Argus Brewery - Clyde’s Ale ESB

Pouring a coppery amber hue capped with a good head of foam, Clyde’s Ale is quite bright on the nose with a good dose of grapefruit and lemon, along with a perfumed, floral character, all overlaying caramelized malts. There’s a lot of overlap and confusion among the various styles of English “bitters” and “pale ales”, with Extra Special Bitter (ESB) and English Pale Ale being interchangeable according to many English brewers. Certainly the confusing and overlapping naming of these various pale brews stretches back at least as far as the 19th century. No matter what it’s called, the robust and often more complex malt profiles of the English Pale Ales/ESBs mark a refreshing change from the usual American Pale Ales, and we see that here with Clyde’s Ale, which offers plenty of caramelized malt backbone for structure and balance. Nevertheless, this ESB is quite bold with the hops too, with the traditionally American Chinook and English Brewer’s Gold working in tandem to provide a big grapefruity, spicy and fruity character. Pair with lemon & herb chicken or Thai pork with hot chilies & Thai basil. 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 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.

The brewery produces several beer styles including a signature brand for Jarrett Payton, son of Bears football legend Walter Payton, and they also brew private label beers for several 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 earlier this summer. 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.