Today is the first Friday of June, which means it’s once again “Beer Blogging Friday”—AKA The Session! Beer bloggers from all over collaborate and write about a common topic. The “host” for that month is the person who chose the topic and then compiles a summary of all who participated (with links, naturally).

This month’s Session is hosted by Red, White, and Brew and the topic is “Think/Drink Locally“:

I pose everyone writes about the farthest brewery (including brewpubs) you have visited and specifically the best beer you had there. Again, not your favorite or any old brewery you’ve been to, but the one that is the longest haul away, be it by airplane, car, ferry, rickshaw, whatever. (If you blog about beer but have never been to a House of Brewing, get on it!)

Then, the last part, since this exercise gives us an excuse to drink beer, do one of the following:

• if you brought home a bottle while visiting the brewery and have it secreted away, crack it open.
• if you don’t have any left from that visit but the particular beer is available where you live (or if not your fave from said brewery, another brand from it), go get one.
• otherwise, find a local beer of the same style and do a little compare and contrast.

This month’s topic is a good one but poses something of a conundrum for me: what if I don’t remember much about that farthest brewery I’ve visited?

While I’ve been to various breweries in San Diego and its environs (just under 1000 miles from where I live), and I’ve been to Alaskan Brewing in Juneau, Alaska (about 1400 miles according to Google Maps), the actual farthest brewery I’ve visited is Goose Island in Chicago—2008 miles away, according to Google.

However, this was back in 1997 or ’98, well before I started this blog and certainly before I started keeping detailed notes, and unfortunately, there’s not much I can tell you about the visit.

I almost certainly tried a taster tray and possibly selected a pint of what I liked best to follow, but what? No clue. Talk about anticlimactic.

However, I have since then tried (and reviewed) a number of Goose Island beers:

• Demolition:  an 8% Belgian Strong Pale Ale
• India Pale Ale: a good American IPA
• Imperial IPA: an outstanding 9% beer
• Bourbon County Brand Stout: a superb 13% bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout

Someday I’ll be back. Until then, here’s to Goose Island—the farthest brewery I’ve been to and the one I sadly remember least.