Chicagoist's Beer of the Week: Capital Brewing's Supper Club
By Karl Klockars in Food on Jun 24, 2011 9:05PM
I was watching the video Chicago Magazine produced about the making of their nanobrew (that you'll be drinking on Monday, yes?) and thinking...those dudes from Pipeworks look familiar. Then they started discussing their work at West Lakeview Liquors, and that's when it all came together. That's how I recognize them! They've sold me beer! And it also served as a reminder to get back to WLL before too long. It was there that I found this week's BotW selection, which dovetails well with what we've been covering at GuysDrinkingBeer.
See, there's a craft beer war a-brewin' (get it?) north of the Cheddar Curtain, and it all has to do with one legislative motion tucked into the budget bill that would rework distribution and wholesaling laws for all Wisconsin breweries. Since it's backed by MillerCoors and just about every beer distribution organization except for the actual craft brewers and brewpub owners themselves, you might not be surprised to find that it sailed through the Assembly and the Senate, and is just as signature away from becoming law. This does not make some people very happy, New Glarus' Deb Carey being one of them.
Since I couldn't make a run for the border and grab some Spotted Cow in solidarity, I thought we'd revisit the Capital Brewing offerings instead. We recently heaped praise on their dopplebock, but this time we're going lighter. Their Supper Club American Lager is copper-orange with a pillowy, creamy head and is sweet, sweet session beer. With next to no bitterness and a very fruity aftertaste, an aroma that reminds you of the best High Life you ever had and a lingering tail of, say, apricot or peach, this is exactly the beer that Miller should be brewing but isn't. Got a friend that likes macrobrewed adjunct American lagers and doesn't know any better? Give him/her one of these and put them on the first step towards craft beer nirvana. The can claims it's "not bad," but I'd say it's better than bad - it's good.
If the motion travels through on the back of the budget bill, I'd like to remind all Wisconsin brewers that Illinois is Open for Business. While we collectively hope for the use of the Wisconsin Veto, Capital Brewing's Supper Club is Chicagoist's Beer of the Week.