Louis Glunz Beer Inc. to Distribute Clown Shoes Beer in Chicago

14 July 2016 --- LINCOLNWOOD, IL — Louis Glunz Beer, Inc., Chicagoland’s premier craft and specialty import beer distributor, welcomes Clown Shoes Beer to its portfolio this month. Glunz continues to bring Clown Shoes’ wide variety of beer styles, with nearly a dozen offerings currently available with other seasonal and limited-edition offerings, now available on Windy City store shelves and menus.

“With beers that feature interesting ingredients as well as engaging label art, we’re excited to take on Clown Shoes’ distribution in Chicago,” says John Dressman, Glunz craft and specialty import brand manager. “Clown Shoes doesn’t take themselves too seriously, but they highly value quality above all else, and we know Chicago loves supporting that full package in a beer brand.”

Clown Shoes products available through Glunz to area bars, restaurants, and retailers include:

• Clementine white ale (6% ABV): Light-bodied and crisp with plenty of zest, Clementine is Clown Shoes Beer’s Belgian-style white ale. Hazy in appearance and healthily carbonated, it utilizes Chambly yeast to energetically shape its wheat malt base. Incorporated in the brewing process is clementine, sweet orange peel, a hint of coriander, and Summit hops.
• Mangö kölsch (6.5% ABV): Clown Shoes brewed a traditional, crisp Kölsch, but then dry-hopped it with Australian hops and added all-natural mango flavor.
• Whammy Bar India pale ale (6.5% ABV): This new IPA is jam-packed full of bright, tropical Australian hops and is sure to please any hophead.
• Galactica double IPA (8% ABV): This IPA is dry-hopped with Galaxy hops, creating a floral aroma of tropical fruits against a clean malt backbone for a well-balanced IPA.
• American Monastic Belgian-style IPA (9% ABV): This beer combines seven premium hop varieties, a balanced malt profile, and a Belgian yeast strain to create a distinct twist on an IPA.
• Chocolate Sombrero chocolate stout (9% ABV): Roasted dark malts, extra chocolate malts, vanilla, cinnamon, and a hint of ancho chile combine for chocolate-loving beer drinking.
• Space Cake double IPA (9% ABV): This double IPA is brewed with Centennial hops and generously dry-hopped with Mosaic hops.
• Evil Crawfish red ale (9% ABV): According to lore, a man once walked into a bar where a friend of Clown Shoes was tending the taps; he tried to order an Eagle Claw Fist red ale, but got it wrong and asked for an Evil Crawfish. When Clown Shoes heard the story, after much laughter, the team knew one day it would make the beer. Finally, here it is, built off Eagle Claw Fist, but cleaner, meaner, less bitter, and dry-hopped with Citra, El Dorado, and Mosaic.
• Undead Party Crasher imperial stout (11% ABV): In a world of uncertainty, hardship, and people trying to hold us back, do we need the undead and trademark attorneys, too? Clown Shoes says, “No, die monsters, die!” Forces of darkness brought about a change in the name of this beer, which was released to celebrate Clown Shoes’ second anniversary, but it still sports signature dark malts, as well as malt smoked locally with hickory and ash.
• Blaecorn Unidragon imperial stout (12.5% ABV): 80 IBUs of Columbus and imbued with a monstrous amount of dark malt and aggressive hops, Blaecorn Unidragon is a powerful and complex brew designed to improve with age.
• Bluegrass Billionaire barleywine (12.5% ABV): Clown Shoes’ third installment of the Billionaire Series features its English barleywine aged in premium bourbon barrels instead of cognac. The luxurious malt profile remains unchanged, but expect rich notes of bourbon intertwined in every sip.

Since its inception in late 2009, Clown Shoes creates beers that achieve quality through experimentation. The distinctive beers, generally higher in alcohol, are often barrel-aged or include unusual ingredients. The brewery’s name is a nod to the notion that clowns are questionable, but their shoes make people laugh—a reminder to find humility and humor in life. Clown Shoes beers, which are brewed and bottled Ipswich, MA, are available in 19 states.

“We are excited to join on with Louis Glunz to continue our growth in the Illinois market,” Clown Shoes Owner Gregg Berman says. “Illinois was the second state we expanded to after launching six and a half years ago and has been an important piece to our brand ever since. With the addition of Louis Glunz Beer, we are eager to continue to bring our core lineup, as well as specialty items to the people of Illinois.”