Hop Butcher Cricket Hill 4Pk

Hop Butcher Cricket Hill 4Pk is an Extra Special Bitter (ESB) style ale from Hop Butcher for The World, brewed at 5.5% ABV and sold in a 4-pack format. This release marks a deliberate departure from the brewery's reputation as one of the country's top haze producers, demonstrating range with a malt-driven British-inspired style built on Centennial and Chinook hops.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.5%  |  Origin: Bedford Park, Illinois  |  Style: Extra Special Bitter (ESB)  |  Brewery: Hop Butcher for The World

Production & Heritage

Hop Butcher for The World operates its production brewery in Bedford Park, a southwest suburb of Chicago, and has built a national following largely on the strength of its hazy IPAs and double dry-hopped releases. Cricket Hill represents something different — an ESB constructed around Centennial and Chinook, two American hop varieties that bring floral, citrus, and pine-resinous qualities to a traditionally English framework. The beer's name follows Hop Butcher's practice of drawing from Chicago's history and geography, tying each release to the city's identity.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Expect a malt-forward nose with toasted bread and light caramel sweetness. Behind the malt backbone, Centennial hops contribute floral and citrus-peel aromatics, while Chinook adds a subtle pine edge.

Taste: The entry is biscuity and moderately sweet, in keeping with the ESB tradition of leading with malt rather than hops. Mid-palate, the Centennial and Chinook hops assert themselves with balanced bitterness, delivering grapefruit-like citrus and a gentle resinous quality. The overall impression stays restrained and drinkable at 5.5% ABV.

Finish: Medium in length with a dry, lightly bitter close. Lingering notes of toasted grain and earthy hop character round out each sip cleanly.

How to Drink Cricket Hill

Cricket Hill is best served at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, to let the malt complexity come forward — pouring into a pint glass or English-style nonic helps release the hop aromatics. This ESB also works in several beer-forward drink applications: a Shandy, where the malt sweetness pairs naturally with fresh lemonade; a Beer Flip, using a whole egg and a touch of simple syrup to amplify the biscuity body; or a Michelada, where the toasted grain character stands up well to lime, hot sauce, and tomato.

Best For

• Hop Butcher fans exploring beyond the brewery's hazy IPA lineup
• Introducing American craft drinkers to the ESB style
• Sessionable drinking during a long afternoon or weekend cookout
• Pairing with hearty pub-style meals

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cricket Hill taste like? Cricket Hill leads with biscuity, caramel-touched malt, balanced by moderate bitterness from Centennial and Chinook hops that add citrus and pine notes. It drinks clean and session-friendly at 5.5% ABV.

How does Cricket Hill compare to Fuller's ESB? Fuller's ESB, the classic English benchmark, relies on traditional English hop varieties like Goldings and Target for an earthy, herbal bitterness, while Cricket Hill uses American hops — Centennial and Chinook — which push the profile toward citrus and pine. Both share the style's emphasis on malt character, but Cricket Hill has a distinctly American hop signature.

Is Cricket Hill good for craft beer beginners? Yes — its moderate 5.5% ABV, restrained bitterness, and malt-forward character make it approachable for anyone not yet comfortable with intensely hoppy beers. Hop Butcher themselves positioned this release as something "for the hop-averse."

Where is Cricket Hill made? Cricket Hill is brewed by Hop Butcher for The World at their production facility in Bedford Park, Illinois, located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. The brewery has noted this beer's availability is limited to their Chicago taproom and retail location.

What foods pair well with Cricket Hill? The ESB style's malt backbone and moderate bitterness pair naturally with roasted chicken or rotisserie meats, sharp cheddar or aged English cheeses, fish and chips where the bitterness cuts through the oil, beef stew or shepherd's pie that match the toasty grain notes, and grilled sausages where the Chinook pine character provides a refreshing contrast.

What sizes does Cricket Hill come in? Cricket Hill is available as a 4-pack of cans, which is the standard retail format for Hop Butcher for The World's releases.

Is Cricket Hill worth the price? Cricket Hill positions as a specialty craft release from a highly regarded brewery. Its value lies in the rarity of seeing a top-tier haze producer apply their skill to a traditional ESB — a style rarely attempted by American craft breweries at this level.

Why Cricket Hill?

What makes Cricket Hill worth seeking out is the context behind it: Hop Butcher for The World built its name on juicy, turbid IPAs, and this ESB is a deliberate pivot toward restraint and balance. Brewing an Extra Special Bitter with American hops like Centennial and Chinook isn't unprecedented, but doing it under the Hop Butcher banner signals a brewery confident enough in its craft to step well outside its lane. At 5.5% ABV, it offers genuine session drinking without sacrificing complexity. For fans of the brewery or the ESB style, it represents a limited and distinctive release tied specifically to Hop Butcher's Chicago roots.