Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, a traditional casual dining restaurant known for its expansive selection of craft beers, announced it has partnered with Odell Brewing Company for its February Explorer Series, which begins on February 10. Old Chicago's Explorer Series launched last year, with each installment offering selections from a featured brewing company and a collaboration beer that captures the most unique flavors in the craft beer world.
In honor of Old Chicago's 40th anniversary year, the brew team collaborated with Odell to create a mouthwatering ale that will satisfy any sweet tooth. Inspired by and crafted from one of Old Chicago's most sought after menu items, the Big Cookie, this distinctive ale is referred to as "OC's Big Cookie A La Mode," and is a vanilla brown ale made with dark roasted malts and vanilla, infused with slightly sweet chocolate and vanilla for a smooth lingering finish.
"We're celebrating Old Chicago's 40th anniversary this year, so to kick of our 2016 Explorer Series with one of our favorite breweries is a real treat for us," says Jason Murphy, Old Chicago's brand manager. "This is the second time we're working with Odell, and once again our teams banded together to create a collaboration ale that I know our guests will love. We looked to our own menu for inspiration and knowing that our customers can't seem to get enough of our Big Cookie dessert, it was a no brainer to incorporate that into a sweet ale we call OC's Big Cookie A La Mode."
In addition to OC's Big Cookie A La Mode, the series will also feature other selections from Odell, and will be available until the tap runs out. Selections include:
Runoff Red—a complex red IPA made with dark crystal malt and Columbus and Chinook hops with strong toasted malt backbone and notes of citrus and pine from the dry hopping. Finishes slightly bitter but surprisingly balanced for an IPA.
Lugene—inspired by the owner of an old, beat-up truck that hauls away the spent grain at Odell Brewery, Lugene is a chocolate milk stout brewed with milk sugar and milk chocolate. The rich and creamy brew is reminiscent of a cold glass of chocolate milk and pays homage to the truck owner Lugene, a local farmer who's been feeding his dairy cows the hearty malt for over a decade.
90 Shilling—a smooth and complex medium-bodied amber ale with a distinct burnished copper color and a deeply pleasant aroma. The name 90 Shilling comes from the Scottish method of taxing beer. Only the highest quality beers were taxed 90 Shillings.
