We are proud and grateful to call Marika and Aaron @ScratchBeer dear friends. We are not kidding when we say we truly consider them one of the most creative breweries this side of the Atlantic and perhaps, dare we say the world over both in philosophy and process. A farmhouse brewery near the Shawnee National Forest in Ava, Illinois. Named one of the top four breweries for foraged beer by Outside Magazine, and one of the most beautiful places to drink beer in the world by All About Beer Magazine, Scratch Brewing Company focuses on farmhouse beers and other styles brewed with home grown and locally farmed and foraged ingredients. The brewery has an ever rotating selection of styles enhanced by the innovative addition of local ingredients, such as nettle, elderberry, ginger, dandelion, maple sap, hickory, lavender, juniper, and chanterelle mushrooms.
Trust us when we tell you, the place is magical, the on premise bread is legendary and the Serpent Room and the artwork by Brett Douglas Hunter is a bucket list experience.
SCRATCH BREWING BOTTLES:
Scratch Wild Carrot & Nettle Farmhouse Ale 12/500ml BOT – Blonde farmhouse ale brewed with wild carrots, lemongrass and lemon basil and fermented with our wild house culture. Easy drinking with a spicy, herbal, lemony finish. 5.2% ABV – IL
Scratch Foeder-Aged Porter 12/750ml BOT – Robust porter brewed with a hefty dose of chocolate malt and sweet cicely, then aged in our 7 bbl oak foeder from Foeder Crafters. Velvety smooth with a strong oak backbone and a hint of licorice and a very light acidity. 7.4% – ABV – IL
Scratch Basil IPA 12/750ml BOT – One of their all-time classics! This beer’s aroma comes from basil rather than hops, but plays with the chemical compounds present in both to make a beer that tastes intriguingly familiar. Brewed with lemon basil, sweet basil, and tulsi basil from our garden; honey from our friends at Royal Bee in Steeleville; grain from Sugar Creek Malt; and fermented with our house culture. Bright basil and hop-like aroma that tastes fresh now but stands up well to aging. 6.7% – ABV – IL
Scratch Roselle 12/750ml BOT – Farmhouse ale brewed with grain from Sugar Creek Malt and Southern Illinois-grown wheat and roselle plants and flowers from our garden. Lightly tart and earthy with a hibiscus-like aroma and flavors of cranberry and cherry, this beer has the terroir of late summer in Southern Illinois. 4.3% – ABV – IL
Scratch 131 – 12/500ml BOT – This unique farmhouse ale is an imprint of its place and time. Brewed with 131 different leaves, roots, bark, flowers, seeds, and fungi from the height of the growing season. It conveys a subtle earthiness and spice that is characteristic of our location in Southern Illinois. Scored a 97 in Craft Beer & Brewing’s 2023 ratings of Saisons: “Herbal and minty in the sip, with lemon zest, eucalyptus, and a vast range of herbal spice. Thorough but quirky and fast moving.” 5.3% – IL
Scratch Wild Grapevine Saison 12/500ml BOT – Farmhouse beer brewed with wild grape leaves and green grapes, and toasted grapevine; and fermented with our wild house culture. White wine-like fermentation character with a hint of tannin and a toasty vanilla-like finish from the grape vines. 5.2% – IL
