{"id":24808,"date":"2017-11-10T13:01:25","date_gmt":"2017-11-10T19:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=24808"},"modified":"2023-10-20T08:47:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T13:47:00","slug":"tuskegee-airmen-pursuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/tuskegee-airmen-pursuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Argus Celebrates Veterans Day with a Beer Honoring Tuskegee Airmen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A small black-and-white photo hangs on the wall in the entryway to Argus Brewery<\/a> in Chicago\u2019s Pullman neighborhood. A young African-American man sits in the pilot seat of a World War II fighter plane, with three distinctive Nazi swastikas on the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that about?\u201d I asked during a recent tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Jack!\u201d brewery historian Nick Lubovich replied enthusiastically. \u201cWe\u2019re actually making a beer for him!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jack Lyle, one of the last living Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, has become a bit of a regular visitor at Argus, bonding with the crew there after he and his wife, Eunice, came for a tour. All of those conversations led to the creation of the recently-released Tuskegee Airmen Pursuit \u2013 a farmhouse ale aged in wine barrels, commemorating Lyle\u2019s service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only 300 bottles were made and $5 from every sale is going to the Tuskegee Airmen\/Experimental Aircraft Association\u2019s Young Eagles Program, which teaches kids how to fly through opportunities at the Gary\/Chicago International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you\u2019d like to not only get a bottle, but also give thanks to Jack, he\u2019ll be signing bottles of that beer from 3-5 p.m. Sunday at Kimbark Beverage Shoppe, 1214 E. 53rd St. in Hyde Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cJack first came to the brewery about three years ago \u2013 he\u2019s a gentleman in every aspect. Extremely modest,\u201d Lubovich said. \u201cEunice is more the beer fan, but \u2018happy wife, happy life,\u2019 so Jack is always up for a visit. Plus, someone has to drive home!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photo of Jack seated in his plane \u2013 \u201cNatalie,\u201d named after his first wife \u2013 is impressive. The swastikas on the door, Lubovich shares, represent the enemy planes he shot down during his 27 missions more than 70 years ago. But that\u2019s not the photo that Jack wanted on the bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe wanted a picture of him with his crew \u2013 the guys who took care of his plane for him,\u201d Lubovich said after the tour. \u201cThat was important to him, because he said he couldn\u2019t have done it without them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2007, he and other Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argus, which doesn\u2019t yet have a license to operate a brewpub or sell bottles to-go from their historic brewery building, has a strong partnership with Kimbark, where owner Jonathan Swain has long held a strong commitment to supporting local craft beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have always supported Argus and they are a staple in the southside community,\u201d Lubovich said. \u201cIt was actually Jonathan and Gail Swain who suggested donating $5 per bottle to charity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n