Here’s something to while away the moments until 5:00 comes: an introduction by The Local Beet’s beer guy, Tom Keith, to 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, one of the newest of Chicago breweries, and one that has already made a name for itself by winning a gold at the Great American Beer Festival a few weeks back.
Keith tells the story of how two Mexican management consultants decided to get into the beer business in the U.S. (where it would be easier to bring a small brand to market under the noses of the big brewers), and decided on Chicago:
They chose Chicago for its large Hispanic population, with a significant Latino middle class. “Chicago has a big craft beer scene, but it’s not as saturated as some of the cities on the West Coast. It’s also a city with a lot of beer knowledge,” said Isaac, citing Chicago’s internationally respected Siebel Institute of Technology, possibly the world’s leading institution for teaching the art and craft of brewing. “And Chicago has a great culinary scene.”
But there was still that sticking point - they really didn’t have much actual brewing experience. A serendipitous chance encounter changed things.
“We were at the Map Room (corner of Hoyne and Armitage in Chicago), researching Chicago, talking to people,” recalled Isaac, “and the wife of one of our partners started talking to [friend of The Local Beet] Randy Mosher.” Apparently, it was a revelatory discussion. “We had lunch the next day, and right away started on beer designs.”
5 Rabbit beers are part of a changing beer world [The Local Beet]
