In 2015, legendary Chicago brewmaster Greg Hall of Goose Island fame sold his craft cider company, Virtue Cider, to Anheuser-Busch InBev. This week, he officially bought it back.

The big picture: Hall wants to bring his beloved Virtue Cider brand back to its roots as an independent, artisanal farmhouse hard cider, far away from the mass-produced, canned versions found on grocery store shelves.

Context: Virtue, like its sister craft beer Goose Island, was sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev to scale the products to bigger markets and to more consumers. But Hall says that since COVID, the world of wine and ciders has changed due to direct-to-consumer models.

• "You can't do direct mail with beer or spirits, but you can with wine and ciders," says Hall. "So we don't have to worry about getting distributors in every state, which is huge."

Between the lines: Hall says he started Virtue in 2011 with the hopes of bringing the European cider tradition to the U.S., grouping his products alongside bottles of natural wines and orange wines.

• Most ciders sold in the U.S. are packaged and sold alongside beer in six-packs of bottles or cans, and Anheuser-Busch InBev focused on selling the six-packs, while the 750ml bottles lagged behind.

Reality check: The move to change course is also driven by market conditions. When Virtue sold in 2015, the hard cider business was booming. Now, craft beer and hard cider companies have seen drastic drops in sales and production as consumers opt for hard seltzers and THC drinks.

• Hall is now focusing on selling his 750ml bottles online and at his farm. He stopped producing the canned product in November.
• "It's great to get back to the brand's roots," Hall says. "There are a lot of chefs who don't have a burger or nachos on their menu, even though they would be tasty and sell well. But that's not what they do."

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Seven Illinois counties voted last month in favor of splitting the state of Illinois in two.

The big picture: The nonbinding referendums in counties including Iroquois and Calhoun give energy to several Illinois organizations pushing for the split.

Context: Though this movement seems political, organizers of the ballot referendum disagree. "It's more of a cultural divide," Loret Newlin from the Illinois Separation Referendum previously told Axios.

• The movement isn't to secede from the state, but to split the state by separating all counties from Cook County and Chicago.

State of play: With the latest round of referendums, 33 counties (out of 102) have voted to split.

What they're saying: "I think this movement becomes more and more realistic as time goes on," GH Merritt, founder of the New Illinois movement, tells Axios.

Between the lines: Non-binding referendums may not be the right course of action to solve political polarization. Merritt points out that the U.S. Constitution allows states to split, with majority consent from the state's General Assembly and U.S. Congress.

Reality check: State leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, have thrown cold water on even entertaining the idea.

• Detractors have said splitting from Cook County would be impossible, not just politically, but also because the bulk of the state's taxes come from the Chicago area.

Yes, but: Merritt sees that as a reason for Cook County politicians and residents to get behind this movement.

• "This could really help Chicago and Cook County economically," Merritt says. "The rest of the state would no longer be a drag on them financially."

Go deeper

🏡 @properties, one of Chicago's preeminent real estate brokerage firms, has been acquired by New York-based Compass. (Crain's)

🧑‍⚖️ Defense attorneys for former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan have blasted former Ald. Danny Solis during cross-examination on everything from his deal with the prosecution to hiring prostitutes. (Tribune) 

🏀 Angel Reese and the Sky will play Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever five times, which is the most games the Sky play against any team, according to the newly released WNBA 2025 schedule. (Sun-Times) 

Move over, gingerbread houses — charcuterie chalets could become this season's hot culinary construction.

Driving the news: Today, Aldi is launching a two-day "charcuterie chalet" pop up in the West Loop showcasing elaborate meat, cheese and fruit designs meant to inspire your holiday entertainment game.

• Both days are currently sold out, but some tickets could open up here.
• We visited Tuesday to give you a virtual look.

Dig in: Visitors can check out a house shingled with salami and Chicago skyline carved from white cheddar while nibbling on samples of the grocer's charcuterie, cheese and chocolate.

• Pop-up staffers also offer pointers on pairing wine (from Aldi, of course) with your meat and cheese selections.

Between the cheeses: Aldi reps advise folks who can't make it to the pop up to check out QR codes on the company's social media accounts that provide the ingredients for each display in coming days.

The verdict: For Aldi addicts like Monica, this celebration of discount groceries is like Christmas arriving early.

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☕ Sip on these upcoming events.

Pottery Wheel Throwing For Beginners at 1142 W 18th St on Dec 8: This session is perfect for beginners itching to unleash their inner artist. You'll learn the nitty-gritty of clay preparation, centering it on the wheel, and throwing an array of awesome shapes - from cozy cups to snazzy bowls. $35-$55.

Planning an event? Email [email protected].

A majority of you guessed correctly that Justin was at Medici on 57th. The famous Hyde Park diner serves a healthy clientele of University of Chicago students and faculty, plus local Hyde Park residents looking for a cup of coffee and some soup. 

• The restaurant has been around since 1962. 

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