Their Charlatan Pale Ale was one of their first brews and remains one of their biggest hits. After Odell sent them a cease and desist (because their DIPA is also named mercenary, although spelled Myrcenary), they changed their name to Maplewood вЂ“ the street theyвЂ™re located on. Maplewood Brewing & Distillery opened in ChicagoвЂ™s Logan Square neighborhood in 2014 under the name Mercenary Brewing. It manages to have juicy/tropical flavors while still showing off the hops and not using any additives. If youвЂ™re looking for a throwback IPA, this is the perfect one. Maplewood continues to show that they can brew every style with finesse and this West Coast DIPA is another example of that. As the beer warms up the flavors mellow out some and the tangerine and grapefruit begin to appear more and more. However, the beer is actually better the longer it sits. This leads to the back half of the beer being slightly sticky when it finishes. Notes of lemon, tangerine, and papaya add some juiciness to the beer and manage to quell the initial hop bite.ДЄs the sip progresses, the pithy grapefruit brings a bitter twinge forward and a small resinous feeling begins to build. Some other tropical flavors began to appear as well. There was also a slightly resinous feeling and a grapefruit rind flavor that began to creep forward. Leading the flavor profile was a massive peach characteristic with the apricot sitting just underneath. The bitterness hums for a few moments before slowly disappearing. Starting off each sip is a moderate fizzle of carbonation and a slight hoppy bite. Leading the way was a huge peach aroma with some apricot and grapefruit underneath. On the nose, Sidewalk Surfer is packed with notes of hoppy stone fruits and has a bit of sweetness. A thin layer of eggshell white head topped the beer but never reached more than half a finger high. The beer poured a bright and clear copper color and was almost completely translucent. This batch was released on March 10th and can still be found sporadically around the Chicagoland area. Sidewalk Surfer was brewed with Chinook, Mosaic, and Strata hops and is packed with an 8% ABV. This West Coast Double IPA takes it back to the days when IPAs werenвЂ™t all hazy and infiltrated with lactose and fruits. One of their newest beers, Sidewalk Surfer, is no exception. And they have continued to show that they can make any style of beer and make them really well. Maplewood Brewery & Distillery has quickly become one of the best places in Chicago to find delicious beers and spirits.

Sidewalk surfers