July 02--Almanac Beer Co., a San Francisco brewery which boasts one of the nation's renowned sour beer programs, will begin distributing in the Chicago area in July, via Wirtz Beverage.
Launched in 2010, and known principally for its Farm to Barrel series of oak-aged sour beers, Almanac is rated as one of the nation's top 100 breweries by the users of the RateBeer web site.
A rotation of Farm to Barrel beers will be available in Chicago, leading off with the well-regarded Dogpatch Sour wild ale, said Amy Abraham, Wirtz's director of craft beer sales. Others will arrive, usually one at a time and in limited quantities.
Almanac's three year-round beers -- Golden Gate Gose, Almanac India pale ale and Saison Dolores -- will also be available, plus its two rotating seasonals: Emperor Norton, a dry-hopped Belgian-style ale brewed with apricots, available starting in July; and Valencia Gold, a golden ale brewed with Valencia oranges and honey, available in late winter. All Almanac beer is distributed in individual 22-ounce and 375-milliliter bottles and on draft.
Abraham said one condition of Almanac agreeing to distribution in Chicago was that the beer remain fresh until reaching the consumer.
"They insisted on not warehousing the beer, and that it's stored at 38 degrees the whole way," she said. "The beer will come into our warehouse and then immediately go out (to stores and bars)."
Illinois is the eighth state for Almanac distribution, along with California, Washington, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho.
Almanac's founders will visit Chicago in August for a series of launch events, Abraham said.
Almanac is the second small, renowned Western brewery to begin distribution in Chicago this year. Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, of Hood River, Ore. -- also a top-100 Rate Beer brewery that specializes in sour and traditional Belgian styles -- began distributing in Chicago via wine importer Abbruzzi Distributing in the spring.
jbnoel@tribune.com
