The Full Pint takes a look at the uptick in crafty beer collaborations from Chicago brewers and breweries, with a focus on a soon-to-be-released collaborative brew from Lakeview brewpub DryHop Brewers and Lake Effect Brewing in Portage Park.
Here’s a snippet, but go read the whole thing – it will be well worth your time.
“So just why are so many Chicago breweries lining up to collaborate? With a relatively new law enacted in the state of Illinois, smaller breweries (less than a 15,000 barrel production) are now able to sell directly to retail outlets. This avoids the normal three-tier system process, which has led to an absolute explosion of smaller capacity breweries sprouting up in every nook and cranny of this city. I’ve heard rumors of 35 new breweries by 2014. Undoubtedly, craft beer drinkers are ecstatic and many of us are eager to see how the market place reacts. One thing I’m sure of is that the collaboration movement has paralleled this new law. Overwhelmingly, when I’ve asked brewers why they collaborate I get generally the same answer; (1) it makes business sense, and (2) it’s just plain fun.”