MKE Brewing Co. received a Gold medal this last weekend for their Louie’s Resurrection Bourbon Barrel Aged Amber Ale at the 12th annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers, or FoBAB, held in Chicago. FoBAB is the country’s largest celebration of its’ kind for wood and barrel aged beer. The event is hosted by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild and this years’ festival included 90 breweries and nearly 300 different rare barrel aged beers from all over the country, including Alaska. Entries in 11 different categories are judged by a panel of industry experts and awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Louie’s Resurrection took home a Gold in the Strong/Double/Imperial Dark Beer category amongst 32 other entrants.
Louie’s Resurrection is a limited release, bourbon barrel aged version of MKE Brewing’s popular Louie’s Demise Amber Ale, which they have been making for 18 years. Resurrection was first produced in 2008 and released to the public every year since on October 31st. Head Brewer Robert Morton and his talented brewing staff barrel age a fortified version of Louie’s Demise Amber Ale for two months in oak bourbon barrels that results in a bourbon forward beer that is complimented by the natural balanced malt complexity that Louie’s Demise is known for. “We took this batch and really cranked it up to 11 on the dial” says Morton. “I always thought this was an outstanding beer, so this year we increased the malt bill and raised the ABV from 7.5% to 10.2%. It is something we always wanted to do. The barrel aging process really brings forward warm vanilla flavors while enhancing the roastiness of the malt. To receive an award like this for a beer we have been perfecting for years is truly an honor”.
The timing of the award could not be any better. The 2014 batch of Louie’s Resurrection was released just a couple of weeks prior and can be found, right now, in 4 pack bottles at liquor stores and on tap at bars all throughout Wisconsin, in the greater Chicago market and in Minneapolis/St. Paul. This is the second national award MKE Brewing Co. received this year after being named 2014 Brewery of the Year by Drink Me Magazine.
ABOUT MKE BREWING CO. MKE Brewing Co. started as a brewpub, the Milwaukee Ale House, in October 1997 in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. Founder Jim McCabe took his love for home brewing and his engineering background to design a functional and robust 15 bbl brewpub when Milwaukee was still a lager town. Fast forward 10 years and over 300 innovative beers later to November 2007 when MKE Brewing Co kegged off their first brew at their 2nd St. Brewery located in the trendy Walkers Point neighborhood. The 50 bbl brewing and packaging facility allowed MKE Brewing Co to meet the demand of their ever-popular Ale House brews and start brewing more styles that they always wanted to. A WDNR Green Tier Certified brewery, MKE Brewing Co. prides themselves on flexible and energy saving efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. With initiatives such as the 28 solar hot water panels on the roof, a bio-diesel boiler fueled by fryer oil from local restaurants, clean wastewater conservation, donating spent grain to local urban farm Growing Power and as the first micro-cannery in Wisconsin, MKE Brewing Co is at the forefront of Green Tier conservation efforts. McCabe along with principal partner Jim Hughes have experienced the most productive year in their brief history producing 8,000 bbls in 2013. MKE Brewing Co. is committed to creating innovative, well-balanced, approachable beers that appeal to the craft beer aficionado and new craft beer drinker alike. Head brewer Robert Morton and his team pride themselves on taking the artisan approach to brewing, using only the finest local ingredients and never making compromises. MKE Brewing is currently distributed in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota.
2014 Brewery of the Year – Drink Me Magazine
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