Move over Chicago micro-brewers! Metropolitan Brewing is coming to town! Doug and Tracy Hurst are the owners/brewers behind this big city/industrial themed brewery. However, don't expect typical British-style ales; German-style lagers are going to be the output from these deutch-beer drinkers! Their flagships, Dynamo Copper Lager and Flywheel Bright Lager, are expected to hit bars and liquor stores by the end December this year.
Lagers, unfortunately, have earned a bad reputation over the years as a cheap and watered-down macrobeer. Metropolitan Brewing hopes to rectify lager's position by returning it to the artful craft that it once was and by bringing rich and delicious flavors into it. FYI... I sampled the Dynamo and it was AWESOME! It's very similar to an Oktoberfest.
What in the heck is the difference between lagers and ales anyway? Lagers are fermented with yeast that settles at the bottom of the batch while ale yeast floats at the top. Also, lagers take about four weeks to process and need to be stored at colder temperatures. Ales need only two weeks and can be stored at room temperature.
In the 1800's, a lot of German immigrants settled in Chicago and Milwaukee. Thus, this area was once the land of lagers. Metropolitan Brewing wants to bring back that status and add their beers to the lush palette of the Chicago brew scene.
You can learn more about Metropolitan Brewing tonight on Metromix the TV Show at 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00pm.
