As part of our 150th anniversary celebrations, Siebel Institute of Technology is proud to have sponsored two great events organized by Liz Garibay and the Chicago Brewseum. On Sunday, Oct. 2nd, the beautiful Red Lion Pub played host to a presentation by British beer writer and historian Ron Pattinson, along with Derek Prentice, a UK-based former brewer at such prestigious breweries as Truman, Youngs, and Fuller’s. Attendees were treated to informative and humorous insights from two of the most knowledgeable experts on the history and evolution of UK beer. Ron led the group with a presentation on the most popular beer styles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, dispelling common myths about their history based on his extensive brewing research, with Derek chiming in to provide the perspective of an experienced UK brewer.
On Tuesday, Oct.4th, our two guests reconvened for the unveiling of a beer at the Goose Island Fulton St. production brewery. The “Black Eagle No. 1 English Barleywine Ale” was brewed in collaboration with Ron and Derek at Goose Island. “It was a great experience of truly drinking history” commented John Hannafan, vice president and director of education at Siebel, “Mike Siegel of Goose Island and all involved did a fantastic job. Listening to the history and process of how English barley wines were produced traditionally was an eye-opener for many in attendance. Equally interesting was sampling the beers which were individually produced and designed to be blended to create the final product. Truly educational.” Black Eagle is made from a blend of two differing batches brewed 9 months apart, allowing the first beer time to age in wood, creating unique characteristics in aroma and flavor, and later being combined with the younger unaged beer to create the finished classic product. The consensus among the attendees was that this was a wonderful beer for a cool Fall night in Chicago.
