. Today, in Palatine, I am brewing everyone's favorite Emmett's 1871! Should be available in bottles in all three stores by the end of August and will probably be on tap in Palatine for a short time.
Doug is busy over in Dundee. He will be brewing our Imperial Stout tomorrow, and once it's finished fermenting the whole batch will be put into Jack Daniels barrels to age until winter.
Rob is brewing up another batch of Hefe in Downers today, so look for it in a couple of weeks.
Enjoy the heat!
Cheers
~ Ryan Clooney
Hefe Is Back!!!!
6/19/12
At long last, the Palatine Hefe is back on tap! Clove, banana, and vanilla characterize this Summer quencher! Delicious! West Dundee is tapping a Hallertau IPA today. Hallertau is fantastic German hop usually reserved for Pilsners and other classic German lagers, but we used it to make an American IPA with a German twist! Big and hoppy with a great spicy character, it's sure to sell out fast. Palatine will be tapping a keg or two of the Hallertau IPA also, and Dundee will have some Summer Bock to help cool you down this week. Come and see us!
Cheers!
~ Ryan Clooney
Summer, at last!
6-19-12
Even though tomorrow is officially the first day of summer, Father's Day is behind us and it's hot outside, so I say it's summer time. That being the case, we'll transfer our Hefeweizen from the fermenter to the serving tank today in preparation for its tapping party, which is the real, official start of summer. It will be Thursday the 21st from 6:30 to 8:30 at our Downers Grove location. 15 bucks gets you set up with Hefe, shrimp skewers, and brats. What better way to start the best season of the year?
~ Rob
Quick update
6/4/12
Here is a quick update for the breweries. West Dundee and Palatine are surving the years first Hefe, while Downers is brewing the Hefe tomorrow. Palatine will be putting the Blonde Bock on tap by this weekend. Big, delicious and slighlty hoppy, this is an awesome lager beer! Look for a couple wayword kegs to find their way to Downers and Dundee later next week.
Cheers!
~ Ryan Clooney
From the Brewery
5/17/12
Great news! Next week, all three locations will have our German Hefe-Weizen on tap. Look for it by mid week. One of my favorites, Blonde Bock if fermenting away and should be on tap around Fathers Day weekend. I can't wait!
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan Clooney
From the Brewery
4/13/12
Big day today! We are brewing a traditional Milk Stout in Dundee as we speak. This is the first time attempting this style. I kind of invision it like a rich, creamy chocolate shake that is topped with espresso. I can't wait! Should be on tap by the end of the month. Also coming up at the end of the month is our Wee Heavy. This is going to be a big beer! 9 percent ABV and loaded with sweet caramel and toffee flavors held together with a touch of peat smoke and hop spice it promises to be delicious! We are also going to barrel age some of the Wee Heavy, so look for it around Thanksgiving time in corked and waxed 22oz bottles.
Downers Grove is still serving a delicious Belgian Tripel, and Palatine has a little Rye IPA left. Also in Palatine is our Smokey Goodness German Rauch Bier-- Love that beer! and another German favorite a Marzen lager. Get them while they last! Dundee is currently pouring a smooth and chocolatey English Brown Ale and a wonderful German Doppelbock.
Coming soon to a brewery near you ....German Maibock and German Hefe-Weizen. Both should be on towards the end of May.
That's all for now.
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan Clooney
New Beers on Tap
03/14/2012
A computer glitch is making it so I am utilizing a ghost-writer today to get you the going-ons in the breweries!
Our delicious Marzens and fan-favorite Rye IPA went on tap yesterday at Palatine. These are great easy drinking beers and would taste wonderful sitting on the patio. Our Dopplebock and English Brown should be going on tap today in West Dundee. Make sure to stop in and get one of the delicious beers!
Also- our Irish Dry Stout and Rafferty Irish Red Ale will be pouring on Saturday. As an added treat, the Irish Red will be tapped in our Firkin's at each location for St. Patty's Day.
Cheers,
~ Ryan (via Sarah)
Good times to be a beer drinker!
3/6/2012
Our delicious, smokey German-style Rauch beer went on tap last week in Palatine. Man is it good! Rich and malty with a deep smoked malt flavor and aroma, balanced by a bit of roast and caramel sweetness. It's like a free trip to Bamberg Germany in a glass! Downers is still serving up the delicious Belgian Tripel, while West Dundee still has a little bit left of the Liberty IPA. Coming soon, we will be releasing a German-style Marzen lager, our fan favorite, Rye IPA, a strong German-style Doppelbock, and one of my favorites, the English Brown Ale. They are all brewed and fermenting/conditioning away. I'll keep you posted. Let's not forget St. Patrick's Day. The Rafferty Red and Irish Stout will both be ready and flowing for the big day!
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan
Liberty IPA
2/24/12
The weekend is finally here, and there is no better way to start it off than with a pint of our Liberty IPA! This IPA is made with 100 percent Liberty hops. Unlike our regular IPA or Rye IPA, which boast huge citrus/piney notes, the Liberty has a much more refined hop character. The nose is bright and fresh with lots of floral and herbal notes. The flavor follows suit with more floral spice, and a firm bitterness. A rich, malty sweet backbone brings everything together. At 7.5 ABV, it's a strong IPA but remains highly quaffable. Get some while it lasts. Currently available in West Dundee and Palatine. Coming soon to Downers.
~ Ryan
Imperial Stout and Barley Wine!
1/30
In case you haven't been in Palatine in awhile, we put our unbelievably delicious Imperial Stout on tap last week. Big(9.5«v), bold and full of rich coffee and dark chocolate flavors, this beer will fight off winters chill with ease! There is a very limited supply so get some while it lasts. We will be bringing one half barrel to Downers Grove and West Dundee, so stop in there later in the week if you can't make it to Palatine.
The Barley Wine is still pouring in Palatine also. Big, caramely, fruity and hoppy, it's about as good as it gets!
See you soon!
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan Clooney
Tripel Threat
1-26
It's been business as usual in the Grove, which means busy, busy, busy. We just finished brewing our Belgian Tripel, which oddly enough, was a three-day process. On Tuesday, we brewed a regular batch of 1AM and side-streamed one barrel of the wort to propagate our Belgian Trappist-style yeast. The yeast was delivered fresh that morning from our supplier's lab in Colorado, but we wanted to give it a chance to grow and get fully active in preparation for the big job ahead of it. Wednesday we brewed the high-gravity, all-malt wort and let the yeast have at it, and finally, today we added 120 lbs. of Belgian candi sugar to the actively fermenting beer to boost the brew's strength just a little more. We'll keep a close eye on the fermentation progress and hope to release the beer in 15-20 days. A release party is in the planning stages, so keep checking in for the actual date. Cheers!
~ Rob Hunter
Black IPA
1/6/12
Palatine just tapped the Nitro Black IPA! We brought a couple of kegs over from Downers. It's delicious, dark, creamy, hoppy, roasty.....all things good in the world! Get it while it lasts. Our American Barley Wine is on tap at all three locations. Dundee has the cult favorite Scottish Ale on tap too. Great time to be a beer drinker in the Burbs! Enjoy!
Cheers,
Ryan
Brewmaster
~ Ryan Clooney
Big beers!
12/29/11
The Imperial Stout has been brewed and is fermenting away here in Palatine. Look for it to be on tap towards the end of January. Downers Grove tapped the Black IPA yesterday. Dark, hoppy and delicious! If those words sound good to you, get in there and drink some! Look for a few kegs to make their way to Palatine and Dundee by next week. The Scottish Ale should be on tap tomorrow in West Dundee. Great, easy drinking malty beer.
Have a great New Year!
Cheers,
Ryan
Brewmaster
~ Ryan Clooney
12/21/11
Merry Christmas my beer drinking friends! The Barley Wine is now on tap in Palatine and West Dundee. It will be on in Downers Grove tomorrow!! A delicious 10«v Barley Wine will help you get through the Holidays with ease! I am brewing the Scottish Ale today in Dundee. Look for it in a couple of weeks. Black IPA on in Downers next week and a few kegs to make their way to Dundee and Palatine by New Years Eve.
Have a great Christmas!
Cheers,
Ryan
Brewmaster
~ Ryan Clooney
12/13/11
Brewing up our award winning Munich Light in Dundee today. A little taste of Germany right here in Illinois! World class beer right here in your backyard. Drink local my friends!
~ Ryan Clooney
Holiday Beers
12/7/11
Just in time for Christmas, Palatine will be tapping our Barleywine. It should be on the week of Christmas....a little gift for all of us! There will be a very limited supply of this delicious beer in all locations. Downers Grove is brewing up a Black IPA for the holidays, and West Dundee should have everyone's favorite Scottish Ale on in time for Christmas festivities. We will try to spread the love and bring some Black IPA to Dundee and Palatine as well. I'll keep you posted.
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan Clooney
10/5/11
Great news for Emmett's! Our delicious Munich Light, a German-style Helles, won a silver medal at this years GABF!!! We knew it was great and now the whole country does too!
Attention Hop Heads...The incredibly hoppy Rye IPA will be on tap in Palatine Thursday evening. Get it while it lasts.
~ Ryan Clooney
Production!!!
8/16/11
Brewing up a McCarthy Red while Mike and his gang are bottling up 150 cases of Pale ale. A very limited supply of Saison should be on later this week. I will be brewing the Oktoberfest on Thursday!!! Yes, it's that time of year already!
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan Clooney
Stout on at the Grove
8-12
Transferred and tapped the Irish Dry Stout in Downers Grove today. We normally only produce this delightful black gem for St. Patrick's Day, but we like it so much that we decided that we couldn't wait until March to have some more. It's light in body and alcohol, but full of rich roasty flavor. It's also served on nitrogen dispense for that smooth creaminess you've come to expect from our stouts. It will also be on tap in Palatine, probably in a couple of weeks. Cheers!
~ Rob
BUSY!!!!!
8/9/11
I know I keep saying it, but man are we busy!!! For all the Hefe lovers out there, the last batch for the year went on tap in Palatine on Friday. Word of warning....it's delicious! get it while it lasts! We will be bringing some to Dundee, but in very limited quantities so make sure you come in and enjoy some. I am brewing up one of my favorites, the German Doppelbock on Friday. Look for that around the first week of September. Lot's of great beers coming up. Be sure to check back ofter and see what's happening!
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan Clooney
Another crazy week!!
7/27/11
Brewed a 1AM yesterday in Palatine, and two Victories today. Big McRed filtration tomorrow and then another two Victory Pales on Friday!!! Look for a new batch of Hefe late next week. It's coming I swear!
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan
New on tap
07/15/2011
The Black IPA is on tap in West Dundee!
~ Ryan
Ryan Clooney, Brewmaster
7/14/11
Attention Hop Heads, the Black IPA is back on tap in Palatine! Big and hoppy with a firm bitterness and smooth malt backbone...it's delicious! It's supposed to be a scorcher this weekend, and what better way to cool off than with a cold pint of Emmett's Saison. Should be on tap tomorrow afternoon.
Cheers,
Ryan
~ Ryan
Busy week at the Grove
7-14-11
The power was out all day Monday here in Downers Grove, but we didn't let that stop us from cranking out a whole bunch of good beer this week. After a morning of resetting switches and clocks on Tuesday, we brewed up an Irish Dry Stout. The Roasted Barley from England gives this beer its dark color and great flavor, and makes it one of our favorites. We'll update its progress, but it should be ready in about two weeks. We spent the rest of the week cleaning cellar tanks and transferring fresh batches of Munich Light, McCarthy Red, and Hefeweizen. The Hefe will be ready on Friday, just in time to beat the weekend heat. Enjoy!
~ Rob
West Dundee Brew
07/08/2011
Brewing up the Hoppy American Wheat today in West Dundee. Look for it to be on in a couple of weeks.
~ Ryan
Double Batches
07/07/2011
Yesterday's two batches of Victory Pale was so fun I thought I would brew two batches of delicious McCarthy Red while I was in Palatine today!
~ Ryan
|
|