Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": Two Brothers Prairie Path Ale

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Aug 24, 2006 7:30PM

We'll be the first to notice the (un)fortunate timing of this week's "BotW" post, just sniffing distance from our post about Forbes' naming Chicago America's sixth most drunken city. But duty calls and, if we're to take the study seriously, we couldn't file this.

The local breweries all tend to load their brews with hops, like they're engaged in some sort of brewmaster pissing contest. Warrenville-based Two Brothers Brewing Company doesn't get the press of Goose Island or the die-hard hopheads who drink only Three Floyds, but they deserve a place at the table with those two. Since their first bottles rolled off the production line in 1998, Jim and Jason Ebel now find their beers available throughout the Midwest, reaching east to Pennsylvania and Massachusets.

Two Brothers Prairie Path Ale is one of four beers the Ebels brew year-round. It's brewed with Belgian malts, balanced by Saaz and Golding hops. It pours a nice honey in color, with a thin head that quickly dissipates, and no lacing on the glass. You're probably thinking it's a lighter beer, but Prairie Path is full of flavor. A note of grass hits you mid-palate, toning the malt down a bit. The hops also lend a nice bitterness to the flavor; Prairie Path weighs in at 29 International Bitterness Units (IBU's), so if you aren't ready for it, it'll make your mouth pucker. Prairie Path also has a nice hoppy presence, with a lingering dry finish. It's like the memory of a good summer day.

We always like to "drink local" when we can. No discussion of local breweries can be complete without a discussion of Two Brothers Brewing. Prairie Path is a wonderful introduction to their line of beers, and worth picking up a six-pack. Two Brothers Prairie Path Ale is Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week."