Cruz Blanca Brewery
Microbrewery
in
Chicago,
Illinois,
United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Cruz Blanca Brewery and Taquería
Established in 2016
Contact
Description
Mexican craft brewery + wood-fired taqueria offering crispy lagers, tropical IPAs, and barrel-aged and bottle-conditioned limited release ales.
As expressed by our crossroads logo, Keep all lines open and flowing is a mantra for making and serving good beer — a reflection of our commitment to sharing and exploring possibilities.
Cruz Blanca makes beers that open people up to new flavors, new ideas, and new experiences. From endlessly refreshing Mexican lagers and sunny IPAs that transport us to warmer places, to the less-travelled roads of barrel-aged and wild fermentation ales, there’s always a journey in the beer that keeps us curious about what’s next.
We’re all at the same long table, and there’s always room for one more. Let’s keep all lines open and flowing.
As expressed by our crossroads logo, Keep all lines open and flowing is a mantra for making and serving good beer — a reflection of our commitment to sharing and exploring possibilities.
Cruz Blanca makes beers that open people up to new flavors, new ideas, and new experiences. From endlessly refreshing Mexican lagers and sunny IPAs that transport us to warmer places, to the less-travelled roads of barrel-aged and wild fermentation ales, there’s always a journey in the beer that keeps us curious about what’s next.
We’re all at the same long table, and there’s always room for one more. Let’s keep all lines open and flowing.
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
A hazed golden blonde ipa with a thin white head. In aroma, sweet fruity biscuit malt with loads of citrusy resinous floral hops, light clover, nice and smooth. In mouth, a nice sweet fruity malt with loads of citrusy resinous floral hops, grapefruit pulp, light tropical fruits, very nice and complex. On tap at brewery.
Tried
from Draft
on 30 Sep 2018
at 16:21
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
A reddish raspberry jam like Weisse with a thin lacing white head. In aroma, sweet fruity raspberry pulp with light acidity, light lactic notes, very nice. In mouth, a nice sweet fruity raspberry jam with light Epsom salts, light acidity, smooth and refreshing. On tap at brewery.
Tried
from Draft
on 30 Sep 2018
at 16:12
7.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Sampled from the bottle at GTMW 2018. Pours black with a dark wooden brown head that dissipates slowly to the edges. Aroma has mexican chocolate and cinnamon with dark grains and roasted malts supporting. Flavor has mexican chocolate and coffee with a strong barrel presence and roasted malts supporting.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Sep 2018
at 18:24
7.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Sampled from the bottle at GTMW 2018. Pours a clear pinkish red with a near white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a good amount of hibiscus and tropical fruits with an earthy grain backbone. Flavor is hibiscus forward with berries, and tropical fruit underlying and a grain backbone.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Sep 2018
at 18:22
7.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Sampled from the tap at GTMW 2018. Pours a clear pale yellow with a white head that dissipates slowly to the edges. Aroma has a nice barrel funk and tart pineapple with some dry wine. Flavor combines tart pineapple and funky white wine barrel well with a hint of flora underlying.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Sep 2018
at 18:17
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Draught at Tortas Frontera, 7/31/18.
Golden-to-light copper body is clear with a small, off-white head that shows moderate-to-low retention.
Clean, though with a bit of waxy character that comes with the territory. Light bready malt character in the background but with fresh, herbal hops and light honey. Good balance of dry and malty with nothing strange going on.
In the mouth it's substantial and quite malty for a lager, which is nice, as it's well-attenuated. Some waxiness is the only detractor, but that seems to be a normal character of this yeast. Hints of sourdough with dried and fresh herb character from the hops. Light bitterness, no alcohol or flaw. Quite drinkable.
Golden-to-light copper body is clear with a small, off-white head that shows moderate-to-low retention.
Clean, though with a bit of waxy character that comes with the territory. Light bready malt character in the background but with fresh, herbal hops and light honey. Good balance of dry and malty with nothing strange going on.
In the mouth it's substantial and quite malty for a lager, which is nice, as it's well-attenuated. Some waxiness is the only detractor, but that seems to be a normal character of this yeast. Hints of sourdough with dried and fresh herb character from the hops. Light bitterness, no alcohol or flaw. Quite drinkable.
Tried
on 27 Aug 2018
at 15:30
5.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5
On tap @ Tortas Frontera, Chicago. Dorada limpia. Cereal en el aroma. En boca malteada, de tono dulce, con ligero contrapunto de amargor herbal. Bebible. Algo cansina
Tried
from Draft
on 23 Aug 2018
at 19:21
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
A hazed golden ale with a thin white head. In aroma, sweet fruity peach with light Epsom salts, light Brett, light lactic notes, very nice. In mouth, a nice sweet fruity malt with light Brett, light lactic notes, peach, very nice and complex. On tap at Brother's Beer Bistro.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Aug 2018
at 20:19
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
On tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear deep amber with a brown hue and a light brown head that lasts throughout the beer. Aroma has sweet grains and bourbon with a bit of green apple and toffee. Flavor has much more sweet grain, toffee, bourbon and vanilla with some caramel underlying.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Jul 2018
at 16:45
7.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 4
Overall 8
On tap at the brewpub. Pours a cloudy bright orange with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma is full of tropical fruits and sweet citrus with a strong sweet grain backbone. Flavor has earthy and sweet citrus with guava and sweet light grains.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Jul 2018
at 16:31