There are a few schools of thought, when it comes to opening a new brewery in a market that is starting to become craft beer saturated. In a city like Chicago, one option is to find yourself a niche. You can explore the world of traditional Belgian ales, ‘ala Une Annee, or fuse American influences like Haymarket. You can go brash, bold and balls to the wall in the spirit of Pipeworks. Or you can just attempt to do it all at once and hope your brews have enough unique qualities to stand out.
That last one appears to be the ethos at Lake Effect Brewing, which started distributing last year and is currently supplying small quantities of beer as far away as the package stores of the Chicago suburbs. Their overall lineup has no really discernable aesthetic, aside from a mild appreciation for German and Belgian beer styles. They’re making just about everything, from a smoked lager and Belgian IPA to a Mexican chile stout.
And of course, they make an IPA. This is craft beer, after all—you gotta make an IPA. And perhaps better than any other style, IPA is a useful measuring stick for a new brewery. With many craft beer fans drinking so many of them, and having become accustomed to the style, it’s easy to get a feel for what kind of experience a brewery wants you to have just by sampling their IPA. Based on Lake Effect’s Falcon Dive IPA, I’d expect something uniquely fruity from this brewery.