Dust off that leather jacket and slip on your flossiest shades, because today’s bourbon-soaked Barrel Aged Apple Ale comes from the stellar spot Men’s Journal calls “America’s Coolest Microbrewery.” 

But, Illinois’ Scratch Brewing isn’t the stoic, Neil Armstrong type. These cats are cool for an entirely different set of reasons! 

Their rustic, hands-on approach to brewing; the way they forage for unique locally-grown ingredients; and the laborious, time-intensive processes they use to create small-batch wonders like today’s brew.

This tart and complex ale deserves to be sipped and savored with your coolest craft-lovin’ crew (at a safe, social distance of course)! 

I bet they’ll be impressed by all the neat things that went into creating this beer:

• The brewery used their house culture during primary fermentation.
• Then, then aged it for two whole years in oak puncheons to give it that funky, earthy structure.
• Not to mention, its Old World cider-like quality comes from refermenting on juice pressed from Southern Illinois apples. 
• And, most interestingly, Apple Ale is made entirely without hops in the ancient “Gruit” style!

Toss all these ultra-cool elements together, and it’s no wonder Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine named Scratch a Breakout Brewer.

Drinking this barrel-aged Sour reminds me of the coolest parts about craft beer: the do-it-yourself attitude, willingness to get your hands dirty, and bucking trends. Tucked away in the rural Midwest, distinctive brews like Barrel-Aged Apple Ale show how Scratch is making serious waves in the farm brewery scene. 

That’s not just cool — it’s ice cold.