Making great beer leaves us all tingly and warm, a relatively common phenomenon we just made up, known as The Fermentation Sensation. 

There is nothing quite so satisfying as transforming malt, hops, water and yeast into outstanding beer. If you’ll forgive the cliché – and even if you won’t – it's truly a labor of love.

When our two companies - Rude Boy Brewing and Twisted Hippo Brewing - started considering a joint venture, our pairing became the only obvious choice. We were two companies who could share our passion and widely diversified talent pools to create a lot of truly excellent beer. 

We’re fortunate to be participating in the craft beer movement at this particular time in history. America’s beer consumption patterns are trending back toward its pre-Prohibition roots, when breweries served as community centers, meeting places and benchmarks of neighborhood charisma, and the small-batch beer that came out of them were trademarks of the brewmaster’s character, only found in that small patch of the world.

With Carry Nation and her wily hatchet a distant national memory, consumers are consistently seeking out small-scale, artisanal beer to please a variety of palates. No longer satisfied with conveyor-belt consumption, Americans are on the prowl for something more than the fizzy yellow stuff of frat parties gone by.  

In 2013 national craft beer sales grew by 18%, despite a 2% reduction in overall beer sales. The amount of creative energy, care, and general gumption it takes to make this kind of impact on a $100 billion market is substantial, to say the least. Craft brewing continues to enjoy a pattern of growth that does not resemble a bubble, but a hill – steadily growing, year upon year, leaving a string of new and interesting brews in its wake for consumers to enjoy.

Further, trending figures indicate an opportunity to maximize economic benefits of the industry's cultural shift, parlaying significant governmental and community intitiatives into a clearly defined upshift in potential job market valuations that can only be described as Awesome! Amazing! OhmygodtheBEST! 

In Chicago and otherwise, community leaders are lending support to li'l breweries like ourselves because it is so easy to see the intrinsic benefit of the neighborhood brewery concept...and, as you can see, it make us all superlative-pre-teen inside. 

Our dedicated team has visited many scores of breweries across the United States, researching trends in beer styles, hops profiles, brewing systems, tap room functionality, community outreach and more. We have considered opening our doors in other states, other cities, other communities. But there’s something about Chicago that just grabs onto you and doesn’t let go. We’re stuck…in one of the most outstanding beer communities across the country.

We have big plans for our fundable campaign! Funds raised here will help us purchase a brewhouse, fermenters, a glycol chiller, kegs, lab equipment, and bits of our taproom where you will be able to have a taste of the classics and sample our latest and greatest.

Brewhouse: Can’t have a beer without the boil. As much as we love brewing at home, the ol’ stovetop just won’t do for the manufacture of beer on a commercial scale. A new brewhouse will bring us to size and send us surely down the proper path.

Fermenters: Our first steps will be lean and mean. Limited release from a 3.5 barrel system in Chicago will allow us to be nimble in our first endeavors, bringing exciting new ales to our patrons. As our account base increases, 3.5 barrel fermenters will be replaced by a larger scale system and repurposed as serving tanks for our tap room.

Glycol Chiller: Our fermenters are insulated and wrapped with glycol for temperature control, allowing us to deliver a consistent, delicious product. Glycol makes the magic happen. 

Kegs: For customers not willing to transport their beer in cupped hands or red plastic Dixies, these stainless vessels are the key to getting our beer safely out into the world until we start our canning and bottling programs.

Lab Equipment: A good lab doesn’t have to be complicated, but it’s vital for delivering consistently high-quality beer. And there’s nothing quite as sexy-smart as a casual referral to your Erlenmeyer flask.

Taproom Thus 'n Such: Any extra funding will go toward accoutrements for our tap room. A place to gather before brewery tours or pip in for a pint and a growler, the taproom will be the heart of our brewing home. Here, our classics will be on standby and our pilot / experimental brews will be on tap for tastings. Our dedicated patrons will be able to sample the latest and grab a growler to go.

We here at Rude Hippo like to consider our commitment to sustainability a special, beery gift to future generations. The longer we do right by Mama Earth, the longer we’ll be able to drink beer here. (You're welcome, America.)

Rude Hippo is committed to initiating the most sustainable practices possible as we develop our business strategies and brewing techniques. Our specific practices will be dictated by our final location, but we are committed to using the most efficient equipment possible (tankless water heaters being one example), alternative energy sources (solar...wind...even spent grain pellets) and innovative reuse/recycling of raw goods and packaging materials in favor of the smallest waste stream possible. 

We're not saying we'll be perfect, but we believe in doing our best - and our best involves delicious strategies like baking bread and cookies so...trust us. You'll want to stay tuned. 

We believe in balance. Our focus is on flavorful, sessionable ales falling in line in the 6-7% ABV range. Rude Hippo has a hefty lineup of time-tested ales ready to hit the market. A few of our early offerings:

Old Saint Auggie’s Belgian IPA – This snappy BIPA segways the sweetness of a Belgian style into a healthy bite of hops. A balanced brew, it proves worthy of its namesake, Saint Augustine of Hippo, the Patron Saint of Beer. Having contract brewed this beer with a limited release, this little number brings in very high praise.

Black IPA – Bitter and malty, our Black IPA pours like a porter but gently pummels the palate like a good IPA should. This midnight brew will be available on limited release during our campaign.

Throat Hugs Cream Ale – This easy-drinking cream ale is perfect for an afternoon by the lake. Creamy and fresh, it will be available for limited release during our campaign.

Black Wheat Ale – With summer (finally) upon us, Rude Hippo is delivering a citrusy wheat ale with a twist. Owing to a dose of roasted malt, our Black Wheat hides its orange zest under a bushel. We’re letting it shine during our campaign.

Honey Basil - Our Honey Basil Ale is so good it will straight-up knock your socks off and treat you to a pedi. Full of flavor, but smooth and refreshing, this is an ale you will not soon forget - and it will be available at select locations during our campaign, in limited quantites. 

Wooden Nickel IPA – An outstanding, sessionable IPA, our Wooden Nickel is lightly aged on oak. It will satisfy your taste for hops without sacrificing your palate.

Evil M – Look out. Evil M is our seasonal kitchen sink porter, brandishing chocolate, chilis, molasses and licorice root. Totally non-scientific data sets indicate that this late-season brew induces cravings likely to haunt you all winter long.

Beeting Heart – Yup. You read that right. Beeting Heart is a hot pink dandy with an earthy back-end, perfect for the fall. Our beet ale may be the most controversial member of our line-up, as well as one of the most requested. Beeting Heart will be available seasonally, and on a very limited run.

Our Sour Program – Building on our extensive lineup of ales, our sour program will be geared up almost immediately, in consideration of a proper aging and blending program. These treasured goods won’t be available to the public on day one, but those who know their sours can confirm they’re worth the wait.

Presently contracting out of 18th Street Brewery in Gary, Indiana and Slapshot Brewery in Chicago, we have already begun to build a solid account base in  Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.

Rude Hippo is a member of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild and the Brewer's Association, fostering strong relationships in a positive and supportive brewing community.

We're tenancious, creative, and ready to work. Hard.

Our Team:

Karl Rutherford - Brewer, Marketing
Karl Rutherford has worked as a marketing specialist for the last 11 years. His true calling, though, lay at the bottom of a brew kettle. A recipe master, he started brewing in 2008 earning him the well-deserved title of "Wort Whisperer."

Ian Denson - Brewer, Sales
A proud Army veteran, Ian spends his days designing IT systems for an international tech company. He is, literally, a "Solutions Provider." By night, he can be found hunched over a microscope looking at yeast or poring over his beer. A purveyor of funk, his award-winning beverages will be the building blocks of Rude Hippo's sour program.

Marilee Rutherford - Brewer, Head of Cellaring
Marilee is a Jill-of-all-trades who has spent 12 years in commercial real estate management. She has a penchant for thinking outside the box when it comes to both problem solving and flavor profiles. Her very special control issues make her the perfect person to head up Rude Hippo's cellaring efforts.

Medea Denson - Manager of Madness
Medea traded up from her paralegal position to be a full-time activities manager for their one year-old son at home. As our business manager, her education, organization, business acumen and saintly patience serve equally well amongst brewers as they do the toddler sect.

Starting a brewery takes heart, guts and brains.
We’ve got ‘em. And we’re ready to go get ‘em. 

We hope you'll join us!