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Goose Island Brewery

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Goose Island Beer Company
The Original Goose Island Brewpub on Clybourn Ave. opened in 1988
The Original Goose Island Brewpub on Clybourn Ave. opened in 1988
Map
LocationChicago, Illinois
United States
Coordinates41°53′14″N 87°40′20″W / 41.887133°N 87.672134°W / 41.887133; -87.672134
Opened1988
Key peopleJohn Hall (Founder)
Todd Ahsmann (President)
Daryl Hoedtke (Brewmaster)
Owned byAnheuser-Busch InBev
Websitegooseisland.com
Active beers
Name Type
Goose IPA India Pale Ale
312 Wheat Ale Wheat ale
Honkers Ale English Bitter
Sofie Belgian Farmhouse Ale
Matilda Belgian Pale Ale
Bourbon County Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout
Aging barrels at Goose Island Brewery in Chicago
Aging barrels at Goose Island Brewery in Chicago

Goose Island Beer Company is a brewery in Chicago. The oldest currently-operating brewing company in Illinois, it began as a brewpub that opened in 1988 in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, and was named after a nearby island. A larger production brewery opened in 1995. A second brewpub, in Wrigleyville, opened in 1999 and closed in 2015.[1]

Their beers are distributed across the United States, and the United Kingdom after a stake of the company was sold to Widmer Brothers Brewery in 2006,[2] and the brewery was able to expand into different markets.[3] In 2011, Goose Island was sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev.[4][A] Greg Hall stepped down as brewmaster with the AB InBev purchase in 2011; Brett Porter was hired as the new brewmaster.[4]

History

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John Hall was originally influenced by the English brewing tradition and pub culture. [6]

Brewpubs

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Front facade of Goose Island Brewery in July 2024
Front facade of the original Goose Island Brewery in July 2024

Goose Island has one brewpub located on Clybourn Ave which serves brunch, lunch, and dinner next to their assortment of beers.[7] The brewpub was sold to Anheuser Busch in 2016, but it still remains a subsidiary of the Fulton Street brewery.[8][9] The Clybourn Avenue Brewpub closed for renovation in January 2017;[10][11] it reopened in October 2017, slightly renamed to Goose Island Brewhouse.[12] The Wrigleyville brewpub closed in 2015 to make way for further development of the Wrigleyville area.[13]

The original brewery on Fulton Street features a tap room and offers tours of the facility.[14][15]

Goose Island currently operates different concept locations across the globe, with brewpubs in Dubai, Toronto,[8] São Paulo,[16] Seoul[17] and Shanghai;[18]

Products

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Beer

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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.[19]

In November 2008, Goose Island made news when its small batch of Bourbon County Stout became available for the first time in the Western United States.[20]

While Goose Island products were originally only available in the Chicago area,[21] since 2012 their products are available in all 50 states.[22]

In Europe, post AB-Inbev acquisition, Goose Island Beer is brewed at the InBev brewing facilities in Belgium.

Bourbon County Stout

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Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout was one of the first bourbon barrel-aged beers. It was first produced by Greg Hall in Chicago in 1992, when Jim Beam gave the brewer a couple of used barrels; however, according to Hall's assistant brewmaster and other pieces of evidence, it may not have been produced until 1995.[23] Goose Island's Brett Porter said: "We let the warehouse run to Chicago temperatures—cold winters, followed by hot humid summers—that causes the staves in our bourbon barrels to bring in and then force out liquid, and that's where the flavor comes from".[24][25]

Every year in late November, Goose Island releases its series of Bourbon County Stouts, consisting of the classic Bourbon County Stout and its variants.[26]

Brew kettles at Goose Island Brewery on Fulton St
Brew kettles at Goose Island Brewery on Fulton St

Soda

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For several years, the WIT Beverage Company licensed the Goose Island name for a craft soda line.[27][28] The branding was changed to WBC Craft Sodas following the expiration of the Goose Island licensing in 2013.

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Within the Brewers Association definition. "An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional."[5]

Citations

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  1. ^ Frisbie, Paul (November 9, 2008). "A Chicago Icon Remains Intact". chicago-copywriter.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  2. ^ Rocky (December 17, 2008). "Goose Island Beer-Chicago's Finest". hoppsy.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
  3. ^ Yue,Lorene (June 8, 2006). "Stake in Goose Island Beer Sold to Anheuser Affiliate". chicagobusiness.com.
  4. ^ a b "Chicago craft-beer brewer Goose Island sells to Anheuser-Busch". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  5. ^ "Craft Brewer Defined". brewersassociation.org. Brewers Association. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  6. ^ "Brewing a Historical Beer - Obadiah Poundage". YouTube. Goose Island. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Goose Island Brewpub". www.choosechicago.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  8. ^ a b "Goose Island Brewhouse Now Open in Toronto". Canadian Beer News. 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  9. ^ Noel, Josh (2016-02-19). "Goose Island Sells Brewpub to Anheuser-Busch". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  10. ^ Noel, Josh (2017-01-04). "Goose Island's Clybourn Brewpub Closing for 5-Month Renovation". Chicato Tribune. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  11. ^ Noel, Josh (October 18, 2017). "Goose Island Brewpub Reborn as Sleek, Modern Goose Island Brewhouse". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  12. ^ Selvam, Ashok (October 27, 2017). "Goose Island's Clybourn Brewpub Is Back Open in Lincoln Park". Eater Chicago. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  13. ^ "Goose Island Wrigleyville Closed For Good -- Addison Park On Clark Nearing?". DNAinfo Chicago. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  14. ^ "Take a look at Goose Island Beer Co.'s new tasting room". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  15. ^ "Goose Island Beer Co". Chicago Reader. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  16. ^ "Em 'brewhouse' da Goose Island bebedor vai provar cervejas feitas no próprio bar - 15/01/2017 - sãopaulo - Folha de S.Paulo". www1.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved 2017-07-25.
  17. ^ "Catching up on craft beer in Seoul, South Korea". Growler Magazine. 2017-02-01. Archived from the original on 2018-12-14. Retrieved 2017-07-25.
  18. ^ Noel, Josh (2016-12-19). "Goose Island Going Global with Pubs, Brewhouses in 6 Countries (and Philly)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2017-07-25.
  19. ^ Goose Island Beer Company at RateBeer.com. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  20. ^ "Goose Island releases Bourbon County Brand Stout documentary". The Jax Beer Guy. 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  21. ^ "Goose Island: Goose Island beer to go national". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  22. ^ Noel, Josh. "Goose Island jumping on Pilsner trend with Four Star". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  23. ^ Noel, Josh. "Bourbon County Stout is a legend, but probably not as old as we think". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  24. ^ Japhe, Brad (26 November 2014). "For Beer Lovers, "Black" Friday Means the Release of a Very Rare Barrel-Aged Stout". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  25. ^ Punchdrink.com "The Next Frontier in Barrel-Aged Craft Beer." Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  26. ^ Noel, Josh. "Bourbon County beers review: Goose Island delivers best lineup in recent years". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  27. ^ "New Products". beveragespectrum.com. July–August 2009.
  28. ^ "Fate of Goose Island Soda? It's Flappin' in the Wind". BevNET.com. March 28, 2011.

Further reading

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  • Noel, Josh (2018). Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out: Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch, and How Craft Beer Became Big Business. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-61373-721-7.
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