In this first round of what will become an ongoing arbitrary competition, we conduct a blind tasting of five Chicagoland breweries' go-to, year-round, flagship hazy IPAs to determine our favorites - and to move the top beer(s) onto the championship round. For this one, we start with two newer flagships, a top award winner, and two of the original local hazies - and the results catch us totally off guard. Also, Ryan's got a new swear word to consider thanks to his six year-old, we're expanding our merchandising brand, and Craig's Mosaic blindness actually comes in handy for once. Stay tuned for Round 2 in a few weeks, as we scour the shelves for more flagship hazy IPAs to toss into the ring.

Beers Reviewed Blindly

Old Irving Brewing - Beezer

Hubbard's Cave - Fresh IPA

Solemn Oath Brewery - Small Wave City Club

Half Acre Beer Co. - Waybird

Maplewood Brewing Company - Son of Juice