Former Goose Island brewmaster to open culinary-focused Chicago brewery

Moody Tongue Brewing Co., a new culinary-focused brewery, is coming this winter to The Glass Factory in the Pilsen East neighborhood of Chicago.

The brewery will showcase a number of seasonal, culinary-inspired beers created by Jared Rouben, the former brewmaster of Goose Island Brewpubs and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Rouben plans to forge a connection between brewing and cooking with his innovative “culinary brewing” style, a new genre which incorporates cooking methods and ingredients that enhance the flavor profiles and aromatics of beer.

Much like its unique brewing style, Moody Tongue is a moniker for beer drinkers with a discerning palate.

“I have a moody tongue, so I demand more from beer,” Rouben said. The brewery’s new line of beers will showcase seasonal ingredients such as cherries, chocolate and espresso with methods like infusing, baking, dehydrating and macerating. These beers will share many of the flavor and aromatic characteristics found in wines and ciders, but balanced with a variety of hops and malts found in traditional beer styles.

The Moody Tongue project comes on the heels of Rouben’s experimental brewing series at Goose Island, where he created a number of similar culinary-inspired beers. For example, he designed chef-inspired beers such as Marisol, a collaboration with Frontera Grill chef-owner Rick Bayless that incorporated green tea, grapefruit and lime peel within a Belgian golden ale.

As a Green City Market junior board member, Rouben often taps the local farmers’ market for unusual ingredients such as bubblegum plums, green strawberries and chocolate habanero peppers. “Great beers start with great ingredients,” Rouben said. “Every ingredient is included for a specific reason, each adding a complementary layer of flavor.”

Rouben moved to Chicago to begin his brewing career as a member of the Rock Bottom brewing team and joined Goose Island Clybourn in 2009. In January of 2010, he was promoted to pub brewmaster, where he created Goose Island’s experimental brewing programs, Chef Collaboration Series and Farmers’ Market Series.