Big Thorn Farm and Brewery

The company is a solar and wind-powered, farmhouse brewery that distributes beer throughout most of Illinois. They brew cellar-fermented, real ales and lagers on their off-grid farm. From gooseberries to apple mint, the company grows many of the ingredients that make beer unique and flavorful. Big Thorn beer is fermented in brewerie's underground cellar, allowing for seasonal temperature fluctuations that add complexity and interest to the beer-making process. Additionally, all of beer spends time aging on logs harvested from woods. They use mulberry, oak, hickory, cherry, autumn olive, and sassafras trees in beer-making process. After log-aging, beer is naturally carbonated at the time of kegging/bottling. After about three weeks in the cellar, the beer is ready to be enjoyed or aged for quite some time.