Local Option Bierwerker

Client Brewer in Chicago, Illinois, United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Local Option

Established in 2010

Contact
1102 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
Description
Local Option Bierwerker is the brewing division of The Local Option, a pub in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Owner Tony Russomanno has established himself in the craft beer community through years of experience, and today he partners with six different breweries to create all of Local Option's diverse and innovative beers. Local Option Bierweker believes partnering with different breweries gives them maximum flexibility, allowing them to brew as large or as limited a batch as needed. They’ve taken up recipes long forgotten by the mainstream, such as the Kentucky Common, and perfected well-established favorites, like their steam beer Dampf Loc. Local Option Bierwerker offers a brash, in-your-face approach to craft beer; they brew with bravado and aren’t afraid of a little well-placed irreverence while still respecting the long-standing traditions that provide the foundation for their heavy metal brews.

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6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

[2/12/15] Draught at The Sycamore in San Francisco. Hazy deep golden. Aroma of yeast, a bit vegetal, some grassy hops and wood. Sweetish flavor with malt, yeast, wood, a bit of alcohol and a bitterish finish. Medium-bodied.

Tried on 15 Mar 2015 at 20:28


7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

The Sampler, Brooklyn bottle: Pours black with a tan head. Aroma is rich dark chocolate, burnt malts, tobacco, and pretzels. Taste is pretty brutal and burnt in a good way. Somewhat bitter. Hefty aftertaste. Hops burn.

Tried from Bottle on 11 Mar 2015 at 21:38


7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Brewvival 2015 Trip #96. Keg at Brewvival. Pours a slightly hazy golden with a large frothy off-white head. Decent head retention. Aroma of bready malt, floral hops and spice. The taste is bready and biscuit malt, caramel, apples, floral hops. Medium bodied.

Tried on 11 Mar 2015 at 12:55


6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Bottle - Grains and a bit sweetness. Cloudy gold with a nice white head. Grainy and light sweetness. Very boring.

Tried from Bottle on 04 Mar 2015 at 22:31


5.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

500mL bottle, pours a hazy dark golden orange with a small white head. Aroma is very herbally, earthy and spicy. Flavour is around the same, with loads of earthiness upfront, with some herbal and spicy qualities. Very dry and earthy, like drinking dirt almost. Not overly enjoyable, but quite a competent one.

Tried from Bottle on 04 Mar 2015 at 22:20


7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

~16 oz mug draft at Local Option in Chicago, Illinois. The pour is a mostly clear golden copper with a smallish off white head. The aroma is sweet herbal, earth, grain, and a fresh oak character. The taste is initially big on the woody oak flavor, though opens up quickly to reveal the herbal earth and sweet malt graininess. As the beer warmed, integration of flavors came together nicely. The palate is medium bodied, softer carbonation and the oak herbal finish. Nice unique take on the style.

Tried from Draft on 02 Mar 2015 at 15:46


6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

On tap at City Beer. Hazy amber with a white head. Aroma and taste of light orange, yeast, citrus, malt and some caramel. Also some weak notes of wheat. Drinkable but nothing special.

Tried from Draft on 14 Feb 2015 at 05:06


8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

Pours unclear orange, small white head . Smell is full , dry , bitter . Bit yeasty , some fruity tones . Taste is coockiedough , bitter , dry , very full on the coockie side ( malts ) . Aftertaste is like a bitter coockie as well. Lovely beer

Tried on 09 Feb 2015 at 13:23


7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

500ml bottle. Light hazy amber color with off white head. Malty aroma, light caramel, wood, coffee. Sweet and bitter taste, caramel and coffee. Medium oily body with soft carbonation.

Tried from Bottle on 03 Feb 2015 at 07:44


7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

500 ml bottle into tulip glass; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours fairly crystal clear deep golden color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of pear, apple, white grape, apricot, light banana, pepper, clove, honey, bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast and pale malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of pear, apple, white grape, apricot, light banana, pepper, clove, honey, bread, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Fair amount of earthy yeast spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of pear, apple, white grape, apricot, light banana, pepper, clove, honey, bread, and herbal/yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Good balance, robustness, and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast and pale malt flavors; with a great malt/yeast balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, crisp, and lightly bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice saison. All around good balance, robustness, and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast and pale malt flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. It wasn’t as complex as I hoped for, but still fit the style very well. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Tried from Bottle on 28 Jan 2015 at 21:33