Emancipation Brewing Company put its name in front of thousands of race fans during last weekend’s Prairie Dirt Classic in Fairbury and it appears to have paid off.
Emancipation’s Lincoln Slagel acknowledges it is interesting to see visitors stop by the booth to try one of their beers.
“Matt and the staff out here at the speedway have been super welcoming and really helpful,” Slagel said.
The business is working closely with a farm by Paxton which grows different varieties of hops. The farm just started its first harvest of 2019.
“They picked fresh hops this morning around 7 a.m. and by 8, we had them in the kettle,” Slagel explained. “It’s about as fresh as you’ll ever get hops – especially in Illinois where not a lot of hops are grown.”
Slagel believes Emancipation has one of the quickest field-to-brew methods of any brewery out there. While locals may just be dipping their toes into the craft beer pool around here, they remain open-minded wanting to try different flavors.
“It’s just neat to see people find something they truly enjoy.”
After opening last winter, Emancipation remains busy and the owners are looking to expand the business hours to include Sunday afternoon as we enter fall football season. Also, construction has started on an outdoor area which should be open within a month.
Emancipation Brewing Company is located between Fairbury, Forrest and Pontiac just west of Route 47. More information about the business can be found online.
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