New Page Promotion: Hey there! See those little gray text boxes hovering above this article. The bottom one now reads “Future Brewery Openings in the Chicago Area.” That is an ongoing page, different from a post in that it should stay “evergreen”, as I can update it with current information. It’s the same as with my ongoing index of beer reviews.
I have not been able to post a beer review for a while. I’ve been working on “pages” that will try to collect my information on the brewers in the Chicago area, and the brews I’ve tasted from each one. But I could not pass up this chance:
This Monday has been Casimir Pulaski Day, a holiday that is mostly observed in Chicago. In honor of the Polish American Revolutionary supporter, there have been some beers in his name. A few years back, at the now-gone Goose Island brewpub, I tried a “Casimir” that was in the style of a Grodziskie, an old Polish wheat beer using smoked malt. But most of these kinds of beers have been in the “Polish-style Lager” range, or simply a Pilsener.
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, in Logan Square, now offers Pulaski Pils, brewed for distribution with Great Central Brewing. As they describe it:
Chicago celebrates the life of Casimir Pulaski and so do we! This Chicago Pils was brewed with Pilsner and Vienna malt which results in a rich malty flavor. We add Santiam hops which possess both European and American lineage for floral notes and a bit of spice. Together these ingredients create an exceedingly drinkable and balanced pilsner, properly lagered for your pleasure.
I tried this in a long, narrow Stenge glass for Pilseners. This showed a golden beer, typical of a pale lager, with just a slight bit of haze, and a sudsy head. The smell is slightly peppery, with a slight note of sodium from soft water, and a bit of skunk.
The taste is malty but dry, with some sharp pepper from the choice of hops. It’s a standard 5.1% abv, and feels like it. I’ve had only a few imported Polish lagers that could be considered fresh, but they seemed to have a similar dryness and a bit of hop prickle. Maplewood’s Pulaski comes close to that kind of taste.
Beer purchased by me for review
