PERFECT PAIRINGS: Empirical Brewery + I HEART KEENWAH
If you happen to visit Empirical Brewery's taproom, don't be surprised to see big, burley, beaded guys munching on I Heart Keenwah snacks along with their beers - but definitely ask to take a photo, and then send that photo to us, because we LIVE for that sort of thing. Yep, it's true, we're on the menu and we're pretty stoked about it.
Empirical Brewery prides itself on a scientific approach to brewing, with a nod to beer making's historical roots. They source their ingredients locally, and even custom made their brewing equipment just 75 miles outside of Chicago. Feedback from their Ravenswood customers impacts their process, and they're always making improvements to their ever-changing lineup of beers on tap.
While their beers are well-loved by Chicagoans, Empirical's brewery cats are downright famous. Last year the team at Empirical Brewery adopted four feral cats through the Tree House Humane Society's Cats at Work program. Venkman, Ray, Egon and Gozer patrol the brewery for pests (with all that grain, mice are inevitable) - but they are anything but cuddly...trust us, we tried catching them for cuddles and they were not having it.
When we were done chasing their cats, Empirical was nice enough to let us sit down with brewer Nevin McCown to talk more about their approach to brewing, and pairing their beers with locally-made snacks like ours. We'll be sharing our interview with Empirical Brewery, and a few other Chicago breweries on St. Patrick's Day so stay tuned! In the meantime, learn more about Empirical Brewery at EmpiricalBrewery.com.