(Chicago, IL) – There is nothing official yet but . . .

. . . all signs point to Goose Island contracting out some work to Redhook Ale Brewery in New Hampshire soon.

Goose Island Brewmaster, Greg Hall, didn’t provide much color on the situation but confirmed that contracting could be in the cards. “We are nearing our capacity ceiling and are looking at our alternatives, which include brewing and bottling or kegging at Red Hook in Portsmouth. We haven’t signed any contracts or made any commitments yet so it’s premature to make an announcement on our part.”

As noted last week, an agreement would help alleviate Goose Island’s capacity constraints and help fill excess capacity at Redhook.

A source said that contracted beers would likely be just the core brands and not specialties like the reserves. The only beer to have received label approval so far is Goose Island IPA. With Goose Island having expanded to the East Coast recently, it is thought that these beers would be produced primarily for that market.

As for quality concerns, says Hall, “If we choose to contract brew, we will have a Goose Island brewer on-site for early brews until we are quite comfortable with the beer.”

If and when this does happen, it will be the first time in fifteen years that Goose Island has been produced outside of Chicago. “We brewed off-site while we were building our Fulton St. brewery at the 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee, when it was still in G Heilemen’s hands. It was all-draft Honkers Ale in 1995.”