In today’s world of dazzling craft beer options, it’s easy to overlook a beer that’s just really good. And in this case, perfect for summer, with its lighter, refreshing character. Goose Island’s 312 Urban Wheat Ale, is just that, a really good, refreshing beer. It has in fact won about a half-dozen awards as an English-Style Summer Ale, so maybe it’s a little better than just “good”! In any case, like we said, it’s a perfect summer beer, so that’s why it’s on special right now! Producer’s notes: Like the digits suggest, it’s a beer that’s densely populated with flavor and loaded with character. We don’t filter it, so none of its life and soul is stripped away. The first thing you notice is the hazy, cloudy appearance. That’s how you know it’s unfiltered. What hits you next is the spicy aroma of Cascade hops, followed by the crispy, fruity ale flavor delivered in a smooth, creamy body, the result of blending barley malt with torrified wheat. It’s not like any other Goose Island Beer, but no less that you’d expect. ABV: 4.2%; IBU: 18; Hops: First Gold, Mt. Hood, Cascade; Malts: 2 Row, Torrified Wheat. Food Pairings: Salads, Fish, Fresh Chevre, Buffalo Mozzarella.
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As a child, you may have been – like many American kids – instilled with an early fear of flying monkeys by the film Wizard of Oz. Well, it’s time to shed that fear, and embrace the fine craft beers of Canada’s Flying Monkeys Brewery, especially The Chocolate Manifesto, which just arrived at the store recently. It currently has a 
For months, it lives in the caves beneath Grand Rapids, Michigan, maturing into a monster that spreads both joy and misery each year when it finally makes its appearance in full daylight and rampages across the nation. It is, of course, the incredible Founder’s KBS. The joy it spreads is amongst those who manage to get their hands on a bottle of this limited release brew, which – as Founder’s themselves points out – is by its very nature produced in limited quantities, because of its bourbon barrel aging process. The only misery it spreads is amongst those who don’t manage to score a bottle on release day. While it’s a fantastic beer, one that has repeatedly made it on “Best in the World” lists, its limited release has some unfortunate side effects. It’s rumored that friendships have been torn asunder when one friend secured a bottle, and wouldn’t share with a pal who didn’t. And that exploitative retailers price gouge, charging upwards of twenty bucks a bottle. For us as a retailer, the main frustration is that we are forced to tell our favorite customers – no matter how much we like them – that they are limited to purchasing one bottle.