328: Art History Brewing is Finding Innovation in Its Focus on Tradition

Geneva, Illinois’ Art History Brewing doesn’t want to be everything to everyone, but they’re committed to making traditional beer styles well, while making them relevant to today’s drinkers. That message has resonated in the broader Chicago beer world, and earned them champions among some of the most influential beer bars and retailers in the city. For head brewer Greg Browne, it’s the logical outcome of a career spent brewing these beers in smaller ways at other breweries, and for co-owner Tom Rau, it’s a way to focus on beers they’re personally passionate about while offering something different and beer-focused to the broad community of Chicago beer drinkers.

In this episode, they discuss:

• innovation through focusing on traditional styles
• achieving the flavor results of decoction through other brewing means
• building color in Czech-style pale lager
• using the hochkurz mash and an oversized lauter tun
• ingredient selection for North German-style pils and Czech-style dark lager
• designing and brewing smoked lagers
• choosing yeasts for specific regionally-inspired English ales

And more.

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