The first Goose Island Brewery opened its doors on May 13, 1988 in Chicago, IL with the aim of giving US consumers a diverse selection of uniquely crafted beers, much like the ales and lagers found in Europe.
Goose Island’s beer recipes are primarily made from four natural ingredients: malted grain, hops, yeast and water. The brewery is divided into a “hot side” and a “cold side” with distinct sections, each reserved for one part of the brewing process. The work in the brewery is divided into nine steps: malting, milling, mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, filtering and filling. The brew house (hot side) is responsible for mixing malt, hops and water while the refrigerated cellar (cold side) is where the beer is finished and bottled.