About Is/Was Brewing

Is/Was Brewing is a Chicago-based producer of artisanal beers, currently focused on the Saison style. We strive to make beers that are as complex and contemplative as they are approachable and enjoyable.

The name “Is/Was” reflects our view on the evolution of beer on a micro and macro level. On the micro level, each bottle of our beer is constantly evolving, so each time you open one it will be a little different. The beer might be different, as well as your environment, mood, palette, etc. And because of that, your overall experience with that beer will be different.

On a macro level our beers and our company will also evolve. We believe that recipes and processes can always be tweaked and improved so the same beer will be changing (for the better) from batch to batch. And the same is true for our company. We strive to constantly improve as an organization and as individuals.

Custom artwork done by the talented Joe Kraft, @josephkarlkraft.

Mike Schallau, Co-Founder & Brewer

Mike Schallau has been brewing beer professionally for over a decade. He started at Pipeworks Brewing as an unpaid intern and rose through the ranks to oversee all daily operations, recipe development, and the barrel aging program before departing to start is/was. He has grown is/was brewing from just an idea into one of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine’s Top 20 Saison Breweries in the world. His beers have won multiple gold medals at the Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers, has brewed collaboration beers on three continents, and co-hosts the Beer Temple Podcast.

Is/Was “Glossary”

  • Saison is an style of beer that is believed to have originated on farms at the French/Belgian boarder. It was brewed to give a potable, nurishing beverage to the farmhands during harvest. I usually brewed with a very characterful yeast and should be very dry, drinkable, complex, and have a certain, undefinable rustic charcter to it.

  • Brettanomyces or “Brett” is a family of yeast known for it’s unique and often ‘funky’ characteristics. In many beers (and wines) it can be considered an ‘off-flavor’ however it’s beautiful and enigmatic aromas and high degree of attenuation are integral in the saisons we make.

  • Bottle conditioning is the process of refermentation in the bottle to create natural carbonation. This process takes weeks longer than forced carbonation (the way most modern beers are carbonated) but we believe this step, and the maturation that happens during it is an essential part of producing world class saisons. It also allows us to produce higher levels and quality of carbonation that create a more pleasent drinking experience.