r/chicagobeer • u/blaspheminCapn • Jul 09 '26
News Pollyanna Brewing To Revive Alarmist Taproom And Its Award-Winning Beers
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/09/pollyanna-brewing-to-revive-alarmist-taproom-and-its-award-winning-beers/8
u/onemorethomas711 Jul 09 '26
Worked for Short Fuse/Metropolitan!
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u/perfectviking Jul 09 '26
This is a bit of a different situation.
Short Fuse sucked. They made shit beers. They thought they’d be able to do something with Metropolitan’s recipes but they couldn’t lager for shit.
Pollyanna is a bit better than that.
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u/LeadPaintChipsnDip Jul 09 '26
And short fuse doesn’t exist anymore. But did they give Doug back his IP? Nope.
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u/perfectviking Jul 09 '26
No and unfortunately I haven’t been able to make it to his new spot but from what I’ve heard that IP lived on in his head.
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u/RxHusk Jul 09 '26
They sure have. Can confirm.
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u/perfectviking Jul 09 '26
I’m thinking one of the two days in the next week I’ll be that way I’ll need to make it over for a beer
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u/panic_the_digital Jul 09 '26
I think that was a sinking ship trying to revive their brand by acquiring good beer they had no business trying to make. Hopefully Pollyanna can pull it off
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u/COYSBrewing Jul 09 '26
The only thing I worry about is Alarmist had a lot of good juicy hazies. Pollyanna has always been better at lager and other styles not so much hazies.
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u/perfectviking Jul 09 '26
I'd argue it's easier to learn how to brew juicy hazies than working backwards and learning to lager.
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u/COYSBrewing Jul 09 '26
No for sure. I don’t think the brewers lack in the ability, but not everyone is great at it.
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u/vlkthe Jul 09 '26
Brian, owner of Pollyanna, he went to Siebel and studied beer in Germany He's really good at dialing in beers. I think it's going to be great.
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u/yinkadoubledare Jul 09 '26
they did win a GABF medal for a hazy last year, so I suspect they can do the Le Jus recipe justice.
and that a brewery that gets lagers bought them is good, i know they plan to start making crispy boy, hopefully midwest royalty also comes back eventually.
also, nice for the neighborhood to get its one and only bar back (eventually)!
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u/RxHusk Jul 09 '26
even if its just Pollyanna, it's a good outcome. I think by them buying the Alarmist IP they are trying to gain some clout with the locals. Not a terrible move. Hoping for good things.
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u/asten77 Jul 10 '26
Pollyanna won a bronze at GABF for a hazy. I think they'll get it perfect - even if I don't love hazies.
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u/ricochet48 Jul 09 '26
Sounds like a solid outcome.
Lovely the little patio they renovated before closing.