Scratch Brewing Company

Microbrewery in Ava, Illinois, United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Scratch Brewing Company

Established in 2011

Contact
264 Thompson Rd, Ava, IL, 62907, United States
Description
Scratch Brewing Company is a farmhouse brewery and restaurant located 5 miles from the beautiful Shawnee National Forest in Ava, Illinois. Started by three award-winning southern Illinois home brewers, Scratch Brewing Company focuses on farmhouse beers and other styles brewed with home grown and locally farmed and foraged ingredients. Beers are brewed in traditional styles and enhanced by the innovative addition of local ingredients, including nettle, elderberry, ginger, dandelion, maple sap, and a variety of wood additions, among others.

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

5 oz. draft at Orange & Brew.
Amber color with a bit of rose to it, or more precisely, berry. Very mild fruit and malt nose. Small ring of foam still leaves some legs on the glass. Taste had some tart bitterness from aging on fruit. That also seems to have dried it a bit. Not much birthday, but kind of an herbal funk. Tastes like a mixed grain bill, barley and something foraged. Tastiness builds to a kind of farmhouse junk. But quote pleasant, Everything in proper proportion.

Tried from Draft from Orange & Brew Bottle Shop & Tap Room on 03 Jul 2025 at 23:37


7.1
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Draft: Poured a dark brown with khaki to light brown head. Aroma is woodsy, earthy, light smoke. Taste is light fruity, earthy, woodsy, drys in the finish.

Tried from Draft at Tørst on 16 May 2025 at 10:51


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7.5

Sampled from the tap at Tørst pours a clear light gold with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a funky flora with light tart tropical fruits and a bit of straw underlying. Flavor has dry light fruits, earthy grass, some flora and a bit of a funky tartness backing.

Tried from Draft at Tørst (Torst) on 04 May 2025 at 20:10


7.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Sampled from the tap at Tørst. Pours a clear dull gold with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a sour and funky passionfruit with acid a bit of funk supporting. Flavor has sour passionfruit and a bit of acid with a funky backbone.

Tried from Draft at Tørst (Torst) on 04 May 2025 at 19:20


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Sampled from the tap at Tørst. Pours a deep brown with a slight amber hue and a bubbly brown head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has earthy dark grains with some roast and a bit of a bready umami. Flavor is bready throughout with a decent umami mushroom and almost a hint of anise coming through.

Tried from Draft at Tørst (Torst) on 04 May 2025 at 18:00


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Sampled from the tap at Tørst. Pours a near clear dark brown with a light brown head that lasts throughout the beer. Aroma has a nice umami note with bready dark grains and a bit of earthiness underneath. Flavor has dark bready grains that have some hay with a bit of umami and earthy leaves backing.

Tried from Draft at Tørst (Torst) on 04 May 2025 at 17:20


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7.3
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 6.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

Bought at Scratch before the 2024 eclipse, so 1 year old. Gushed upon opening, but I lost only a small amount to foam. Hazy off-yellow color under a big but fizzy head. Nose has the obvious barnyard smell, a but of funk, but no sourness. Lightly herbal and lemon nose. There is some champagne fizz, more citrus and lemongrass in the palate. Light malts, if there are any in here, maybe some grass seed. Hard to put together all the impressions I'm tasting, but just a nice fizzy brew.

Tried from Bottle at Scratch Brewing Company on 30 Mar 2025 at 03:18


7

Tart fruity blackberry prominence with notes of lavender, wooden accents, lingering berry fruity close.

Tried on 26 Mar 2025 at 12:35


7

Tried from Draft on 09 Mar 2025 at 10:16