Affy Tapple Beer: a match made in heaven

CHICAGO - The man in charge of Affy Tapples got his first taste Friday of their new Affy Tapple Beer.

The iconic Chicago brand teamed up with a fast growing suburban craft brewery to produce the first-ever caramel apple beer.

It is caramel apple season and Affy Tapple is cranking out hundreds of thousands per day at its Niles factory. While in northwest suburban Lake Zurich, Phase Three Brewing is cranking out the beer.

But when an employee of each company recently met on the softball field, history was made.

Phase Three Brewers got Affy Tapple’s caramel, experimented with a few batches, and produced a Carmel Apple Golden Ale in a can.

“It really kind of delivers that Affy Tapple flavor profile, from tartness to the sweet caramel flavors and the peanuts. It’s everything. Everything’s all there. It’s cool,” said Shaun Berns, head brewer at Phase Three Brewing.

But there isn’t much of it. They only brewed 190 cases, which will go on sale at the brewery Saturday and a handful of stores in the Chicago area, with a dollar from each four pack going to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

“It’s fun. And it taps into a different crowd. We want to make sure our products are relevant to a lot of different folks,” said Affy Tapple CEO Brandon Beavers.