Generator Batch 002—the second and final run of our limited-edition collaboration with Metropolitan Brewing—hits the shelves in our tasting room this week. We sat down with our friend and former neighbor, brewer Doug Hurst, to reflect on what initially brought about the experiment and do a side-by-side tasting of the two distinct batches.
"A place where a spirited collaboration seemed like a natural fit."
Located at Rockwell on the River–a repurposed leather tannery on the north branch of the Chicago River—our distillery has had the pleasure of working with other like-minded makers who have called this piece of Avondale home. The late but long-lived Metropolitan Brewing (founded by Doug and Tracy Hurst in 2008) was a place where a spirited collaboration seemed like a natural fit. Metropolitan’s focus on brewing German-style lagers offered a fresh approach in the city’s budding craft beer culture. The brewery operated out of a converted warehouse in Ravenswood before moving into Rockwell on the River in 2017 to meet expanding production demands. Their space featured a beautiful family-friendly riverside taproom, which became a fundamental part of the Avondale community's lively pulse. Its closure in 2022 left a profound void that remains unfilled.
During the early months of the pandemic, we were just getting settled into our space. We were entirely focused on spirit runs and filling barrels while our neighbors at Metropolitan were trying to determine what to do with beer approaching its ‘best by’ date and no accounts open to sell to. At 8.2% ABV, Generator contained about the same amount of alcohol as the mashes that typically go into our still. What followed is just what one might expect from distillers and brewers with an unexpected amount of time and product on their hands—we put our penchant for curiosity to use and ran all their extra beer through the still to see if we might like the result!
"While technically still a whiskey, our Generator may be better described as a beer brandy."
Distilled from beer and aged in used barrels, the resulting spirit is a style more recognizable outside of the US. While technically still a whiskey, our Generator may be better described as a beer brandy, Bierbrand (also known as Bierschnaps, or Eau de vie de bière).
We invited Hurst, now in his role as Head Brewer at Lakeview's Good Times Brewery, to join us in our barrel room for a side-by-side tasting of the first and second batches of this limited-edition release that he played an indispensable role in developing: Judson & Moore Generator Malt Whiskey. We produced two batches. The first was made with beer that had reached its "best by" date and aged in a used J&M single malt barrel for 9 months, the second was made with fresh brew and aged in a used Maker’s Mark barrel for 3 years and 9 months.
“Generator is all about the malt,” said Hurst of his Bavarian-style doppelbock, which used about twice as much grain as the typical Metro beer. Doppelbocks are typically brewed with a majority of toasted Munich malt, have minimal hop character, and range from 7% to 9% ABV. The style of beer dates back to the 17th century. Also known as “liquid bread,” this beer once helped the monks who brewed it seasonally survive through the long fasting days of Lent.
“The first distillation was a bit of a rodeo,” said J&M head distiller Collin Moore. With concerns about foam from the carbonation, they started by taking a few laps around the parking lot with the tank of beer strapped to our forklift to agitate it. Lacking benchmarks for proof, we relied on traditional whiskey distillation and made our cuts primarily by taste. After 9 months in a used single malt barrel, Generator was put into the bottle. “We wanted to preserve the subtleties of the delicate distillate that we had,” said Moore, “any longer and it would’ve just started to taste like whiskey rather than like Generator.” Batch 1 is a clear offspring of the beer—a deep toasty malt character, caramelized sugar, plus a whisper of smoke lingering from barrel influence.
Everything about batch 1 was happenstance, so when it was time to make batch 2, we wanted to work more intentionally, asking ourselves, What happens if we do everything on purpose? “The aroma is vastly different,” Hurst noted upon tasting. The subtle fruit notes in the beer take the stage in Generator 2—with notes of fig, apricot, pear, and the idea of beer brandy. There is a clear lineage between batches, linked by an omnipresent malt character. In the second run, however, that maltiness takes a back seat to other tertiary fruit-driven notes that didn't develop in batch 1.
"There is a clear lineage between batches, linked by an omnipresent malt character."
Batch 001: light golden hue, toasted malt, frosted flakes, caramelized sugar, plus a whisper of smoke lingering from the barrel
Batch 002: rich bronze tone, center stage fruit notes, fig, apricot, pear, malt sweetness, embraces the idea of beer brandy
We poured the last of batch 1 last week and the 228 bottles of batch 2 are now available exclusively in our tasting room. Take home a bottle, add it to a flight, or order it in a lovely new cocktail just added to this season's menu (Reboot: J&M Generator Malt Whiskey, Orange Liqueur, Coffee, Coconut, Mulling Spice). Come on by to try this unique spirit and toast to friends and collaborators past, present, and future.
— 20 November 2025 —