Microvolt Table Lager - year-round - sell sheet

Loaded with all-bets-are-off, we-do-what-we-want energy, we decided to try something new in 2022. First, we aimed low, as in a low ABV of 3.8%. We never read any rules about low ABV beer having to taste like shit. Second, we went big, as in 16 oz cans in 4-packs. Finally, we zhuzhed up our graphics a little with the help of our longtime packaging design partner Randy Mosher, and TAH DAH! We unleashed Microvolt Table Lager upon the Midwest.

Light-bodied, but generous in flavor. Malty hints of mango and melon throughout the palate, finishing crisp, citrusy and floral. Pale gold color.

3.8% ABV
16 oz cans
available all the time
13 years in business without brewing an IPA

Arc Welder - early autumn release - sell sheet

This beer is one of our rare steps away from tradition toward creation. Arc Welder is a mash-up of the dark beer from Munich known as Dunkel lager, and a rye-based beer originally brewed in Bavaria called Roggenbier. We started with a dark lager recipe, and then replaced 26% of the base malt with rye malt. The goal was to showcase the soft sweetness of toasted malt with the dry spice of rye malt. The result is a perfectly autumnal beer that celebrates both styles while absolutely identifying as Metro.

Flavors of toasted pumpernickel, hints of chocolate, and spicy rye. Soft, graham cracker sweetness. Mellow hop bitterness. Aromas of brown sugar, fig, and noble hops. Snappy, dry finish.

Original Gravity 12.8
IBU 25
SRM 17
ABV 5.2%

Krankshaft - year-round - sell sheet

Our flagship brew - Krankshaft, a Kölsch style beer - is our homage to the beer originally brewed in Cologne. Kölsch style beer is the world’s best example of an easy-drinking, smooth, accessible brew. Krankshaft is pale straw in color and features a light, but round malt character. Gentle hop spice compliments the fruity flavors kicked off by ale yeast fermentation. As per tradition, we lager this beer for a clean, crisp finish.

Light, smooth malt character. Gentle, but prominent hop flavor. Lemon sweetness from ale yeast fermentation. Bready, crisp, effervescent finish.

Original Gravity 11.8
IBU 22
SRM 2.8
ABV 5%

Generator is a Wintertime limited release - sell sheet

The Paulaner monks in Bavaria were the first to brew the Doppelbock style, in the 17th century. “Doppelbock” translates to “double bock,” as in, a stronger version of the bocks brewed in Einbeck at the time. Legend holds that the monks brewed this exceptionally malty, rich and robust beer to sustain them during their 40-day Lenten fast, when only liquids were considered “pure” enough to consume.

We’re not particularly religious, but we are impressed. We brew Generator Doppelbock to honor an ingenious solution to a worthy problem. We can’t make the claim that beer can assist you on your path to enlightenment, but we wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it happened.

Generator Doppelbock is all about the malt. Dark Munich malt, rich in melanoidins (brewer-speak for "flavor"), provides a monstrous backbone for this deceptively easy beer. Hearty, nutty flavors are lightly balanced with a clean hop bitterness. The smooth, mellow finish features notes of raisins and berries.

Substantial enough to provide a monk's Lenten sustenance. Robust enough to feed Midwestern grit. Bold enough to kick a Sasquatch in the junk.

"Metropolitan makes lagers that are the opposite of shitty." - Philip Montoro, The Reader

Original Gravity 19
IBU 28
SRM 26
ABV 8%

Flywheel - year-round - sell sheet

Flywheel Pilsner Bier is our rendition of a German-style Pilsner, one of the most revered beer styles of modern history. Back in 2008, when we were deciding on which beers would define our portfolio of German-style lagers, we considered the fact that world-wide, Pilsner is one of the most popular and relied-upon styles. Pilsner is what comes to mind when you think of a simple, straight-up “beer,” and for good reason. A light golden hue, firm maltiness, bright hoppiness, and a clean, dry finish all come together to deliver a classically satisfying beer experience.

Flywheel Pilsner Bier features the spicy hop flavors and bitterness you expect in a Pilsner, but we amp up the malt bill for balance. A gentle hop aroma greets you at the glass, the kind that reminds you of the beer your folks drank at the ballpark when you were a kid. You’ll taste firm, biscuity malt flavors and an earthy, bright hop bitterness. Of course, everything wraps up in a clean, crisp snap.

Original Gravity 13.2
IBU 40
SRM 3.5
ABV 5.5%

Stromhaus - year-round - sell sheet

Helles is German for “bright,” referring to the shiny, flaxen gold tones of this classic beer from Munich. If you walk into a bar in Munich and order a beer, you’ll get a Helles, lucky you. Helles is meant to be consumed every day, and for any occasion. In fact, the beer served at Munich’s massive Oktoberfest celebration is a stronger variation of the Helles style. Originally inspired by Pilsner-style beers, the Helles style is more malt-focused with a subdued, earthy Noble Hop presence.

Like many golden-toned, easy drinking lagers, the recipe for Helles is simple. Brewing lagers, however, is anything but easy. The quality and deliciousness of the beer in the glass depends on a lager brewer’s ability to reveal and celebrate the flavors of just a few key, traditional ingredients. The lager brewer’s technique must consistently deliver wort to the fermentation vessels that is as technically flawless as possible, so the picky lager yeast has the most suitable environment in which to flourish and do its best work. And finally, a lager brewer needs patience and dedication. Proper cold-conditioning time reduces off flavors and allows the yeast to drop out for clarity. And the best result of all: the desirable malt and hop flavors that the brewer meant to showcase become more prominent.

The Helles style is a particularly impressive demonstration of a brewer’s skill. A well-made Helles celebrates the crisp cereal flavor of Pilsner Malt as well as the gentle earthy flavors of traditional Noble hops.

Light malt aromas balance with gently earthy and herbal Hallertauer Mittelfruh hop aromas. Prominent, slightly sweet Pilsner Malt flavors of biscotti and shortbread. Stromhaus Helles finishes clean and crisp.

Original Gravity 11.2
IBU 20
SRM 3
ABV 4.8%

Heliostat - year-round - sell sheet

Fermentation vessels feature a sample valve, called the "Zwickel" in German. Brewers use this valve to enjoy tastes of the beer as it ferments, to check for progress and quality - for science. And because when you work in a brewery, you drink beer straight from the tanks just because you can.

This beer is meant to be enjoyed raw, cloudy, and as fresh as humanly possible. Now you can know for yourself what it's like to drink beer straight from the mother-ship.

We went with a zazzy hop profile for this brew, designed to deliver aromas of fresh cut grass, lime zest, and honeysuckle, and firmly bitter, but herbaceous flavors of tarragon and arugula. The malt bill backs this all up with soft, gently sweet flavors of tea cookies, bread crust, and toasted bagel. This beer is meant to be vibrant and sunny! Hazy but bright, accessible but nuanced, we are thrilled to offer this superb example of German style brewing.

Original Gravity 12.5
IBU 45
SRM 3.2
ABV 5.3%

Dynamo is a Wintertime limited release - sell sheet

We call Dynamo a "Copper Lager" for fun, but what you have here is a Vienna lager. German and Austrian immigrants to Mexico in the mid-1800s were the foundation of the Mexican lager industry, dominated by Vienna lagers. Think Negra Modelo or Dos Equis Amber. Sadly, those beers are cut with adjuncts, travel too far, and sit on warehouse shelves for too long.

Dynamo is brewed in the Austrian tradition, using only malted barley, and featuring a notably spicy hop flavor. As always, we're focused on finesse and balance, as a smooth cereal sweetness gives way to a toasty finish.

Original Gravity 13.3
IBU 26
SRM 7.4
ABV 5.6%

Jet Stream - early springtime release - sell sheet

Have you ever wondered what brewers in Cologne would brew if they used wheat instead of barley? Because we sit around and wonder stuff like that.

Jet Stream Wheat Beer joined our specialty line-up to commemorate the pending opening of our brewery at 3057 N Rockwell in the summer of 2017.

Jet Stream features a wallop of wheat malt as well as a small amount of acidulated malt, resulting in a bright, spicy sourdough flavor. Ale yeast fermentation renders aromas of lemon, apricot, banana, and white flower. American-grown hybrids of German Noble hops lend a gently woodsy and earthy compliment to the assertive malt bill. Lively carbonation reminiscent of so many German beer styles we love finishes everything off with a dry, sophisticated spark.

Original Gravity 12.3
IBU 20
SRM 3.2
ABV 5%

Humbucker Dortmunder - year-round - brewed in collaboration with our friends at Scorched Tundra - sell sheet

Dortmunder Export was originally brewed in the city of Dortmund for the coal-miners and steelworkers who worked there. Slightly stronger than the typical German-style lager of the time, Dortmunder Export came in at a muscle-soothing, mood-regulating 5.5 - 6% ABV.

We brew Humbucker Dortmunder to be hoppier than our usual lager line-up to balance the Earthy minerality of the water, and the sweetly dry Vienna and Munich malts. Each hop addition is critical and unique, coming together to render a result greater than the sum of its parts. Early addition Horizon hops grants the beer a clean, purposeful bitterness. Middle addition Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops are chosen for their prominent herbal hop flavor. The beer finishes with an artful, subtle spice compliments of Liberty and Santiam hops.

Scorched Tundra is a unique and intimate concert experience in Chicago and Gothenburg Sweden. Each year’s meticulously curated lineup features exclusive performances from the most innovative groups at the convergence of dark and heavy music. Beyond music, beverage and food collaborations with sought after producers create a one-of-a-kind experience that has fueled a fiercely loyal following for this festival over its near decade existence. Humbucker is the culmination of years of friendship, like-mindedness and commitment to independence.

Earthy minerality due to water treatment meant to mimic the famous water of Dortmund.
Round, soft biscuit flavors from Munich & Vienna malts.
Amped up hop profile, cheerily herbal and prominent for balance.

Original Gravity 12.8
IBU 32
SRM 4.7
ABV 5.5%

Afterburner Oktoberfest - available late summer/early fall - sell sheet

One of the best reasons for brewing lagers: Oktoberfest.

We brew Oktoberfest because early Fall's hoodie-temps call for toasty malt aromas and a dry, elegant lager finish. We brew Oktoberfest because the malty sweetness pairs perfectly with freshly harvested food native to the Midwest. We brew Oktoberfest because everything about this beer makes you want to gather up your friends and laugh hard.

Toasty; with notes of graham crackers and a slight toffee character. Biscuit malt provides body, balanced with a delicate sweetness. Mild aromas of noble Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hops. Finishes elegant and dry.

We brew Oktoberfest in honor of an annual party thrown to celebrate beer itself. And when you think about it, that's all you really needed to know.

Original Gravity 14.7
IBU 24
SRM 8.1
ABV 6.1%