Chicago’s Best Pilsner? How Little Wing Made Horse Thief Hollow the Most Awarded South Side Brewery

Learn how Horse Thief Hollow became the most award-winning brewery on the south side of Chicago, having won 10 major awards (and counting).

Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co’s Jake Nelson (Head Brewer) and Adrian Morrison (Brewer and Sales Manager) discuss the fascinating legacy of Horse Thief Hollow Brewing in Chicago's historic Beverly neighborhood, exploring the origins of the brewery's name, its cultural significance, and why the Illinois militia had to run off horse thieves in the very early days of Chicago. They also share their humble beer origin stories, including Andrian’s rising through the ranks in order to get to where he is at Horse Thief Hollow. They also talk about what “cellar work” actually means when working in beer before they discuss how Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co. has become the most award-winning brewery on Chicago’s south side, including a deep dive into how they overcame the challenge of brewing high-quality Pilsners consistently in order to come up with their award-winning Little Wing Pilsner.

After the beer break, they discuss Annexation, a West Coast IPA, including an explanation of what makes an IPA a West Coast IPA specifically and why West Coast IPAs are making a comeback. Jake also talks about when a beer is “done” and he doesn’t feel like he needs to keep changing a recipe. Then, they discuss Horse Thief’s Soul Train Sour Ale, which they insist Brian try, even though Brian is outspoken about the fact that he doesn’t normally like sours. Did he love it or not? You’ll have to listen to find out!

Today’s Featured Merchandise: Celebrate the art of beer diversity with the "Taste the Grainbow" muscle tank. Featuring a colorful design of four unique beers, this tank is perfect for craft beer enthusiasts who embrace variety, available in multiple styles and colors! Every purchase you make directly supports the show's production and hosting costs. Find it here: https://3b8877-3.myshopify.com/products/gals-grainbow-tank?_pos=1&_sid=fd3f273a5&_ss=r

You can find other amazing merchandise and learn more about Crafty Brewers on our official website, https://craftybrewerspod.com

About Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co: Located in the Beverly neighborhood on Chicago’s South side, Horse Thief earned its 10th craft beer award in its 10th year of brewing: Little Wing Pilsner captured gold medals at the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival in 2023. Learn more on their website at https://horsethiefbrewing.com/

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Crafty Brewers is produced by award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Pilsner, West Coast IPA, East Coast IPA, Sour Beer, Milkshake IPA, Slushy Sour, Farmhouse Ales, Saison, Kolsch, Lager, craft beer, Chicago's South Side, Soul Train Sour Series, Mango Tahini, beer pairings, craft beer trends, German hops, brewing consistency, Lagering process, brewing techniques, cellar work, award-winning beer, beer SOPs, South Side beer market, brewing philosophy, sourcing beer ingredients, beer clarity, American malts, German malts, Tettnanger hops, beer fermentation, craft beer enthusiasts, Miller High Life, Allagash White, Pistachio brown ale, Brewing innovation, Beverly neighborhood, Illinois militia history, Chicago history, and horse thieves.