Editor’s note: The below news items were initially reported in the Insider version of the Brewbound Newsletter between July 21-July 23. Become an Insider today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry.
Pilot Project Opens 2nd Chicago Taproom
Brewery-incubator Pilot Project opened its second Chicago location last week, located in the heart of Wrigleyville.
The opening timed up with Brewbound senior reporter Zoe Licata’s visit to the Windy City for a 3-game Red Sox stint, so she naturally had to check it out. The 3,500 sq. ft. space on N. Clark St. is less than a 5-minute walk from Wrigley Park (home of the Cubs), and includes a large patio space, full menu and a downstairs “Devious” cocktail lounge – branded after Pilot Project’s own line of canned cocktails.
The location marks Pilot Project’s first time serving spirits, and the new license will allow the company to start serving cocktails at its original Logan Square taproom, leadership shared when Zoe paid a visit.
Also on tap are some of Pilot Project’s lineup of beer brands, which have made it through the company’s Shark Tank-style audition process, and are supported with recipe testing, brand building, marketing and more. Brands currently on the menu include Brewer’s Kitchen, Standard Goods, Brutalist Brewing Cooperative, Funkytown Brewery, Azadi Brewing and Donna’s Pickle Beer (Brewbound Podcast listeners can probably guess which one Zoe ordered first).
Brewbound caught up with Pilot Project co-founder Dan Abel earlier this year to chat about the company’s ambitious taproom expansion plans. Catch up on the story here.
Beer Cocktails at Guinness Open Gate Chicago
Beyond watching 27 innings of baseball during her trip to Chicago, Zoe also paid a visit to Guinness Open Gate in the West Loop.
The taplist included offerings brewed in house – including Polotmavy Czech-style amber lager (5.6% ABV) and Pineapple Coconut fruited American stout (6.3% ABV), which both made it onto our tab – as well as imports from HQ, including the classic Guinness Draught (4.2% ABV), Guinness Extra Stout (5.6% ABV), Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (7.5% ABV) and Guinness Zero.
Zoe was also pleasantly surprised to see a list of “beer cocktails,” including OBG Micheladas, made with your choice of Fonio Stout (5.2% ABV) or Maize Cream Ale (5.2% ABV). She went with the Fonio, made in collaboration with Brooklyn Brewery. The beverage was adorned with a Tajin and orange zest rim: 10/10, no notes.
Other beer cocktails on the menu, all priced at $10, included:
- Sunset on Kinzie (Kinzie Street pale ale and Cane Collective Passion Fruit & Jalapeno mixer);
- Aw, Shucks (Corn Maize cream ale and Cane Collective Guava Tiki Punch);
- Sout of the Office (Fonio Sout, cinnamon, vanilla, orange and cold brew coffee);
- And Beermosa (Corn Maize cream ale and Natalie’s orange juice).
Brewbound Insiders may remember fonio, a climate-resistant West African grain that was introduced to the U.S. craft beer scene by Brooklyn Brewery head brewer Garrett Oliver. Brooklyn’s Fonio Rising was named Brewbound Best New Product in 2024.
Read previous coverage of fonio here:
- 2024 Best New Product: Brooklyn Brewery’s Fonio Rising;
- Brewbound Podcast: Garrett Oliver Dishes on Fonio Rising;
- Can Fonio Be The Next ‘Miracle Grain’? Yes, If There’s Enough.
Carrie Shafir Named Tilray Beverages VP of Marketing
Tilray Beverages has promoted Carrie Shafir to VP of marketing, she shared on LinkedIn. Shafir joined Tilray in November 2024 as senior director of the beverage division’s eastern brands (Atwater, Blue Point, Montauk, Shock Top, SweetWater and Terrapin).
Prior to Tilray, Shafir spent nearly eight years at Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B) in a variety of leadership roles within the company’s craft division, including nearly three years leading Blue Point Brewing as general manager. The brand was later sold to Tilray in a bundle of other craft brands in 2023.
Following the sale, Shafir led marketing and portfolio strategy for A-B’s craft division, a role she left in February 2023.
Sierra Nevada’s CanDo Open for Business
Sierra Nevada’s CanDo innovation hub and contract brewing facility opened last week at the company’s HQ in Chico, California.
The facility specializes in “next-generation beverage production,” which includes “alternative-to-alcohol” products, spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) and energy drinks with “health-focused formulations,” according to its website.
CCO Ellie Preslar said in a press release: “The Sierra Nevada name has been built on doing things right – crafting world-class beverages and putting quality first. We approach CanDo with that same commitment. It’s more than a co-packing service – it’s a strategic partner for brands looking to innovate and grow.”
For more from Sierra Nevada, revisit Preslar and chief brewing officer Brian Grossman’s appearance on the Brewbound Podcast, recorded earlier this year at the Brewers Association’s Craft Brewers Conference (CBC).