Goose Island goes national, distributing beer to far-flung cities
By Ed Lowe
Senior Writer
One of Chicago's favorite brews is now being distributed around the country. For the first time, Goose Island Brewery, located at 1800 W. Fulton St., is finding market acceptance in Seattle, Portland and New York City. According to Goose Island spokeswoman Wei Fraser, there are now some 60 "bottle placements" and some 50 "handle draft lines" in Manhattan alone.
The brewery's offering to national distributors is the same beer one finds in supermarkets and liquor stores in the Chicago area. The Goose Island Brew Pubs, such as the ones at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave. and at 3535 N. Clark St., offer food in addition to the beer that's brewed on the premises. While there are discussions regarding the opening of brew pubs in other cities, no definite plans have been made, Fraser told Inside. "However, we have certainly not ruled out that possibility. We're waiting to see how the brand and variety of beers we produce is accepted in other parts of the country," he said.
It's interesting to note that an alliance has been made between two Chicago icons — Goose Island beers are featured in Manhattan shops that also feature Chicago Style Pizza under the logo of Pizzeria Uno.
Goose Island Brewery, which began production in 1988, produces its bottled beers at the Fulton Street location and the barrels that are distributed nationally also come from that brewery. Each brew pub also produces beer for its own use.
Chicago has a tradition as a center for the brewing industry. Brewery operations in the City go back to the mid-19th century when the art was brought to the prairie by German and Czech immigrants thirsting for a taste of their homeland's favorite beverage. |
