Chicagoist's Beer of the Week: Dryhop Brewers Batch 001

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Jul 19, 2013 9:40PM

We've seen a steady stream of brewpubs open up in our fair city over the past few years. With places like Revolution, Haymarket, and Atlas all doing very well, we would be willing to bet that Chicago is going to see several more places like this springing up in the years to come. This week, we're taking a look at the latest addition to Chicago's brewpub family: Dryhop Brewers.

While Dryhop is rotating most of their lineup pretty heavily, they are keeping a couple staples on all the time. One of the beers you should always be able to get there is aptly named Batch 001. Listed on their menu as a Chicago Common, and described as a pre-Prohibition cream ale and steam beer hybrid, we would sum it up by saying that Batch 001 is a light-bodied, easy-drinking, malt-forward American golden ale. Dryhop brews Batch 001 with a grain bill that includes barley, corn, and wheat. While the barley keeps things crisp overall, the corn lends a touch of sweetness, and the wheat helps to impart a creamy mouthfeel. Altogether, these grains make for a malt profile that only makes us think of fresh baked biscuits. There is a hint of some earthy, herbal hops that we picked up, but they are very toned down.

At 4.6 percent alcohol content, Batch 001 is a crushable session beer that's a perfect substitute to a light lager when you're bellied up at the bar in a brewpub. An important thing to remember for the budding beer connoisseur: a beer like this is brewed NOT to be complex. It's supposed to be quenching, and help wash down whatever food you might happen to find yourself eating with it. It's a beer that you're supposed to enjoy because you DON'T have to analyze it.

The friendly bartenders at Dryhop told us that none of their beers have lasted for more than eight or nine days before a batch was completely gone. That being said, if you see a beer advertised on their website or through social media, there's a good chance that it might not be there by the time you make it into the pub for a pint. On our visit, we were able to taste through their Bombe de Cerise and The Jury. The former was a Belgian-Style wheat beer brewed with fresh cherries, and the latter was the latest installment of Dryhop's series of American Pale Ales. They were both solid beers, and while they didn't blow us away completely, we would have happily ordered either one a second time. Nailing down a recipe isn't easy, especially when you're still dialing in a brand new brewhouse. From what we could tell, these guys are doing just fine, and we expect to taste beers that are even more delicious on our second trip.

Dryhop Brewers is located at 3155 N. Broadway in Lakeview, and they open at 11 a.m. every day.