Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week:" Tyranena Brewing Co. "Bitter Woman" IPA

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jun 24, 2009 7:20PM

The soup outside is not exactly conducive to enjoying a hoppy India Pale Ale, but this is one you might want to search out.

Until recently Tyranena Brewing Company was, like fellow Wisconsin brewery New Glarus, practically unavailable in Illinois. We say "until recently' because one of their year-round beers, Bitter Woman IPA, stared making her presence felt on local liquor store shelves. And bitter she is, coming in at 68 IBU (International Bittering Units) from ample Amarillo and Cascade hops. Cascade hops also impart that citrus flavor common among IPAs. To complement that, Tyranena uses a mix of five malts in Bitter Woman, including the sweet wheat and caramel malts.

We bought a sample bottle at LUSH on Halsted, then followed it up with a six-pack at Archer Liquors (5996 S. Archer, 773-582-4767). As a pairing with food, Bitter Woman works best with beef, pork chops, or blue cheese. Bitter Woman is just the tonic to put a smile on your face after a long bike ride in this weather.