Fridge beers

Marcus Ellison

@latecheckoutmark

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This is my Chicago beer rotation, the stuff I actually drag home in four-packs or hunt down on draft after a game. Not “best ever” rankings, more like a depth chart: some reliable starters, a couple matchup nightmares, and one or two role players that suddenly drop 30 on a Tuesday. If you’re new to local beer, this is a pretty solid scouting report. If you’re not, tell me what I got wrong and we’ll argue about it until last call.

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The list

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Fridge beers — 7 items
Name	Brewery	Style	ABV	IBU	Typical format	Where I actually drink it	Flavor snapshot	My take
1Anti-Hero IPA	Revolution Brewing	American IPA	6.5%	70	12 oz cans and draft all over the city	Corner bars that upgraded from macro taps, Sox games, my couch during NBA League Pass	Pine, grapefruit pith, a little floral, crisp bitterness that actually finishes dry	This is the +/- king — you don’t always notice it at first, but check the scoreboard at the end of the night and it carried the whole lineup.
2Daisy Cutter Pale Ale	Half Acre Beer Company	Pale Ale	5.2%	60	16 oz tallboy cans and draft at better beer bars	Taprooms on Malt Row, backyard grills, that one friend’s place who still buys cases of it	Dank, grassy hop aroma with citrus and a firm but not brutal bitterness	Feels like the jumper you’ve had since high school — the form’s a little old-school, still pure money from midrange.
3Son of Juice	Maplewood Brewery & Distillery	Hazy IPA	6.3%	Low 30s-ish	16 oz cans from bottle shops, hazy taps at beer bars	Maplewood’s taproom, Binny’s four-pack to pair with box scores	Mango, orange juice, soft body, just enough bitterness to keep it from turning into adult SunnyD	This is the pick-and-roll lob threat — not subtle, very fun, and somehow you’re on your third before halftime.
4Le Jus	Alarmist Brewing	New England IPA	6.0%	Moderate, perceived low	16 oz cans, occasional draft at spots that care about haze	Binny’s runs, pizza joints with sneaky good tap lists	Tropical and stone fruit, pillowy mouthfeel, bitterness hiding in the back row	This is the crafty lefty sixth man — comes in looking soft, suddenly has 18 points and you’re wondering what just happened.
5Ride or Die	Hopewell Brewing Co.	American Pale Ale	5.5%	Around 35–40	16 oz cans and pints at neighborhood spots	Hopewell’s taproom, low-key Logan bars where you can actually hear your friends	Clean citrus, light malt, snappy bitterness that invites another sip	Name’s accurate — this is the two-way wing you keep on the floor in every situation because it just never screws up.
6Dovetail Helles	Dovetail Brewery	Munich-style Helles lager	4.4%	20	Draft in proper glassware, occasional cans	Dovetail’s taproom beer garden, after pickup when nobody wants a hop bomb	Soft bready malt, whisper of floral hops, insanely clean finish	This is the fundamentals coach of beers — calm, patient, quietly judging every pastry stout you’ve ever chased.
7Toasted Rice Lager	Moody Tongue Brewing Company	Rice lager	5.5%	Low	Draft with dinner, occasionally bottled	Moody Tongue’s dining room when someone else is picking up the check	Lightly sweet grain, subtle toasted note, super smooth carbonation	Plays like a veteran point guard — doesn’t force anything, just quietly makes the whole meal run smoother.