I couldn’t stay away for long. On a gorgeous mid-August afternoon, I headed back out to hit three more small-town breweries along the US Route 20 corridor and the surrounding driftless hills. Here is how the second leg unfolded.

Stop 1: Mud Run Beer (Stockton, IL)

Located at 124 S Main St in Stockton, Mud Run Beer is a absolute home run. The building itself has an awesome contrast—it’s an old, historic structure on the outside, but fully updated, modern, and extremely clean on the inside (including immaculate bathrooms). The layout spans three floors, complete with two outdoor seating areas.

Let’s start with Chris, who is a fantastic ambassador for this brewery. He’s incredibly inviting, personable, and eager to share his knowledge. After chatting for a bit, he put together a mini flight of his favorite beers for me. Every single one was solid, and the gesture was much appreciated. I ended up ordering KAP’s IPA, which was a bit different from what I normally gravitate toward, but still very good.

Now, let’s talk about the food: it is completely out of sight. I ordered the BBQ Banh Mi Pork ($20), which was far too much food for one sitting. It came with loaded baked potato salad that could easily be a standalone meal on its own. While the food pricing felt a little high at first glance, fresh on-site BBQ is never cheap, and the quality and massive portions more than justified the tab. The beer pricing was right in line, maybe even a bit cheaper than expected.

Chris is awesome, the setup is top-notch, and I would gladly come back here again.

Stop 2: Highway 20 Brewing (Elizabeth, IL)

Just down the road at 113 S Main St in Elizabeth sits Highway 20 Brewing. You can’t miss it right on Route 20 as you coast into town through the rolling hills. It makes for a beautiful drive.

They don’t serve food here, so the focus is strictly on the draft list. I had Oh Danny Boy, an Irish Red ale with great balance and fantastic flavor. The best part? A full pint was only $6 including tax. In Illinois! Seeing a $6 pint again genuinely brought me back.

Behind the bar was Cole, who had a huge smile and positivity for miles. Armed with a deep, booming voice dripping with excitement, he was eager to help and even ran to check for a shirt in my size (sorry there was only 1 left!). Cole is the kind of guy who should be behind every bar in America.

Highway 20 is an easy, highly recommended stop whenever you’re passing through Jo Daviess County.

Stop 3: Pecatonica Beer Company (Warren, IL)

Tucked further north near the state line at 136 E Main St in Warren, Pecatonica Beer Company sits in a very small town nestled in the hills. The drive out here isn’t the easiest route, but it is well worth it for the scenery alone. You’ll recognize the brewery on the main drag by the partial canoe mounted above the front door.

Inside, they left the old building raw to show off its history. The natural patina fits perfectly with their outdoor musky fisherman vibe. In fact, their tap handles are custom-made by a local musky guide who crafts lures during the off-season—easily some of the coolest tap handles I have ever seen.

I ordered the Muskelager, which was about average for the style. Like Highway 20, they don’t serve food, but they do match that incredible $6 tax-included price tag for a full draft pint. Again, a rare find in Illinois these days.

I arrived around 4:00 PM on a gorgeous Saturday and was the only customer in the room. I had a great conversation with the bartender—a super nice gentleman—who explained that because they sit further off Route 20, summer drive-by traffic usually misses them. They operate more as a local off-season haven.

Pecatonica is a cool, authentic spot, and I would definitely visit again just because I love this region so much.

Final Thoughts

Northwest Illinois continues to impress. Finding two separate spots pouring $6 full draft pints, coupled with small-town hospitality like Chris at Mud Run and Cole at Highway 20, makes taking the back roads worth every mile. If you’re planning a trip out toward Galena or the driftless area, make sure to venture off the main highway and check these places out. Enjoy!

Vermont might be famous for its mountain views and world-renowned hazy IPAs, but the federal COLA database had a remarkably quiet month for August 2026. After filtering out the usual generic bulk approvals and keg collars, we were left with just a single non-keg-collar label approval that made the cut!

Label of the Month

When there is only one non-keg-collar approval in the entire monthly queue, the selection process gets pretty straightforward! With no competition to fight off, this solitary release takes top honors by default—and fortunately, it holds its own quite nicely.

August 2026 Winner: Vermont Adaptive by von Trapp Brewing.

Vermont Numbers at a Glance

A Quick Note on the Curation: You won’t find keg collars or generic text-only labels here. In fact, we skip the boring industrial stuff and double-ups to focus strictly on the bottles and cans you’ll actually see in your hand or on the shelves.

The Lineup: New Approvals

Label of the Month

Each month, I pick a single piece of artwork to stand at the front of the pack. Sometimes a design grabs me immediately; other months, it’s a battle between a few brilliant standouts (or a struggle through a sea of mediocrity). Before revealing this month’s standout, take a look at the shortlist of contenders that made the final cut:

August 2026 Winner: Umami by Sketchbook Brewing Co.

Why it won: The use of the name in the beer to depict a beautiful, colorful image on a bright yellow and festive background just catches my eye. The waves in the background of the letter, just cool.

August Numbers at a Glance

A Quick Note on the Curation: You won’t find keg collars or generic text-only labels here. In fact, we skip the boring industrial stuff and double-ups to focus strictly on the bottles and cans you’ll actually see in your hand or on the shelves.

Beyond the top label design, I always keep an eye out for labels with a personal connection. This month, Hop Butcher For The World dropped a label featuring the word Gangway. Growing up, that was standard Chicago vocabulary—my grandparents always called the narrow passage between city homes the ‘gangway.’ Seeing that local nostalgia printed on a can made for an easy favorite highlight.

The Plan

The original itinerary was straightforward:

• New Glarus Brewing Company – Grab the R&D Kriek release (a 9.1% ABV spontaneous coolship sour ale aged on Door County Balaton cherries in oak foeders).
• Lena Brewing – First stop for food and brews.
• Wishful Acres Farm & Brewing – A quick countryside stop.
• Hairy Cow Brewing – Mid-afternoon pints.
• Ogle County Brewery – The final stretch heading back toward home.

The Detour

Things went slightly sideways at Lena Brewing when a text from the wife asked a simple question: “Did you pick up Spotted Cow?” She didn’t realize I was 20 miles from the closest place to get fresh beer. This triggered an emergency 40-mile, hour-long detour to a Beverage Mart in Monroe, Wisconsin, completely scrambling the route and taking me from Lena, Illinois to Wisconsin back down to Oregon, Illinois for my third official stop.

Despite the logistical scramble, the drive through this part of the country is breathtaking—rolling hills, lush green vegetation, family farms, and wonderfully void of massive crowds.

Stop 1: Lena Brewing

When you drive up expecting a modest facility and it completely blows you away, you know you’ve arrived at Lena.

• The Vibe & Setup: It’s a massive facility with multiple indoor rooms and a large outdoor seating area (though it lacked umbrellas on a sunny day). While the interior is warm and homey, its sheer size can feel slightly detached.
• The Food: I ordered a Coldstream Lager paired with the “Mother Clucker” chicken sandwich. The beer was solid for the style, but the sandwich blew me away. The chicken-to-bun ratio was close to 2:1, served piping hot and tender with homemade coleslaw. At $15, it initially felt steep until I saw the size—easily shareable.
• Service & Takeaway: The staff was super helpful and friendly, though they only had two ordering stations at the bar, which could easily become a massive bottleneck during peak hours. It’s out of the way, but I’d gladly visit again for an event.

Stop 2: Wishful Acres Farm & Brewing

A quick stop before the detour, landed me at Wishful Acres.

• The Vibe: The inside of the old building—let’s call it an upgraded chicken coop—felt somewhat sterile and like remote farm brewing done on a tight budget. However, stepping outside to sit on a picnic bench beneath a magnificent 100-year-old oak tree right alongside nature changed everything.
• The Beer & Service: I stuck to my rule of one beer when hitting multiple spots, grabbing Leia’s IPA. The beer itself was average. Service was standard: they poured it, I drank it under the giant tree.
• The Takeaway: Easy to get to via GPS, but far from any actual town. If you want a peaceful outdoor space beneath a storybook tree, it’s worth a brief stop, though I probably wouldn’t rush back.

Stop 3: Hairy Cow Brewing

Located right on the scenic Rock River, Hairy Cow has an open, airy patio layout with high ceilings and a wood-fired pizza oven pumping out pies.

• The Experience: Unfortunately, the service missed the mark. Upon arriving at a bar with only 5 people and maybe 30% capacity, I waited an awkwardly long time just to be noticed, and the momentum never picked up. When the bartender asked if I wanted another round before heading to Ogle County, she casually dropped that I was “better off staying here because Ogle sucked.” Not a great look!
• The Beer & Food: I had a Mullet Nectar German Pilsner, named after a regular sporting a legendary mullet. I didn’t sample the food since I was still full from Lena, but the pizzas looked great.
• The Takeaway: Pricing was fair for the region and it’s easy to access. I’d come back to sit by the river and try a pizza, provided the service improves.

Stop 4: Ogle County Brewery

The final stop of a long, fun day. Housed in a really old downtown building in Oregon, Illinois, they’ve smartly left the interior patina alone to let the space tell its own story—even if it leans slightly cluttered.

• The Experience: The bartender was fantastic—attentive, engaging, and eager to chat about the local area and the beer. Pricing was also better than average for the region.
• The Beer: I tried the Mango Wheat. To their defense, the menu explicitly stated it was a sweet mango profile, but it fell below average for my personal palate.
• The Takeaway: Great historic space and top-notch service, but the beer didn’t win me over. I likely won’t return, but I’m glad I checked it out.

Final Thoughts

This was an epic day of great beer, unexpected detours, and discovering that Illinois isn’t just flat farmland. I covered 350 miles, spent 10 hours on the road, and can’t wait to head back that way for another round. Enjoy!

Label of the Month

With only five labels curated for Tennessee I thought I may end up with only one worthy label. Unbelievably the last label, which was a keg collar, made it into a two label competition. Before we crown our latest Tennessee winner, check out the two candidates fighting for the spot:

July 2026 Winner: Huck Yeah! by Riverside Collective.

Why it won: As much as I wanted to give it to the first keg collar to ever make it into the list, the colors of this label drew me in. I am too old for most of the activities on the label but the vibe is appreciated.

Tennessee Numbers at a Glance

A Quick Note on the Curation: You won’t find keg collars or generic text-only labels here. In fact, we skip the boring industrial stuff and double-ups to focus strictly on the bottles and cans you’ll actually see in your hand or on the shelves.

The Lineup: New Approvals

Label of the Month

Each month, I pick a single piece of artwork to stand at the front of the pack. Sometimes a design grabs me immediately; other months, it’s a battle between a few brilliant standouts (or a struggle through a sea of mediocrity). Therefore, before we crown the ultimate winner, you can check out the top candidates fighting for the spot below.

July 2026 Winner: Pigeon Pizza Party by Pipeworks Brewing Company.

Why it won: It made me chuckle and brought back memories of visiting my Granny in Chicago always greeted by huge groups of pigeons on every corner, underneath bridges, etc. A label that can evoke that kind of memory is an easy winner.

The July Numbers at a Glance

A Quick Note on the Curation: You won’t find keg collars or generic text-only labels here. In fact, we skip the boring industrial stuff and double-ups to focus strictly on the bottles and cans you’ll actually see in your hand or on the shelves.

Behind the Seams: Trends & Visual Oddities

It’s always fascinating when a random motif organically takes over a batch of federal approvals. This month, pizza unexpectedly claimed a slice of the spotlight, appearing across multiple designs. Speaking of pie slices, Hop Butcher For The World continues to lean heavily into the slice aesthetic with their releases—a running theme that’s become a fun fixture to track on the database.

The Lineup: New Approvals

I’ve talked before about the Sips blog redesign, which finally made the site responsive back in 2020 when COVID lockdowns were boring me to death. To be completely honest, making the site mobile-friendly should have happened at least 10 years before that.

But with AI becoming such a massive tool in a developer’s toolkit, I decided in January 2026 that it was finally time to blow the dust off the entire system. It was time to update the underlying technology stack to tools that are actually relevant today.

Not only did I completely overhaul the engine under the hood, but I also changed the design to a modern, minimalist feel with less bulk, quicker load times, and an easier way to navigate. Here is a look at what changed, why it was done, and what it means for you the next time you’re looking for a great brew.

Changing the Recipe: A Faster, Sleeker Engine

• Why it was done: The old site was carrying a lot of unneeded “heavy malts”—bloated, legacy code that was slowing things down.
• The Benefit to You: Blazing fast load times. Whether you’re on shaky brewery Wi-Fi or checking a review on your phone down the bottle shop aisle, the pages now pop up instantly.

Rewriting the Taplist: Seamless Navigation & Search

• Why it was done: Ever walk into a taproom with a massive, disorganized chalkboard menu? That’s what the old site navigation was starting to feel like. I stripped away the clutter, simplified the menus, and streamlined how pages talk to each other.
• The Benefit to You: Finding specific beer styles, hop profiles, or your favorite local breweries now takes a single click. Less time getting lost in menus, more time reading about great beer.

Crisp and Clean: A Minimalist Pint

• Why it was done: Good beer doesn’t need fake coloring, and a good beer site doesn’t need visual clutter. I moved to a modern, minimalist design that filters out the sediment and embraces clean layouts.
• The Benefit to You: A much more pleasant, seamless reading experience. Text sizes are optimized for mobile, images load beautifully, and there’s zero distracting noise when you’re trying to dive into tasting notes.

Co-Brewed with AI: The Secret Ingredient

At the core of this entire overhaul was AI. As a side project that I only work on off-and-on as my schedule allows, taking on a massive technology migration by myself would normally take forever.

AI drastically helped bring my ideas to reality, assisted with functionality changes, and made it incredibly easy to switch to a modern technology base that I wasn’t entirely familiar with when I started. What should have taken a lone developer years was knocked out in a matter of six months—always for fun, and always powered by a few good beers.

The draft lines are clean, the new system is pouring beautifully, and I’d love to know what you think. Take a look around the new site and let me know your thoughts in the comments! Enjoy!

The Plan

My goal was to hit all four breweries in the Rockford area, time permitting.

• Prairie St. Brewing Co. – The definitive first stop. It opens an hour earlier than the other food-serving spots, giving me an extra hour of daylight fun right on the Rock River.
• Urban Forest Craft Brewing – Next on the list for a quick pint.
• Pig Minds Brewing Co. – The third main destination.
• Carlyle Brewing Co. – The ultimate wildcard. Located right near Prairie Street, it was the outlier—I’d hit it first or last if the clock allowed.

The Parade Roadblock

Driving to Rockford is seamless, but navigators can only do so much when a city-wide Pride Parade completely blocks your final approach. Even though the parade hadn’t officially kicked off, the streets were locked down. While I thoroughly enjoyed the vibrant colors, flamboyance, and incredible costumes of the participants, the local traffic was rerouted by the sheer deafness of police cones.

Unfortunately, this early logistical hiccup is the exact reason Carlyle Brewing Co. had to be cut from the itinerary.

Stop 1: Prairie St. Brewing Co.

Located in the historic, old Rockford Brewing Company building, this place is an absolute jaw-dropper. It’s an enormous red-brick structure sitting right on the banks of the Rock River, boasting beautiful architecture, massive indoor spaces, and a spectacular outdoor patio that easily measures 30 by 150 feet.

I arrived shortly after opening to a bartender who was visibly recovering from a hangover of her own. Despite a slightly sluggish setup and a minor order mix-up, she took total ownership, fixed it immediately, and was completely pleasant.

• The Food: Based on her recommendation, I ordered the Korean Fried Chicken Bowl. It was outstanding—perfectly crispy with a touch of zing, balanced by a deep, filling medley of rice and vegetables.
• The Beer & Value: I only had time for one beer. It was good, though not completely mind-blowing, but I’d definitely return to sample more of the list. Even better? The draft prices here are easily a dollar cheaper than what I pay back home—a solid 13% savings.
• The Takeaway: Getting here is a breeze (when you aren’t dodging a parade), though parking might get tight on peak days due to the shared public boat launch.

Stop 2: Urban Forest Craft Brewing

Tucked into a highly accessible strip mall with multiple entry points, Urban Forest was a massive shift in environment. The inside was absolutely packed with a happening crowd of passionate regulars.

• The Vibe: Because the interior was so slammed and I didn’t quite fit in with the hyper-local crowd, I ended up sitting at a lonely picnic table on the side of the building. Sitting out there honestly sucked; it made getting service incredibly difficult unless the only other occupied table ordered a round.
• The Beer: I stick strictly to a single beer here. It was a perfectly average, middle-of-the-road pint, and the pricing was standard for the area.

Stop 3: Pig Minds Brewing Co.

This place was a incredibly cool, pleasant surprise. Located right off a main road with ample parking, it had a fantastic crowd for the size of the facility without feeling overwhelmingly crowded.

• The Vegan Irony: Despite having pigs plastered all over the walls and inspiring the name, the kitchen is entirely vegan. Since I had already eaten, I skipped the food this time (leaving room for a higher score on a future review), but the tap list alone is worth the trip.
• The Regular’s Choice: I sat inside at the bar on a slow Saturday afternoon, happily avoiding the blistering sun outside. I ended up chatting with a friendly regular sitting next to me who gave me an awesome, patron-side history of the brewery. Based on his advice, I ordered Death Grip IPA. The beer was so solid it forced me to buy a 4-pack to go. They even named a beer after this guy, though his name definitely wasn’t Norm.
• The Takeaway: Like Prairie Street, prices here are a welcome break from Chicago rates, saving you at least 12% per pour. I will absolutely visit again.

Final Thoughts

Rockford is a fantastic city with some great history and a highly underrated beer scene. I’m already planning a return trip—next time with my wife—to grab lunch at Prairie St. Brewing Co., take a scenic walk along the river, and finally coax her into hitting up Carlyle Brewing Co. for great eats and good beer. Enjoy!

While a typical Illinois queue forces us to wade through a mountain of data, the Peace Garden State keeps things beautifully simple. The federal database only logged four total approvals for the entire state this month—and after stripping out the boring industrial labels, we were left with a grand total of two.

It’s a true quality-over-quantity regular season shootout.

The Peace Garden State Showdown

With only two labels making the final cut, there’s no room for mediocrity. Instead of a battle against the masses, we have a direct, head-to-head match for the crown.

June 2026 Winner: Heroic Nonsense by Drekker Brewing Company

Why it won: Honestly, throw a dart. I happen to love blue, and this artwork instantly reminds me of Transformers—specifically the first movie, which was actually good before the franchise went off the rails.

The North Dakota Numbers at a Glance

The Monopoly: In fact, it’s worth noting that both of the curated labels featured below come from the exact same brewery! Talk about total state domination—Drekker Brewing Company completely swept the board for North Dakota this month.

The Main Event: The Dual Lineup

Here is the complete, curated June output for North Dakota in all its exclusive glory.

Label of the Month

Each month, I pick a single piece of artwork to stand at the front of the pack. Sometimes a design grabs me immediately; other months, it’s a battle between a few brilliant standouts (or a struggle through a sea of mediocrity). Therefore, before we crown the ultimate winner, you can check out the top candidates fighting for the spot below.

June 2026 Winner: Beer for Kicks by Off Color Brewing

Why it won: Honestly, there was technically “better” artwork in the batch this month, but timing is everything. With the World Cup matches absolutely dominating the screen and bringing so much energy this June, tying the crown to the world’s biggest soccer stage made this an incredibly easy win.

The May Numbers at a Glance

A Quick Note on the Curation: You won’t find keg collars or generic text-only labels here. In fact, we skip the boring industrial stuff and double-ups to focus strictly on the bottles and cans you’ll actually see in your hand or on the shelves.

Spied on the Shelves: Oddities & Standouts

While reviewing the lineup, one specific label jumped right out. The folks over at Ginger Road Brewing Company are releasing a West Coast-style IPA playfully named “Punch A Ginger.” Now, before anyone gets protective of their favorite redheads, rest assured it’s just a clever, heavy-hitting play on the brewery’s own name! It easily wins the award for the most memorable branding twist of the month.

The Lineup: New Approvals

Label of the Month

With Massachusetts on the radar, the hunt was on. Each month, I pick a single piece of artwork to stand at the front of the pack. Sometimes a design grabs me immediately; other months, it’s a battle between a few brilliant standouts (or a struggle through a sea of mediocrity). Before we crown our very first out-of-state winner, check out the top Massachusetts candidates fighting for the spot:

May 2026 Winner: Juice Project Green Tree House Brewing

Why it won: The color palette is great, but what really sold me is how it channels a full-on Bruce Banner transformation. You can practically feel the Hulk bursting out, completely surrounded by gamma rays.

The May Numbers at a Glance

Tree House Brewing absolutely dominated the compliance queues this month, accounting for nearly a quarter of all curated visual approvals. Dropping 19 labels in a single month might just be the highest volume from a single brewery that I’ve ever tracked.

A Quick Note on the Curation: You won’t find keg collars or generic text-only labels here. In fact, we skip the boring industrial stuff and double-ups to focus strictly on the bottles and cans you’ll actually see in your hand or on the shelves.

The Lineup: New Approvals

Label of the Month

Each month, I pick a single piece of artwork to stand at the front of the pack. Sometimes a design grabs me immediately; other months, it’s a battle between a few brilliant standouts (or a struggle through a sea of mediocrity). Before we crown the ultimate winner, check out the top candidates fighting for the spot:

May 2026 Winner: Cheap Thrills by Saint Errant Brewing

Why it won: The name of the beer combined with that massive eye and those teeth just instantly made me laugh. After all, great label art doesn’t always need to be deep – sometimes it just needs to be a fun, weird trip.

The May Numbers at a Glance

Saint Errant absolutely dominated the compliance queues this month, accounting for nearly a quarter of all curated visual approvals.

A Quick Note on the Curation: You won’t find keg collars or generic text-only labels here. In fact, we skip the boring industrial stuff and double-ups to focus strictly on the bottles and cans you’ll actually see in your hand or on the shelves.

The Lineup: New Approvals