ROGERS PARK — Now pouring at the Lighthouse Tavern: the limited release St. Brigid Brown Ale by Begyle Brewing.
You can't get this stuff anywhere else in Chicago, said Lighthouse owner Joe Quinlan.
"Browns are really undervalued as a beer style," he said, adding that the Brigid Brown was a hybrid American- and British-style ale with a chocolate flavor background.
Begyle head brewer Matt Ritchey said the brewery sometimes partners with bars for exclusive brews, but not often because of their small operation.
For the lighthouse, Ritchey said they brewed a test batch and "nailed it" with a second try.
"Joe just gave us the descriptors of what he was looking for and I went to town trying to engineer it," he said.
He said he used a British ale yeast with the right combination of grains to come up with a nutty, chocolaty taste and dry finish.
Quinlan said he named the beer after St. Brigid of Ireland, who — according to legend — brewed beer in her convent's bathtub in the 5th century. She shared her homebrew with members of a leper colony where she worked.
She also was known to concoct a specialty brew for Easter.
"Apparently, one of the things she did was brew up a batch of beer in the spring time," Quinlan said.
The Lighthouse, at 7301 N. Sheridan Road, is holding a party to celebrate the new ale on March 27.
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