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A native of Costa Rica, 37-year-old Andrés Araya spent years working for Latin American beer giants like Cerveceria Costa Rica before earning degrees at Purdue and Cornell and moving to Chicago four years ago. Now he's on the micro side with his 5 Rabbit Cervecería, the country's first Latin-inspired brewery, where he infuses his local craft beer with the flavor and culture of Latin America. The Latin touch: "There's so much richness in the culture of Latin America, and that was missing in the beer. So I thought, why don't I do it myself?" Inspiration: "Anything related to Latin American culture. Sometimes it's a place, sometimes an ingredient, sometimes a dish, or music." Making it fun: "Paletas are our summer beers—very low alcohol, easy to drink, fruit, wheat session beers—and they're based on the ice pops you see guys selling from carts in the park." t h e c eo AndrÉs ArAyA Favorite style of beer: "I think beer is very specific to moments—everything from the time of day, to the date, the season, how you're feeling, what you're eating, and what you're doing. Sometimes I'd rather have one style over another, but I'm an equal-opportunity beer drinker." Chicago today: "We've got so many different things going on in terms of size and style of breweries. I think we're going to continue being more of an influence worldwide." Weighing in: "We've built a very collaborative effort here. Everybody who works at 5 Rabbit has an opportunity to offer input; that allows for a lot of creative freedom." of each beer, and he does not want to make more than he can easily sell. "There are a ton of new breweries opening up every day," says Pallen, 33. "Supply and demand is tough. I don't want to just jump out there and say, 'Here's an ungodly amount of beer.' I want to feed only those who are hungry for it and inter- ested in it." Besides, Pallen would not have the time to make much more than 14 or 15 new barrels of beer per month anyway; his day job is head brewer at SlapShot Brew ing Compa ny on t he Southwest Side. When Baderbräu was first showing up in bars and stores in the early 1990s, it was easy for consumers to keep track of local beers. But roughly 25 years later, when there are people like Pallen contributing to Chicago's vibrant, passion- ate beer community, it's difficult for even the most devoted professionals to keep up. "My wife and I are both in the business," Daniels says, "and I swear to God, every time we go to an event we're like, 'Have you ever heard of that one? I've never heard of that one. Who are these guys?' And they've got beer!" MA above: Andrés Araya, CEO of 5 Rabbit Cervecería, the country's first Latin- inspired brewery. right, from top: Revolution Brewing's crisp Cross of Gold golden ale; three beers on tap at 5 Rabbit. opposite page, from top: Ray Daniels, the founder and director of the Cicerone Certification Program and a faculty member at the Siebel Institute of Technology brewing school, savors a tripel at Hopleaf; Revolution Brewing Company's brewing room. 126 michiganavemag.com