The Best Beers I Had in August 2026
After a trip to Chicago that included visits to 26 breweries (!!!), I wasn’t in a beery mood for the rest of the month. However, I came home on August 3, so these beers still count for August. Our second-to-last brewery visit was Off Color, one of my all-time favorite places to grab a beer. The other two beers on this list were from breweries I’ll be adding as stops on all my future Windy City itineraries.
Reply Hazy Try Again
Hop Butcher for the World
Hazy Double IPA, 7.5% ABV
Hop Butcher was one of the top places on my list when I planned my trip to Chicago. It’s been written up repeatedly as one of the best breweries in the country, most notably for its Hazy IPAs. While I’m not typically a fan of Hazys, when a place specializes in them, I order them. I tried a few different Hazys here, but this was my favorite. Tons of tropical fruit and citrus juiciness from Citra, Motueka and Simcoe hops, plus a smooth and slightly creamy mouthfeel. Really nice.
Kölsch
Dovetail Brewery
Kölsch, 4.6% ABV
Oh how I wish I could wander over to Dovetail any old day to enjoy one of their perfectly crafted German beers. Their Helles was fantastic, but I especially loved their Kölsch, which you can order by the Kranz, which is like an old-school beer bucket that fits 11 stanges (tall thin glasses). It’s slightly spicy, slightly fruity and super refreshing.
Apex Predator
Off Color Brewing
Saison, 6.5% ABV
While I’ve had this beer many times before, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy it at its freshest. It’s one of those beers I could drink all the time — complex, yet refreshing; comforting, yet exciting. It’s everything I love about farmhouse beers.
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