Eight breweries, 24-beers, 21-different styles, no tickets — all under one roof.
There’s something for everyone at this year’s South of 80: A Celebration of Downstate Brewers, which is Tuesday, May 19th at The Green Lady.
Looking for Belgian’s? We got ’em.
Want something sessionable? Consider it done.
On the lookout for beers that are big, bold and barrel-aged? Done, done and done.
Without further ado, here’s what’s pouring at this year’s South of 80.
Destihl: Normal, IL
- Here Gose Nothin’ (5% ABV): Our Leipzig-Style Gose undergoes a spontaneous fermentation, similar to Belgian-style Gueuze/Lambic beers, and exhibits a complexity of acidic flavor and aroma contributed by wild yeast lactic fermentation.
- The Duke of Normington Saison de Imperiale (11.3% ABV): The nose of this beer is dominated by black pepper and hibiscus, which is then met with flavors of bubblegum, cherry and coriander. The beer’s medium body is swept away by a bone-dry finish and subtle notes of coriander, spicy Belgian character and black pepper at the end.
- Clarice Grand Cru (10% ABV): This special “Grand Cru” edition of Clarice Belgian-style Dark Ale has been aged in a French Cognac oak foudre, culminating into a beautiful beer that warmly welcomes you with a deep amber color & cheery-like aroma. It then befriends you with its rich, fruity, velvety-sweet maltiness, full body & pleasant spiciness.
Excel Brewing Company: Breese, IL
- Flash Bang Hoppy Wheat Ale (4.6% ABV): Huge hop flavor and aroma without the palette destroying bitterness. Light, creamy body with a hazy orange color. Notes of heavy grapefruit, tangerine and tropical fruit.
- Plague Bringer Double IPA (10% ABV): Medium bodied, golden color. Aromas and flavors of ripe mango, pineapple, stone fruit, cannabis, pine and grapefruit.
- 2nd Anniversary Imperial Porter (11% ABV): Brewed with chocolate and coconut and aged in rye whiskey barrels. Notes of toasted coconut, baker’s chocolate, vanilla, oak and tobacco.
Little Egypt: Ava, IL
- Hefeweizen (5.9% ABV): GABF Gold Medal winning Bavarian Style Hefeweizen; unfiltered, with a turbid appearance and straw yellow color. The aroma features clove and banana esters and a firm wheat presence. The beer has a complex malt flavor with wheat, banana and a lightly spicy, balanced finish.
- Louise (4.2% ABV): A Saison and Belgian-style beer comes together to make this grisette-style ale.
- House Counsel Imperial Stout (9.8% ABV): Deep, roasty chocolate notes with a firm backbone of hops and roast.
Old Bakery Beer Company: Alton, IL
- Yellow Beer (5.2% ABV): Yellow in color, and just a little bit fizzy, this Organic Pilsner is crisp, clean, hoppy & smooth.
- Maeva’s Blend Coffee Brown (4.2% ABV): Brewed in collaboration with the fine folks at Goshen Coffee in Edwardsville IL, and Maeva’s Coffee Shop in Alton IL, this Organic Brown Ale features a big coffee aroma thanks to 30 gallons of cold brewed Goshen Coffee.
- Gentle Giant Double IPA (8% ABV): Named in honor of Alton’s own Robert Wadlow who stood 8’11” tall, this Organic West Coast-style Double IPA is big on aroma and ABV, but relatively gentle on bitterness.
Rolling Meadows: Cantrall, IL
- Blood Orange: (5.8% ABV): A hefeweizen brewed with blood oranges imparting a fruity aroma, bright mouthfeel and hints of raspberry and grapefruit.
- Lincoln Logger, Schwarzbier (6.5% ABV): A contradiction of sorts, our black lager combines the flavor intensity of a porter with the crisp finish of a classic lager. Expect coffee notes, wisps of smoke and a deep midnight hue.
- Abe’s Ale, Imperial Brown Ale (8.5% ABV): A brown ale with maple syrup, molasses and brown sugar. This smooth trifecta is accompanied by a high ABV. Its dark amber color comes from deep malted barley and molasses.
Scratch Brewing Company: Ava, IL
- Wild Rye (5.2% ABV): A Belgian rye ale brewed with North Carolina grown rye from Riverbend Malt and fermented with our own wild yeast culture. 5.2% abv
- Cherry Bark Biere de Garde (6.6% ABV): An amber in color farmhouse ale brewed with wild cherry bark.
- Spring Tonic (5.2% ABV): A light, refreshing beer brewed with a dozen spring plants and no hops. Finishes dry and tart.
Schlafly: St. Louis, MO
- American IPA (7.2% ABV): A blend of Amarillo, Centennial and Simcoe hop varietals imparts AIPA with bitterness and prominent aromas of citrus and fruit.
- Summer Lager (4.5% ABV): A Helles-style lager brewed with malts that impart a wonderful, fresh grain character, reminiscent of European lagers. The German Noble hop, Mittelfrüh, lends a mild lemony, spicy flavor.
- Kölsch (4.8% ABV): Our Kölsch is a classic golden ale that uses a centuries old yeast strain sourced from a famous Kölsch brewer in Köln, Germany. It has the delicate fruity aroma of an ale with the crisp, clean finish of a lager.
Triptych Brewing: Savoy, IL
- RedX IPA: (6% ABV): Impressively smooth, robust malt character with notes of toast, caramel and light stone fruit. Late hopped with a blend of Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic and dry hopped with more Mosaic and Citra providing a resinous, piney and fruity nose and flavor.
- AJ’s Stout – 2014 (10.6% ABV): Originally brewed to commemorate the birth of our brewer’s first-born son in 2011, the initial batch of AJ’s Stout was brewed for aging until Anthony Jr’s 21st birthday. Each year Anthony brews it at Triptych to commemorate the birth of his son. This year it was aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels and has an intense dark chocolate aroma followed by hints of oak, dark fruit and bourbon.
- Wallace Mc’Gave (9% ABV): A few months ago, a batch of our Scottish Wee Heavy was sent into Mezcal barrels for aging. Wallace Mc’Gave is the result; deep caramel and toffee notes combined with hints of vanilla, honey and a smokey bitterness to make what may be one of our more interesting barrel aged beers to date.