Goose Island Brewery

Goose Island Beer Company

Location	Chicago, Illinois United States
Opened	1988
Key people	John Hall (founder) Brett Porter (Brewmaster) Jared Jankoski (Brewmaster)
Owner(s)	Anheuser-Busch InBev
Website	gooseisland.com
Active beers
Name Type Goose IPA India Pale Ale Honkers Ale English Bitter Fulton Street Blend Golden ale 312 Urban Wheat Ale Pale wheat ale 312 Urban Pale Ale Pale ale Four Star Pils Pilsner Sofie Belgian Farmhouse Ale Matilda Belgian Pale Ale

Goose Island Brewery is a brewery in Chicago, Illinois, that began as a single brewpub opened in 1988 in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and named after a nearby island. The larger brewery opened in 1995, and a second brewpub, in Wrigleyville, in 1999.^[1]

In 2011, Goose Island was sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev.^{[2][upper-alpha 1]}

Their beers are distributed across the United States and the United Kingdom,^[4] after a stake of the company was sold to Widmer Brothers Brewery in 2006, and the brewery was able to expand into different markets.^[5] The brewer began distributing Matilda west of the Rockies in March 2010.^[6][7] Goose Island outsources the production of some of its beers. Honker's Ale and IPA sold on the east coast is now brewed under contract in New Hampshire.^[8]

Greg Hall stepped down as brewmaster with the AB InBev purchase in 2011.^[2]

Brewpubs

Goose Island brewpub on Clybourn Ave.

Goose Island had two brewpubs which both serve brunch, lunch, and dinner. The 1800 N. Clybourn location has specialty food items, such as duck, rabbit, and truffle aioli served with French fries. They serve anything from a burger and fries to homemade sausages and PEI Mussels. The brewpub is supplied by local farmers who raise natural meats; many of the animals are fed the same wheat and grain that was previously used to make the beer, as one sign reads "Beer Fed Pork Served Here." The Wrigleyville location closed in September 2014, but reopened for the Chicago Cubs season in April 2015. It closed for good in November 2015, and its brewing equipment was removed.

The Goose Island brewpubs were not a part of the sale of Goose Island Beer Company to Anheuser Busch.^[9]

Tours

The brewery conducts tours at the Clybourn Brewpub on Saturday (12:30pm, 2pm, and 3:30pm) and Sunday (1pm and 2:30pm).

Products

Beer

Beers on tap at the pub

Goose Island produces a number of beers that are available year-round, as well as some beers that are seasonal. At different times in the past, the brewery has produced dozens of other beers.^[10]

In November 2008, Goose Island made news when its small batch of Bourbon County Stout became available for the first time in Western states.^[11] That Russian Imperial Stout is cask-conditioned in oak Bourbon barrels, which may include Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single barrel bourbon,^[12] 25-year-old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon,"^[7] or Jim Beam Bourbon barrels.^[13]

Goose Island Beers

Name	Style	ABV %	IBU	Availability/Notes	Ref
Honkers Ale	English Bitter	4.3	30	Year round	[14]
Goose IPA	India Pale Ale	5.9	55	Year round	[15]
Fulton Street Blend	Golden ale	5.5	20	Year round	[16]
Autumn Ale	Red ale	6.7	65	Seasonal	[17]
Oktoberfest	Märzen	6.4	17	Seasonal	[18]
Autumn Experimental Ale	Extra Special Bitter	5.7	43	Limited release Autumn variety pack only	[19]
Festivity Ale	Brown ale	7.7	50	Seasonal (Nov–Dec)	[20]
Ten Hills Pale Ale	Pale ale	6.2	50	Year round	[21]
Summer Ale	Summer ale	5.0	35	Seasonal (April–August)	[22]
312 Urban Wheat Ale	Wheat ale	4.2	18	Year round	[23]
312 Urban Pale Ale	Pale ale	5.2	30	Year round	[24]
312 Urban Radler	Shandy	3.0	18	Seasonal (Summer) Chicago distribution only	[25]
Green Line	Pale ale	5.4	36	Illinois distribution only	[26]
Four Star Pils	Pilsner	5.1	44	Year round	[27]
Chance the Rapper's No Collar	Helles Lager	5.1	25	Draft only Chicago distribution only	[28]
Sofie	Saison	6.5	20	Year round	[29]
Matilda	Belgian ale	7.0	32	Year round	[30]
Gillian	Belgian farmhouse ale	9.5	20	Limited release	[31]
Lolita	Belgian wild ale	8.7	32	Limited release	[32]
Juliet	Sour ale	8.0	15	Limited release	[33]
Halia	Lambic	7.5	11	Limited release	[33]
Madame Rose	Oud bruin	6.7	25	Limited release	[33]
Pere Jacques	Belgian strong ale	8.0	26
Pepe Nero	Farmhouse ale	6.4	30
Endless IPA	Session IPA	4.7	20	Seasonal (Mar–Aug)
Rambler IPA	Red IPA	6.7	65	Seasonal (Aug–Nov)
Bourbon County Stout	Imperial stout	14+	60	Seasonal (Nov)
Bourbon County Barley Wine	Barley Wine	12+	60	Seasonal (Nov)

Soda

For several years, the WIT Beverage Company licensed the Goose Island name for a craft soda line including Chicago Style Root Beer, Concord Grape, Spicy Ginger, Vanilla Cream, and Orange Cream.^[34][35] The branding was changed to WBC Craft Sodas following the expiration of the Goose Island licensing in 2013.

Awards

^[36][37]

Name	Style	Honors
312 Urban Wheat	Wheat Ale	2010 Great American Beer Festival Gold, 2008 Great American Beer Festival Bronze, 2008 World Beer Cup Silver, 2007 Great American Beer Festival Gold, 2006 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Baderbrau	Pilsner	1998 Great American Beer Festival Silver
Blonde Ale	Blonde Ale	1999 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Bourbon County Brand Stout	Imperial Stout	2010 Great American Beer Festival Bronze, 2006 World Beer Cup Gold, 1995 Great American Beer Festival Honorable Mention
Bourbon Wheatmeister	Wheat Wine	2007 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Chicago Vice Weizen	Wheat Ale	1989 Great American Beer Festival Silver
Christmas Ale	Christmas Beer	2010 World Beer Cup Bronze
Demolition	Golden Ale	2009 Great American Beer Festival Silver
Harvest Ale	Extra Special Bitter	2011 Great American Beer Festival Bronze
Honkers Ale	Bitter	2006 World Beer Cup Bronze, 1997 Great American Beer Festival Gold
IPA	India Pale Ale	2010 World Beer Cup Gold, 2009 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2007 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2004 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2001 Great American Beer Festival Bronze, 2000 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Lolita	Cherry Sour Ale	2010 World Beer Cup Silver
Matilda	Pale Ale	2008 World Beer Cup Silver, 2006 World Beer Cup Silver, 2005 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Naughty Goose	Brown Ale	2003 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Nut Brown Ale	Brown Ale	2010 World Beer Cup Gold, 2006 World Beer Cup Gold
Oatmeal Stout	Oatmeal Stout	1992 Great American Beer Festival Bronze
Pils	Pilsner	2002 Great American Beer Festival Silver
PMD Mild	Mild Ale	1992 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Red Woody	Red Ale	2009 Great American Beer Festival Silver
Schwarzbier	Schwarzbier	2004 Great American Beer Festival Bronze
Sofie	Saison	2011 Great American Beer Festival Bronze
Summertime	Kölsch	2002 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Wheatmeister	Wheat Wine	2007 Great American Beer Festival Bronze

References

Notes

1. Within the Brewers Association definition. "An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional."^[3]

Citations

1. Frisbie, Paul (November 9, 2008). "A Chicago Icon Remains Intact". chicago-copywriter.com.
2. Noel, Josh; York, Emily (March 28, 2011). "Anheuser-Busch to take over Goose Island". chicagotribune.com.
3. "Craft Brewer Defined". brewersassociation.org. Brewers Association. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
4. Rocky (December 17, 2008). "Goose Island Beer-Chicago's Finest". hoppsy.com.
5. Yue,Lorene (June 8, 2006). "Stake in Goose Island Beer Sold to Anheuser Affiliate". chicagobusiness.com.
6. Fullpint, Jonny (March 2, 2010). "Goose Island – Matilda Makes Her Way West". Beer News. The Full Pint.com. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
7. "Goose Island". Seattle Beer News. March 2, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
8. Bryson York, Emily (February 22, 2011). "Goose Island outsources Honker's, India Pale Ale". chicagotribune.com.
9. "Press Release 03.28.2011: Goose Island Selects Current Partner Anheuser-Bush for Growth Strategy" (Press release). Chicago, Illinois. March 28, 2011. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
10. Goose Island Beer Company at RateBeer.com. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
11. Beer Advocate, November 4, 2008
12. Northern Home Brewers forum, Goose Island Bourbon Barrel Stout.
13. Japhe, Brad (26 November 2014). "For Beer Lovers, "Black" Friday Means the Release of a Very Rare Barrel-Aged Stout". LA Weekly. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
34. "New Products". beveragespectrum.com. July–August 2009.
35. "Fate of Goose Island Soda? It's Flappin' in the Wind". BevNET.com. March 28, 2011.
36. The Association of Brewers. "Great American Beer Festival Past Winners". greatamericanbeerfestival.com.
37. Brewers Association. "World Beer Cup Winners List". worldbeercup.org.

External links

• Goose Island Beer Company Site

Coordinates: 41°56′47.36″N 87°39′27.96″W / 41.9464889°N 87.6577667°W