Sunsets & Sap Beers: A Journey to Emancipation Brewing Firm

TINY DOWNSTATE BREWERY DRAWING NATIONAL ATTENTION
Century-old dairy barn now residence to high-quality beer

Roughly 100 miles south of Chicago (properly past our craft beer map boundaries), east of Pontiac, south of Dwight, even 8 miles outdoors of Fairbury, vehicles are lined on a rustic highway and households are headed to a barn on a sprawling farm. There’s little question that your GPS has taken you to Emancipation Brewing as a result of, properly … there’s actually nothing else round.

The century-old barn, which sat empty for a decade, was final residence to dairy cattle. The milking room is now stuffed with a 2-barrel brewing system. The grazing space of the barn – fittingly – is now a taproom. And on a current Friday night time, it was packed. Regulars swapping tales on the bar, {couples} taking part in board video games on the tables, youngsters tossing a soccer round hop bines within the again and oldsters having fun with wood-fired pizza with beers which might be actually rooted within the fields round them.

It’s been 4 years since head brewer Lincoln Slagel and his dad and mom, Don and Susan, opened the brewery on their household farm, however it took a singular launch to get our consideration.

“There was no water used to make this beer,” they declared on social media.

Brown’s Maple Ale is fabricated from tree sap from a neighboring farm and pictures from the brewing course of function a reminder that contemporary maple sap is skinny and clear, not the thick and darkish liquid we placed on pancakes. Likewise, the beer wasn’t as candy or thick as you may count on, however as an alternative was a well-balanced 7.5% brown ale with maple taste that’s not overpowering. It’s a part of their small-batch experimental Authentic Ideas sequence.

Whereas it takes as a lot as 45 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, Slagel mentioned it’s solely about 2% sugar earlier than boiling. Altering the PH was key, however in any other case “it was remarkably just like brewing with our regular water from a course of perspective.”

“Had I brewed a typical brown ale, it could have been too candy with even a small syrup addition,” he added. “However the sap actually made the distinction. It added a depth that was by no means current, and allowed a smaller syrup addition than anticipated, which was nice. I’m extraordinarily proud of it, and it’ll definitely be a convention.”

As we sampled different choices, we discovered Slagel not solely retains his beers true to his farming roots, however true to model, as properly – a cream ale, golden ale, hefeweizen, hazy IPA and session IPA have been all dialed in. And apart from that brown ale, all of them start with water from a 550-foot properly on the property.

Then there’s their in style “Kolsch Night time within the Boonies” service (subsequent one going down on Could 17), which has develop into so properly attended that reservations are required. It’s develop into one in all Slagel’s favourite occasions as a result of “it accomplishes one in all my favourite issues about beer – bringing folks collectively and creating recollections.”

“I feel the way forward for craft beer is exclusive, high-quality experiences, and getting again to our trade roots – differentiating ourselves based mostly on high quality, each within the beer we brew and of the experiences we give our clients,” he mentioned. “That doesn’t imply we will’t observe traits or make loopy beers, it simply means doing all the pieces in a high-quality and considerate method. To me, doing a Kolsch service allowed us to not solely brew a scrumptious beer, however to supply a complete expertise round that beer that may educate our clients, go away an enduring impression, and most significantly, give them a implausible time.”

That spotlight to element jumped out throughout our go to – workers will not be simply welcoming, however educated. Not nearly beer, however concerning the brewery, the farm and the household behind it. They’ll inform you how the Slagels are a household of entrepreneurs (yep, his cousins personal Slagel Household Meats) and the way an amber from a homebrew package began this complete factor seven years in the past.

A enterprise administration and finance main at North Central School, Slagel opted to do a senior venture on beginning a brewery, having been impressed by a roommate who was a member of a month-to-month beer membership. Earlier than lengthy, he was touring together with his spouse to Germany to study extra and analysis recipes, even later studying that his great-grandfather was a hop farmer within the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Once they opened Emancipation Brewing, a relative dug up the long-forgotten signal from that household farm – “Hop Pickers Wished” – and it now hangs above the bar.

Slagel, 28, lives in Plainfield and together with his spouse, who additionally works full-time on the brewery, makes the roughly 140-mile round-trip commute to the brewery.

“We got here into this with the intention to supply all kinds of kinds, from basic European kinds to fashionable American traits, however that’s not distinctive,” he mentioned. “What we really feel is exclusive is how we current them. You received’t discover any snobby undertones of IPA supremacy; you received’t be made to really feel unhealthy in the event you don’t like imperial stouts or pastry sours. We don’t do ‘token’ beers in the best way that some breweries which might be targeted on stylish kinds do after they’ll have ten IPAs and a token lager.

“We really feel that every model is as necessary as the subsequent, even when it’s an ‘uncool’ model that doesn’t promote properly. It’s nonetheless going to be somebody’s favourite beer, and we received’t promote it quick. Our purpose is to not have our clients consuming IPAs and stouts, it’s to have them consuming their favourite beers, no matter they could be. We don’t wish to be gatekeepers; we simply wish to brew one of the best beers we will and current them on their very own deserves.”

They’ve grown sufficient that they’re now contract brewing some canned choices at Destihl, which has allowed them to self-distribute at choose downstate shops, bars and eating places, but additionally at locations like Bottle Idea in Elmhurst, Orange & Brew in Downers Grove and Flight Tasting Room and Bottle Store in Yorkville.

But the Slagels stay true to these rural roots – rising Emancipation Brewing thoughtfully and strategically whereas remaining grounded at residence as an alternative of a extra populated space. “We see its distant location as a characteristic, not a bug. It’s a beautiful vacation spot, and whereas lack of inhabitants density may cause issues, particularly with unhealthy climate for instance, it’s value the advantages of providing a retreat to folks, a spot they will go that’s off the overwhelmed path,” he mentioned.

“Rising up right here, I didn’t see the great thing about it. However once we began looking for a location, it quickly grew to become apparent that the household farm was the perfect spot. it not as a workplace, however a spot folks would spend time with household and buddies made me see it in a complete new mild. I began noticing the sunsets, which have develop into a signature facet of our outside space, in addition to the attractive rolling hills, distant tree strains, and even the adjoining corn & bean fields, which lend one thing to the expertise.”

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