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USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
9 best beers I drank at the Great Taste of the Midwest 2025
Madison, Wisconsin -- A blue sky turned grey. The clouds opened up. At an outdoor beer festival hosting thousands, no one left. A brief downpour may have kept people inside the open-sided tents at the Great Taste of the Midwest, but no one headed for the exit. The bands unlucky enough to be playing under trees -- in my case, a trio doing nothing but beer-themed Beatles parodies -- hastily waterproofed their equipment under plastic before grabbing their glasses and headed to drier, boozier ground. Half an hour later, when the sun once again shined on the Great Taste of the Midwest, it was like nothing had even happened. That's the beauty of the Great Taste, a festival that celebrates beer as well as the prevailing notion that people united in their quest for it will be good to each other. There was no mad dash for cover when the storm rolled in, November Rain-style (why does that one guy dive through the cake? What problem did that solve??). Folks made space for their suddenly sopping brethren. Lines continued to move quickly, with polite recommendations, nods and an eye on the rest of the line. Folks got drunk, undoubtedly. They never got surly (unless, of course, they were hanging out by the massive outlay of tents run by Minnesota's Surly Brewing). Maybe I haven't lived in the Midwest long enough to take this for granted. My New England roots suggest five hours of drinking a dense lineup of beers that range up to 15 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) suggests you're gonna have to deal with some jerks. But in this, my fourth go-round at the Great Taste, I continue to solely be confronted by warm faces, friendly smiles and, importantly, people who know the hell out of their beer and want to share that with you. This is all to say the Great Taste of the Midwest is a bucket list event for any beer drinker out there. I had a friend arrive from Columbus, Ohio for seven total hours in Wisconsin -- five of which neatly overlapped with about 30 beers worth of tastings. He flew out of Dane County slightly damp, a little drunk and ultimately content (until his flight got delayed at O'Hare for 12 hours. O'Hare Airport: America's not-so-secret hellmouth since 1944). Now let's talk about those beers. 2025 saw a minor downturn in vendors thanks to the enforcement of a Wisconsin law that effectively taxed brewers north of $1,000 to pour beers in Madison. While that thinned the herd, there were still more than 1,400 brews to sample Saturday. The vast majority were absolutely delightful. Let's talk about those. But first, let's talk about the beers that just missed the cut. About 80 percent of what I tried at the 2025 Great Taste clocked in at four stars or higher. Was some of that the product of a warm, humid day or the fatigue of seven hours of a beer festival? Almost certainly. But it also underlines the undeniable quality of one of the best beer events in the world. The ones that just missed the cut include: Now, onto the nine standouts from a crowded field. These are presented in alphabetical order by brewery. Please note that I tried about 40 beers out of a possible 1,400, so there was so, so much good stuff I missed. Not on purpose, but because my liver was already working overtime. And since there were a bunch of great barrel-aged imperial stouts, I decided to spin that off to its own column later in the week. Stay tuned for that one. 4 Hands' Octohaze New England IPA Well, this is fortunate -- I was down in Saint Louis last week and mildly bummed I couldn't find the Octohaze on tap (in what was, admittedly, a limited scope of bars/restaurants for a family weekend). But here it is, poured by a pair of delightful reps happy to talk about their home base. The smell off the top was light hops for a beer than clocks in a higher than seven percent ABV alongside some vague, sweet citrus. The taste itself was clean and crisp. Those hops cast off a slight bitterness that builds toward the end to snap off each sip cleanly. In between, you get lush fruit notes that braid through the hop count to create a complex beer. Barn Town Brewing's PBJ Strawberry gluten-free sour My notes consisted of a single sentence. "Holy [expletive], it tastes like like a PBJ." Did I fall for the peanut butter/jelly gimmick? Yes. Will this be the last time I get sucked in by a weird, doesn't-taste-like-beer-beer at the Great Taste? Friends, it is not. Eagle Park Brewing's Spekto Kooler and Watermelon Lime Soft Serve seltzers Eagle Park makes very good traditional beers. But they also make absolutely bonkers seltzers that, while not the calorie-conscious offerings of a White Claw or Vizzy, deliver about 3,000 percent more flavor in each sip. And, you guys, what flavors they are. The Watermelon Lime pours like strawberry milk and smells like straight-up sherbet. It's awesome, and the taste backs that up. It's thicker than a traditional seltzer, but enough carbonation pokes through to keep you from feeling too milkshake-y about it. It's not a crushable seltzer, but a rich, indulgent one. The lime brings just enough tart flavor to keep things from getting cloyingly sweet. With this soft serve, Eagle Park took a standard seltzer trope and subverted it to give you something a little weird but undeniably special. The Spekto Kooler was such an easy win for me and my dad friends. It pours the appropriate Hi-C green and brings sweet citrus that lingers through each gulp before being snapped up by a steady current of rising carbonation. This isn't just for 90s kids. It rules. Faklandia's Blue Magic Blueberry IPA Blueberry beers were, oddly enough, key to my drinking development. Newport Storm was one of Rhode Island's first big craft breweries and their flagship leaned into berries. So does SweetWater Blue, which was a constant $2.50 pint at the Flying Saucer in Nashville while I was broke as hell and just trying to get a graduate degree. Blue Magic brings back a lot of those memories, and it's possible these are just Proust's madeleines to my dumb poor brain. Still, the opening sip was crisp and packed with flavor I did not expect from a brewery I hadn't heard of before Saturday. It feels like a very experienced, lived-in beer that's taken years to perfect. The blueberry hits you right up front before giving way to sharper hops that help keep everything in check. It's a wonderful summer drink that pairs well with a warm day but has the structure to be a winner no matter the weather. G5 Brewing's Lack of Color West Coast Pilsner I got clued into this a couple days before the fest when a pair of brewery owners happened to roll through the trivia night I host. Lack of Color was pitched to me as a clean-drinking West Coast Pils with unmistakable notes of cantaloupe. That's the best melon! Make more cantaloupe things! The smell off the top was brisk and fruity. You get malt in the background, some sharp hop flavor poking through and juuuuust a little bit of that melon. The first sip follows suit. The opening is a foyer of cantaloupe, reminding me at least a little of Gatorade's Fierce Melon flavor (it was great). Then the hops kick in to crisply wash that away with a sound, dry finish. It's a flavor profile I've only had a few times in the past. There's a good chance G5 did it better than anyone else in that cohort. North Pillar Brewing's Within Reason imperial IPA Within Reason pours well with quite a Baby Billy amount of rich white foam on top. By the time it settles, those bubbles have cast off boatloads of juicy hops. After properly dunking my nose into the foam (I am a doofus), I got an opening sip that was very hop forward but not aggressively, burn-your-tongue-off bitter. Instead, you get a soft landing for a double IPA. Each pull is crisp and brings a little fruit toward the end that makes this beer very, very easy to keep coming back to. That clean finish leaves you wanting more, beckoning you to dive back into that malty, hoppy and fruity whirlpool from which you came. Combine that with a satisfying, rich-but-not-thick texture and you've got a beer that's a great running mate for a savory meal but can also stand on its own at a tailgate. Pals Brewing's Picklepeno Bloody Mary I love a good, spicy bloody Mary. I also love a good gimmick beer. So when Pals rolled up from Nebraska with a craft beer meant to be mixed with tomato juice (et al) and a couple trays of garnishes (pickles, cheese curds and salami), I was absolutely on board. Fortunately, Pals lived up to the hype. Instead of feeling like you're drinking soup, combining beer with this bloody creates a thin and crushable morning drink. The spice is sharp but minor, giving a nice push-pull with the fruit base of the tomato. The pickle plays much more of a role here, but stops short of the point where it would be annoying. The malt of the beer underneath does let you know this isn't a traditional cocktail, but it's not distracting like other beer-based mixed drinks can be. If I have one complaint it's that I'd like it to be hotter. But that's a standard bloody Mary condition for me -- one easily fixed with a bottle of Tabasco. This is a lovely eye-opener that delivers a little less hair of the dog than your typical vodka-based Mary, but brings big, soft and drinkable flavors with it each step of the way. Sway Brewing + Blending's Longtime Friends Czech Pilsener (from the gravity cask) This poured with a big foamy head -- not exactly a mliko pour, but one that felt true to the beer's origins. As I waited for my pour, the guy behind me in line casually mentioned everything Sway makes is great. That's high praise at an event like the Great Taste. He's right, at least for this specific beer (it's the only one I tried at the booth). The smell off the top was crisp, clean lager. At 4.2 percent ABV you expect a crushable brew that delivers more flavor than a similarly strong light beer. Longtime Friends brings that in spades. Each sip is bright and full-bodied, giving off a good amount of malt, some sweet honey and juuuuuust a little bit of fruit. The combination is fresh and invigorating, the kind of beer that perks you back up despite its qualities as a depressant. I could drink this all day, and I have to think that's exactly what Sway was going for. Working Draft's Hindsight German pils Working Draft has a special place in my heart. The local Madison-based brewer stepped up after Vox laid off a bunch of my SB Nation colleagues (and me, naturally) to make a Moon Crew IPA in honor of the side project my fellow umemployeds put together that Covid-wrecked summer. Very cool stuff. The brewery may be best known for its pale ales, but this pils is immediately appetizing. The smell off the pour is brisk and malty, making it feel like the perfect antidote to an 85 degree day. You get a little bit of hops in the opening sip, but it floats atop that current of golden malt to be the cantilever on the other side of a beer that would otherwise be a touch too sweet. It's great in the heat, but stands up on its own to be drinkable regardless of the situation.
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Cork honey producer in running for prestigious Great Taste's Golden Fork
An army officer and dairy farmer are thrilled after their honey from the banks of the Blackwater River in Fermoy has been named as one of three finalists in the prestigious Great Taste awards of 2025. Andrew and John Shinnick of Blackwater Honey will attend the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony in London on September 9, where their Blossom Honey is one of three contenders for the Golden Fork from Ireland award, and is one of 33 products contending for the overall Great Taste 2025 championship. It's a huge achievement to be shortlisted from 14,340 Great Taste entries, from more than 3,611 companies across 110 countries. Also contending from Ireland are Goatsbridge Fresh Water Trout Farm, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, with its Hot Smoked Rainbow Trout Fillets; and Green Pastures, Donegal, with its 25% Sour Cream. After four months of meticulous Great Taste judging, they are through to the 'Oscars of the food world' at London's Battersea Arts Centre on September 9. Alongside them will be Northern Ireland's Basalt Distillery, Giant's Causeway, with its Basalt Volcanic Rock Gin; and Get 'Er Brewed, Randalstown, arguably the most successful of all because two of its products are shortlisted, the Razma Barrel Aged Keptinis Beer, and the Untamed Barrel Aged Wild Ale. All three are vying for the Golden Fork from Northern Ireland, and the overall championship. In the midst of this celebration of the very best in food and drink from around the world will be the Shinnick brothers, who describe themselves as a mainly hobbyist, bee farming business. Andrew and John are from a third-generation beekeeping family producing 100% natural Irish honey made by their native Irish honeybees. They have several apiaries, and each one produces its own distinctive honey flavour, taste, colour, and aroma. Their honey has won several awards nationally and internationally. Blossom Honey already has one-star Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards, but has now made it to the coveted three-star status. Also, this year, their Heather Honey is a two-star Great Taste winner. Their Section Honeycomb has also been a one-star winner. The Shinnicks are huge supporters of biodiversity, for example, supporting and endorsing the All-Ireland Pollination Plan, by routinely giving away wildflower seeds with honey gift packages. Blackwater Honey is keen to raise awareness that Ireland has been identified as one of the largest gene pools of the European dark honeybee, the family to which the native Irish black honeybee belongs. Once found all over the continent, it is now found in only a very small number of isolated areas. Andrew is an army officer with the Irish Defence Forces. In 2020, he set up Blackwater Honey with John, his younger brother, who is a dairy farmer. One of the places you can get their honey is Hanna's Market & Café, Fermoy.
Daily Record
31-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Free ice cream at Hamilton Equi's to celebrate awards success
Customers can sample three flavours including the highly-rated hazelnut brittle on August 2 at the Burnbank Road parlour Customers at Equi's in Hamilton can enjoy a taste of success on Friday, August 2 – as the ice cream producer gives away free scoops of its latest award-winning flavours. The century-old local firm is marking its latest success at the prestigious Great Taste awards by giving away exclusive samples of its specially-created hazelnut brittle, pistachio & Sicilian orange and Parma custard & vanilla croquant flavours. All three were among the company's magnificent seven winners in the food industry honours; with hazelnut brittle earning the leading accolade of three stars to give Equi's their best result in the awards for six years and their first three-star top prize since 2017. Now customers at the Equi's ice cream parlour on Burnbank Road can try one of the flavours in Friday's free giveaway as staff celebrate earning a grand total of 11 stars for seven different products at the awards, which are organised by the Guild of Fine Food and judged by more than 500 food and drink experts. Earning the coveted top award, hazelnut brittle was described as 'a really special gelato that is skilfully made', with impressed judges adding: 'The only thing we'd change is that we wanted more!' The three-star accolade 'places it in the top 1.5% per cent of more than 14,000 entries' to the annual industry contest, and means it now qualifies as an entrant for the prestigious Golden Fork awards. It will be on offer at the Hamilton shop this week alongside pistachio and Sicilian orange which earned two stars, and Parma custard & vanilla croquant which earned one. Equi's also earned a star each for their strawberry cheesecake, classic double cream and pistachio & balsamic fig flavours; plus the two-star award for their pistachio swirl gelato in what was their 10th successive year of taking part in the Great Taste awards. Chief executive David Equi said: 'To receive 11 stars this year, our best result since 2019, is a proud moment for the whole team, but the three-star award for our hazelnut brittle is the real cherry on top. 'It's the kind of recognition that reflects our relentless pursuit of flavour and craftsmanship, and we're thrilled to see it going forward to the Golden Forks.' Equi's – which was founded in Hamilton and now has its factory and headquarters in Rutherglen – has now earned a total of 80 stars since first entering the Great Taste competition. The company's latest accolades follow a successful 2024 which saw them win two titles at the Royal Highland show, launch new branding featuring Michelangelo's famous sculpture David wearing a Glasgow-inspired ice-cream cone hat, and launch several new flavours including a limited-edition Taylor Swift special to celebrate the Eras tour arriving in Scotland. * Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Irish Independent
31-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Dundalk coffee roasters win Two Stars at the 2025 Great Taste Awards
Judged by more than 500 experts including chefs, buyers, food writers, and retailers, the Great Taste Awards recognise exceptional flavour, quality, and craftsmanship in food and drink. Cinco Jalisco impressed judges with its bold character, balance, and craftsmanship, earning it one of the most coveted accolades in specialty coffee. "We are delighted to get this award,' Pat McArdle of Dreambeans Coffee said. 'Cinco Jalisco is the result of a long time in tasting and blending by Master Roaster Pat Grant, to hit that perfect balance of bite, body and smoothness – without bitterness. We knew we had something special, and to have it recognised at this level is very rewarding. Our whole team works incredibly hard to produce a world-class coffee which we can deliver to our customers at a reasonable price. Everyone on the team is delighted." It's a real cause of celebration as this means that Dreambeans have been awarded a total of three Two Gold Star Awards for their blends, putting them amongst Ireland's top coffee roasters. The blend certainly impressed the Great Taste judges who said 'Big notes of muscovado and tropical fruits are present for this well-balanced coffee that has gentle acidity and good balance… an excellent blend… clever coffee, and a combination of great crafting and cunning flavour harmonies.' 'A delicious coffee that's intelligent and unexpected… rich milky chocolate notes… a really enjoyable product and cleverly put together.' Cinco Jalisco is a powerful, complex blend with five constituent origins. It was developed with both flavour intensity and drinkability in mind—ideal for those who want a proper caffeine kick without any bitterness. Whether taken black as an espresso or Americano, or with milk for a creamy, rounded cup, Cinco Jalisco offers 'bags of flavour, a good caffeine kick, and balance without bitterness.' It's a superb morning brew or mid-afternoon boost—*smooth, bold, and beautifully constructed*.
Business News Wales
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Matsudai Ramen and Halen Môn Launch Kit Collaboration
Matsudai Ramen, Wales' cult ramen joint, and Halen Môn, the Anglesey Sea Salt company, are to launch a new collaborative ramen kit. The new shio (salt) ramen kit has been created by the Matsudai team to showcase Halen Môn's salt products – and particularly its smoked salt and smoked water. The bowl features a light, golden chicken and seafood soup, a new Halen Môn shio tare (secret seasoning sauce), wild garlic oil, hand-pressed noodles and pork loin chashu cured in Halen Môn smoked salt. Since 2021, Matsudai has delivered tens of thousands of ramen kits to every corner of the UK, receiving praise from such culinary heroes as Tim Anderson, Andi Oliver, Big Has, and Melissa Thompson and appearing in articles in the Observer, the Mail, the Independent, BBC Good Food and many more. In early August 2022 they opened Wales' first dedicated ramen shop – a flagship restaurant in Grangetown, Cardiff. Guardian critic Jay Rayner visited the restaurant soon after, calling it 'inventive, geeky and superb'. To launch the new kit collaboration with Halen Môn, Matsudai will be hosting a pop-up lunch and dinner club with Halen Môn's Tide cafe at the saltcote on Anglesey on 10th July. The pop-up will showcase the recipe from the new kit, alongside a richer soup alternative and a vegan version. The ticket price includes a bowl of ramen and a selection of additional small plates and desserts, which also showcase Halen Môn products, will also be available to buy on the day. The Matsudai x Halen Môn ramen kits will be available to pre-order from 27th June for delivery between 18th July and 16th August. Tickets for the pop-up event at Halen Môn are available to book now online. James Chant, founder of Matsudai Ramen said: 'We've been using Halen Môn products in our cooking for years – salt-based shio ramen is a fundamental style in Japanese ramen – so, with Halen Môn's products being so untouchably brilliant, it felt like a perfect fit for us to collaborate. We've made good use of Halen Môn's smoked salt and water, to accentuate the depth of the flavours that we bring from our long-cooked soups and marinated meats and vegetables. We've wanted to do this for ages and I'm really pleased to bring this idea to life. 'As a business that was founded on running pop-ups, we're looking forward to the experience of cooking on the beautiful Anglesey coast. It's an opportunity for North Walian fans of our kits to taste what we do in-person, and to bring something a bit different to the menu at Tide.' Halen Môn has built an international reputation for its iconic hand-harvested, organic-approved Welsh sea salt made from Anglesey sea water and its range of seasonings and condiments that celebrate the best natural ingredients. It launched its artisan smokery business in 2008 with smoked sea salt, and has since developed a range of ingredients, popular with top restaurants and chefs, including a Great Taste award-winning Oak Smoked Water. Jess Lea-Wilson, brand director at Halen Môn, said: 'We're big fans of the Matsudai kits and always looking for new recipes, dishes and cuisines to showcase the versatility of our naturally-produced salts and seasonings. 'Having invested in the visitor experience at Tide over the winter, we're really pleased to make the most of the opportunity this summer to welcome in the community around us here in Anglesey, showcase amazing Welsh culinary talent and bring new events to the island.'
