Piping Plover Pale Ale Is Back!

Sometime last month a Prickly Pear Cactus was found at Montrose Beach Dunes for the first time in a long time. It was perfect timing for the second release of a pale ale flavored with the fruit of this spiny plant of Great Lakes beaches.

Imperial Oak Brewing will again release Piping Plover Pale Ale, this time Sunday, Aug. 1, at 12 p.m. at its location in Brookfield at 9526 Ogden Avenue. This top-flight ale, a tribute to beloved Piping Plovers Monty and Rose, features the highest-quality El Dorado hops and the supple flavor of real cactus pear juice, suggesting notes of tropical and citrus fruits. The beer will be available in cans or for enjoyment at the tap room. Last year’s release sold out in just a couple hours.

Designer/illustrator Bill Fogarty has again created wonderful artwork for the beer’s label. The cactus juice is a tribute to the cactus that is a resident of Piping Plover habitat from Montrose to locations around Lake Michigan. Proceeds will again benefit the conservation and education programs of the Chicago Ornithological Society.

Imperial Oak Brewing is a brewery that puts the beer first. Its focus is on imperial strength and barrel-aged brews, and they offer an ever-changing variety of styles to satisfy a wide range of tastes. Visit www.imperialoakbrewing.com for more information.

Monty and Rose are the first Piping Plovers to nest in the city limits of Chicago since 1948. They are spending their third summer in Chicago and have just hatched four chicks again this year.