Former Goose Island Brewmaster Now Talking Cider

Greg Hall is sporting his usual (ahem, casual) look: untucked shirt, full beard, slightly disheveled hair, but make no mistake, he’s 100% focused on his next project. The former Brewmaster of Goose Island – the company his father, John started – left the company after it was sold last year to Anheuser-Busch, and started Virtue Brands. His new passion: cider. The fermented beverage has been popular for decades in Europe (some of the best comes from Normandy), and Hall is hoping he can convince Chicagoans that his Redstreak English style draft cider is the next big thing.

He’s now hosting occasional cider dinners, paired with food, at a few places around town, including one at Floriole Bakery this past week. I caught up with him shortly beforehand, to talk about his new endeavor and get a preview of the two ciders he was going to serve.