It’s a collaboration a long time in the making, but we are thrilled to bring it to fruition! Join us at HTH on Wednesday, January 4 at 4 pm, as we tap a very special beer with the brewing team at Goose Island Beer Company. The beer is Flyway, a West Coast IPA that is the culmination of years of friendship among Chicago brewers.
Craft beer lovers know that Goose Island is a legend on the Chicago beer scene. They are the oldest brewery in town, going on 35 years. And the first to age imperial stout in bourbon barrels, a technique adopted by nearly every brewery operating today. Our head brewer Jake spent some of his early brewing years working under Brian Taylor, formerly of Goose Island. We hold Goose in the highest regard.
Beer, Dodgeball, & Friends
Our collab beer Flyway has a history that dates to 2015. That’s when Daryl Hoedtke, another Goose Island brewer who is now their brewmaster, stopped by Horse Thief. He introduced himself and invited us to the Goose Island Battle of The Breweries dodgeball tournament, an event that HTH would compete in for the next five years. Also in 2015, Jake joined the brewing team at Finch’s Beer Co. that included current Goose Island Pub Brewer Mike Jacobs.
Goose Island brewer Mike Jacobs with current HTH brewmaster Jake Nelson
Fast forward to 2022, when Jake, Mike & Daryl decided to have fun developing a beer for the two breweries. They settled on a West Coast IPA with a mix of American hops embracing the citrus and pine notes signature to the style. They added a New Zealand variety & an exciting new hop called McKenzie sourced through Goose Island. We all converged at Horse Thief in December to put the recipe in motion, with HTH brewer Morrison at the brewhouse helm. We are finally ready to pour the first pints.
Honorable mention to our friend and Goose Island Brewer Tom Willmot, who has been pushing for a GI/HTH Collab for years.
From left: HTH owner Neil Byers, Goose Island brewmaster Daryl Hoedtke, HTH brewmaster Jake Nelson, HTH brewer Andrian Morrison, & Goose Island Clybourn Brewhouse head brewer Mike Jacobs
Flyway | West Coast IPA 7.3% ABV
Goose Island & Horse Thief Hollow Collaboration
Hops: McKenzie, Riwaka, Chinook, Cascade, Simcoe
Color: Light golden
Aroma: Grapefruit, Orange Peel, Pine Resin, Berries
Flavor: Blackberry, Grapefruit, Nectarine, Passion Fruit, Pine
Cheers!