A three day weekend translated into a two day trip out to Chicago to visit one of my favorite breweries. My long distance relationship with Two Brothers Brewing has consisted of a few bottles making their way to me out West via friendly travelers feeding my addiction to craft beer.
Within an hour of landing at Midway, I was saddled up to the bar at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, Illinois, a newly acquired facility that previously held the Walter Payton namesake. Twelve hearty samples later, I discovered my top three: Revelry, Outlaw, and Cane and Ebel.
Revelry, an imperial red ale coming in at 9.5% ABV, started off a bit bready. The slow release of that malt into a bittery citrus hop finish captured my palette. I think it goes without saying that I brought a full growler of this home, taking the risk of my luggage becoming beer soup. The Outlaw IPA was light and citrusy, with just enough pine to please this NW hophead. Cane and Ebel, on the other hand, was a totally different animal. Described as a "hopped up red rye ale," this heavy weight was impeccably balanced between the spiciness of the rye, sweetness of the Thai Palm Sugar, and the bitterness of Simcoe, Columbus, and Summit hops.
My Two Brothers checklist didn't stop there. The next day, I headed out to Warrenville to tour the actual brewing facility. With a snifter of Revelry, I traipsed around the well equipped brewery that currently distributes their goods to only five states: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, and Ohio. Not hearing Washington on the list prompted me to fill my already at capacity suitcase with more Two Brothers Brew. If you ever find yourself in Chicago during the middle of winter, or anytime of the year for that matter, head out to the 'burbs and see for yourself what these guys have been brewing up for the last sixteen years.
www.twobrosbrew.com
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