Goose Island Brewery is a brewery located in Chicago, Illinois, that began as a single brewpub known as Clybourn, which was opened in May 1988 by John Hall in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The larger brewery (as we know it today) was opened in 1995, while the second brewpub, Wrigleyville, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island announced that it will sell its 58% stake in Fulton Street Brewery LLC (the legal name of Goose Island Brewing) to distribution partner Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% stake, owned by Craft Brewers Alliance LLC, is also to be purchased by Anheuser-Busch.
Goose Island produces several year-round and seasonal styles of craft beer, the best-known of which are 312 Urban Wheat Ale and Honker's Ale. Goose Island also offers Root Beer and various sodas including Orange Cream and Grape soda. The beers are distributed across the United States and the United Kingdom, after a large stake of the company was sold to Widmer Brothers Brewery in 2006, and the brewery was able to expand into different markets. The brewer began distributing Matilda west of the Rockies in March 2010. 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.
In November 2008, Goose Island made news when its small batch of Bourbon County Stout became available for the first time in Western states. That Russian Imperial Stout is cask-conditioned in oak Bourbon barrels, which may include Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single barrel bourbon, the "oldest Single Barrel Bourbon in the world at 18 years . . ." which loses nearly 2/3 of the Bourbon barrels contents into Angel's share. See Brewing methods and Mash ingredient. Another source states that they are "25-year-old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels."
Greg Hall will step down as brewmaster with the AB InBev purchase.
Read more about Goose Island Brewery: Brewpubs
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