CHICAGO — Ahead of their much-anticipated opening of two new restaurant concepts in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood this fall (The Dining Room & The Bar at Moody Tongue), Moody Tongue Brewing Company is excited to announce the release of their coveted Toasted Rice Lager to the American market for the first time.Previously released during the Chinese New Year of 2018 for exclusive distribution in China, and subsequently released in limited quantities at Moody Tongue’s original Tasting Room in Pilsen,the launch at the end of the month will now make the beer available on draft and bottles at restaurants, bars and retailers nationwide.
- A BEER THAT DEMANDS CHINESE CUISINE: Led by President/Brewmaster Jared Rouben (a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York), Moody Tongue has produced a number of culinary-minded beers since it’s inception in 2014. His application of a chef’s mindset to the brewing process has helped produce beers which pair exceptionally well across culinary epicenters in the US and by 2017, Moody Tongue became one of the first craft breweries from the U.S. to break into the Chinese market. Rouben created the Toasted Rice Lager to pay homage to Chinese cuisine, with a light body and subtle notes of baked lychee and baked pineapple to refresh the palate alongside regional dishes showcasing ingredients like spicy and flavorful chilis and Sichuan peppercorns.
- MORE ON THE TOASTED RICE LAGER: Originally a ceremonious release during the Chinese New Year in 2018, the Toasted Rice Lager was exclusively distributed across Mainland China by local partner Craft Republic. When Moody Tongue began distributing beers into major Chinese cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou, Rouben became energized by the rich food traditions in Chinese culture and created the Toasted Rice Lager to pair with regional cuisines. Highlighting the use of colors like red and gold as well as the incorporation of the Chinese translations of “Moody Tongue” and “Toasted Rice Lager” on all packaging materials, the Toasted Rice Lager exemplifies Rouben’s respect for the culture’s traditions in addition to palate. This new distribution release follows the Chicago-based brewery’s recent announcement of their large-scale expansion to a 25,800 sq. ft. space opening this fall that will house two world-class restaurants helmed by 9-time Michelin-starred Chef Jared Wentworth, including a fine-dining restaurant and fresh iteration of their high-design tasting room. The Dining Room will incorporate the Toasted Rice Lager as a selected pairing for its 12-course tasting menu while The Bar will offer it as a draft option.
ABOUT MOODY TONGUE BREWING COMPANY
Founded in 2014 in Chicago by cousins Jared Rouben (President & Brewmaster) and Jeremy Cohn (CEO), Chicago’s Moody Tongue Brewing Company is built on the philosophy of culinary brewing, appealing to those with a discerning palate—or as Rouben describes, a “moody tongue.” A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York and the Siebel Institute of Technology—one of the world’s leading beer schools founded in 1900—Rouben worked in Michelin-starred kitchens including the Martini House in Napa Valley, California and at Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York City before beginning to brew. Utilizing his extensive culinary background and brewing education, Rouben approaches brewing with a chef’s mindset, carefully creating balanced beers that encompass layers of flavors and aromatics using three principles — sourcing high-quality ingredients, understanding how best to handle ingredients, and knowing when and how they should be incorporated during the brewing process.
Each year, the brewery offers six perennial beers, such as the Sliced Nectarine IPA, Steeped Emperor’s Lemon Saison, and Caramelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter as well as a selection of limited release beers and wine or whiskey barrel-aged beers. The distribution of Moody Tongue beers focuses on culinary markets throughout the United States with a presence in major cities including Chicago, Las Vegas, Charleston, Houston, Atlanta, Asheville and more across nine states, as well as internationally across China in cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou. In 2016, Moody Tongue Brewing Company expanded to open The Tasting Room within a 125-year-old abandoned glass warehouse in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The venue serves a menu of both year-round and limited-release beers in an intimate mid-century modern space showcasing a library, which houses the largest collection of beer books in the country. The stylish space quickly garnered critical acclaim and three years later, Moody Tongue’s Tasting Room earned the 2019 Jean Banchet award for “Best Bar”. Later in 2019, Moody Tongue began moving operations to an entirely new 25,800 sq. ft. space in the city’s South Loop. The large-scale expansion, located at 2515 S. Wabash, will immediately double the brewery’s current production capacity and will house two all-new dining concepts— a casual, à la carte tasting room, The Bar at Moody Tongue, as well as an upscale, intimate restaurant, The Dining Room at Moody Tongue led by nine-time Michelin-starred Chef Jared Wentworth. For more information, please visit www.moodytongue.com, call 312.600.5111 or find them on social media @moodytongue.