Over the weekend, we received word that another brewery who joined us for a South of 80 celebration is adding the Windy City to their distribution list.
Downstate brewery Excel Brewing Company is coming to Chicago tomorrow, June 23, with a kickoff event with our friends at The Green Lady. They’ll be bringing their Bose Roggen black lager, Piasa Pilsner, Eastside IPA, Plague Bringer DIPA and the Imperial Porter that we loved so much at FoBAB and at South of 80.
We’ve been aware of Excel since they moved into beer in 2012 and we got their hands on their Citra beer in 2013. Ever since trying their Bose Roggen at last year’s GABF, however, we’ve been talking them up big time.
In fact, when we were talking with them at this year’s South of 80, they said we could expect them to be in Chicago eventually — we didn’t think it would be this soon, though.
The brewery basically rebooted everything in 2014 after adding a former Stone brewer to their ranks, and since then things have really been on on the upswing. They make good stuff, and we’ve previously been limited to trying their darker offerings, so we’re looking forward to checking in with the lighter stuff over the summer.
Excel is the fourth brewery to enter Chicago after first coming to the city via our South of 80 event. Six Row, Destihl and Urban Chestnut all began distribution in the city very soon after joining us during Chicago Craft Beer Week.
Welcome, Excel. We’re happy to have you.
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