Argus Brewery - Bloodshot Red

Brewed to honor Chicago's independent record label, Bloodshot Records, this medium amber beer is brewed in the style of Extra Special Bitter, or ESB. An English style, it's not particularly bitter by American craft beer standards; rather, it's an amped up version of an English Bitter, with more malt and hop character, and generally a higher ABV. Bloodshot Red offers up an aroma that starts quite juicy with really pleasant citrus and floral notes, plus a touch of pine, all overlaying a sturdy base of caramel and wheaty grain. The theme continues on the palate; look for a nicely toasty malt core with prominent caramel and toffee notes, plus a touch of woodiness. There's a buttery hint here which is common among ESBs and a number of other English styles, a contribution of the specific English yeast strain used. The moderate hop bitterness hits a perfect balance with the robust maltiness, with the end result being a deliciously flavorful brew that's very easy to drink. For food pairings, you can't go wrong with fish & chips or other British pub fare. Roasted pork, turkey, or chicken make the grade, too. Cheers!

Argus Brewery was founded in 2009 by long-time homebrewers – and father-son duo – Bob and Patrick Jensen. Located in Chicago's Pullman District, the historical home of the Pullman train car manufacturing company, the brewery is situated inside a building that at one time served as a stable for the delivery horses and carriages of the Schlitz Brewing Company. With terra cotta horse heads still adorning the building, the horse head logo is a natural fit for the brewery, as is the ongoing horse theme in the names of their current and past beers, like Clyde's Ale, Holsteiner, Pegasus, and Ironhorse (which plays off the train theme too).

In 2015, Argus brought on Mary Pellettieri to serve as brewmaster. Pellettieri started her career as a chemist and microbiologist at Chicago’s world-renowned brewing school, the Siebel Institute, where she later transitioned into a teaching role in Sensory Management during the 1990s. Her 20+ years of experience, including time spent at Chicago’s highly-regarded Goose Island Brewing Company, is a powerful addition to the Argus team. In 2016 another Siebel graduate, Ted Furman, also joined the team, bringing his almost three decades worth of experience to Argus. Founder of Golden Prairie Brewing Company in 1990, Ted has employed and trained many successful brewers from well-known breweries such as 3 Floyds, Jester King, and Revolution Brewing. Argus now serves as the home of Furman’s Golden Prairie brand, including this month's featured Golden Prairie Ale.

The brewery produces several Argus-branded beer styles and they also brew private label beers for a few local pubs and restaurants. Additionally, Argus has begun brewing an exciting “Special Barrel” series of barrel-aged small-batch beers, including Rosie Cheeks, a one-off saison featuring rose hips which was brewed especially for release to our Rare Beer Club members in 2015. We’re excited to see what the team comes up with next! For more info on the brewery, including brewery tours, call 773-941-4050 or visit www.argusbrewery.com.