Two Brothers Brewing Company - Prairie Path

Two Brothers has jumped into the gluten-reduced beer space with their Prairie Path golden ale – which is brewed as a normal beer and then treated with enzymes that break down the gluten. We like these types of beers, as we would never know it was gluten reduced if we weren’t told. Prairie Path pours a richly golden, lightly coppery color with good clarity and a plentiful head of off-white foam. In the aroma, we get some lightly toasty malt undertones overlaid by spicy hops that add a peppery touch. There may be some mildly herbal yeasty elements here too. The aroma foreshadows the flavor quite well – look for a toasty malt backbone to form a sturdy cereal grain center while the hops deliver plenty of contrasting herbal spice, some zesty citrus, and moderate bitterness to keep this ale quite crisp and refreshingly dry. For pairing options, the malty core will match up nicely with breaded & fried dishes. Grilled meats including burgers will do nicely too, with the hops able to cut through fats. The brewery also recommends chicken, salads, salmon, bratwurst, apricot or mandarin cake, and lemon custard tart. Cheers!

Two Brothers Brewing Company is a family-owned brewery located in Warrenville, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Prior to starting the brewery, founders Jim and Jason Ebel opened up The Brewer’s Coop, a homebrewing and home winemaking shop. Between the two of them, they were seasoned homebrewers and for years they talked about starting a brewery. Jason moved out west to hone his brewing skills at the Tabernash Brewery in Denver, CO, and also gained some experience at Mickey Finn’s in Libertyville, IL. During this time, the two still talked about starting their own brewery. Eventually, they drove their families just a little bit nuts with all the talk and finally decided to go for it and start a brewpub; but, with no real financing and no experience in restaurant management, they decided a brewery would be a better bet. While planning and working the shop, Jim earned his law degree and Jason earned his brewing degree at the famed Siebel Institute in Chicago. In 1996 they officially opened the brewery. Their goal was to bring fresh, high-quality brews to the Chicagoland area.

Over the past three decades, Two Brothers has grown in leaps and bounds, now inhabiting a 40,000 sq. ft. brewing facility with a 50-barrel system and 3,000 barrels of fermenter space. Should you be visiting the Chicago area, you can check out the Two Brothers wares in greater detail at Two Brothers Tap House in Warrenville or the Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora—all within 25 minutes of one another. For their latest info, visit their website at twobrothersbrewing.com.