Argus Brewery - Pegasus IPA

Argus' IPA presents well in the glass: quite red in color with a head of tight-bubbled foam that drops lace as it recedes. As we expect from an IPA, there are a lot of fireworks on the nose. Luscious hops issue a delightfully fruity and floral aroma with some earthy undertones and unmistakable citrus notes. A robust caramel malt profile is apparent, lurking beneath. On the palate...wow, there's a lot of hops going on here. Thankfully Pegasus has plenty of caramel malt backbone to provide a satisfying structure here, with plenty of body and some residual mild sweetness to provide a counterpoint to the hops. But, as we expect and demand from the style, the hops are the star here, with firm bitterness controlling the show from start to finish, along with a big, pungently herbal and resinous Columbus hop character and a nice citric quality, as well. Grilled chicken pizza makes a good pairing, as does a simple, well-seared and caramelized steak, a bowl of spicy chili, or a snack of smoked gouda. 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 (they got the train theme in there too!).

Argus is committed to environmentally sustainable business practices, including buying electricity from a local wind power producer. Additionally, one of the biggest sources of brewing waste is spent grain, something that many rural brewers donate to farmers for animal feed. For a Chicago brewery like Argus, the solution was a bit different – make pizza! They've recently introduced a line of gourmet frozen pizzas with dough made from brewer's yeast and used mash.

Heading up the Argus brewing staff is Grant Johnston, who brings to the business over two decades of brewmaster experience, including 17 medal wins at the Great American Beer Festival. In addition to making their own line of great beer, Argus makes several private label beers for local bars and restaurants, as well as a signature brand for Jarrett Payton, son of Chicago football legend Walter Payton. For more info on the brewery, including brewery tours, call (773) 941-4050 or visit www.argusbrewery.com.