NAPERVILLE, Ill.– Solemn Oath Brewery, together with the longstanding beer institutions of Chicago’s Hopleaf and Lisle’s The Bavarian Lodge, will soon release a new stout, Taproom Exclusive, designed to spark a discussion amongst beer drinkers and the beer community. A draft-only offering, Taproom Exclusive will not be served at Solemn Oath’s retail location, and instead will be exclusively available at select craft-focused Chicagoland bars, restaurants and retail locations, including its partner establishments.
“Competition is coming from all directions and in many cases, breweries are built in the same neighborhood as the taprooms that helped them achieve their initial success,” said Alan Taylor, owner of The Bavarian Lodge. “If breweries want to maintain a relationship and a presence on our beer list, they will have to be savvy with how they do business with us. This project, making a beer that is not available in the brewery taproom, serves that purpose.”
Taproom Exclusive is a 6 percent stout featuring rye for complexity, oats for silky smoothness, chocolate malt to round out the beer and a small addition of lactose to accentuate the creaminess. Prolific Willamette hops pay tribute to trailblazers of beer purveyance and the supply side in the beer world. The beer will be unveiled at two separate release events, each featuring panel discussions about retail competition and the future of the local beer industry. Event details below.
“A modern craft beer drinker has a universe of choices in front of them when it comes to where they drink,” said Michael Roper, owner of Hopleaf. “For many young people, a stop at the neighborhood taproom on the way home from work has replaced the corner tavern. I’ve been in the industry for more than 45 years, and this era is by far one of the most challenging.”
“Since we opened in 2012 this still young industry has constantly evolved,” said John Barley, president of Solemn Oath Brewery. “As brewers our best marketing opportunity is our taproom where we can educate and curate an expression of ourselves directly to our customer. That experience is vital but so is our relationships with the establishments that have helped us get where we are today.”
Release Events
- Feb. 7, 2019 at 7 p.m. at Hopleaf, 5148 N Clark St, Chicago, with moderator Michael Kiser of Good Beer Hunting and panelists Michael Roper of Hopleaf, Eric Hobbs of Solemn Oath Brewery, Jay Jankowski of Maproom and Peter Rock-Ternes of Middle Brow Beer Co.
- Feb. 13, 2019 at 7 p.m. at Bavarian Lodge, 1800 Ogden Ave, Lisle with moderator Michael Kiser of Good Beer Hunting and panelists Alan Taylor of The Bavarian Lodge, John Barley of Solemn Oath Brewery, Dave Hawley of Beer Cellar and Dakota Defever of Minor Threat Restaurant Group.
About Solemn Oath Brewery
Sometimes at Solemn Oath we listen to rock and sometimes we listen to rap. On occasion you might hear some jazz, pop or a splash of early punk. The important thing to realize is that we are always lively. Always accomplishing something. Always planning for what we hope will not be your favorite new thing, or the brewery’s favorite new thing, but our favorite thing together. Never complacent and always adapting. Changing the world, probably.