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 a good dose of caramel malt backbone to provide a satisfying structure, 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 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 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, which includes several intriguing brews including a double altbier, a honey ginger ale, and a maple stout, among others.

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.