Argus Brewery Tour

Argus - the Greek mythological giant that sees all and never sleeps.

I recently had the great privilege of visiting Argus Brewery. Argus is a family owned company founded by father and son partners Robert & Patrick Jensen. Established on the second floor of the former carriage house located on the historic “Schlitz Row” in Chicago, this is a production brewery producing a variety of premium craft beers for both bottle distribution sales and exclusive contract brewing partnerships. Three styles available in bottles through distribution are; California Steam, Holstein Lager and Pegasus IPA. Their exclusive contract brewing partnerships include; Country House Restaurant, Jimmy Green's South Loop, Ballydoyle Irish Pub and Restaurant, Pullman Foundation, and Quigley's Irish pub. Each beer I had the privilege of sampling had a unique, timeless quality. I could picture each pour coming directly from a tap of an English pub. It makes sense that the Brewmaster, Grant Johnston, had actually spent time working as a Brewmaster in England for a stint of his career along with over twenty years of experience in Northern California. They are creating classic, well crafted beers from premium ingredients.

They don't just make great beer, Argus reaches out to their community by giving back where they can. Nick Lubovich, who introduced himself as the resident historian, leads the push to find creative outlets for community involvement. From creating candles out of discarded bottles and reclaimed wax from local churches to making coasters out of what would otherwise become waste from their beer filtering process, Argus is looking for ways in which they can minimize their footprint along with supporting their community by utilizing local labor when possible.

Their current location offers room to grow. The plan is to nearly double the capacity by utilizing an area which is currently leased as a body shop on the ground floor. Argus is a superb local option specializing in the production of well crafted session-able beers. As a company that treats it's employees as family and takes great pride in their craft, this is precisely the type of company we need to support and allow to flourish.

Recommendations:

(On Tap) McCaffery's Irish Cream Ale is a reverse engineered clone of Caffrey's Irish Ale and exclusively brewed in partnership with Ballydoyle Irish pub and restaurant. This is a smooth cream ale served on nitrogen giving it just the right amount of head and smooth silky feel for the style. The premium malt flavors and low alcohol content (4.14%) make this a session beer you can enjoy at any time.

(Bottle) Argus Pegasus IPA is currently their best selling beer. I found this IPA to be a surprisingly balanced interpretation of the style. After the initial hop aroma, the premium malt flavor is front and center. The hops add a welcome complexity to the beer. Pick up a six pack to give it a try.

WHERE TO FIND ARGUS BEER?