more s#i+ "America's finest city" don't got

Bell's beer is coming back to Chicago

(Crain’s) — A year after pulling its beers from Chicago taps and liquor stores, Bell’s Brewery Inc. is making plans for a return.

The Kalamazoo, Mich., brewery stopped serving Chicago after a dispute with National Wine & Spirits Inc., the Indianapolis company that holds the rights to distribute Bell’s Beer in Illinois...

Brewery president Larry Bell says he has found a way to get around the impasse: He has created three new beers specifically for the Chicago market...

Mr. Bell, a Park Forest native, says he is finalizing contracts with two distributors to bring the beers, under the name Kalamazoo, to bars and restaurants in just a few areas of Chicago. The company already has federal permits to sell three varieties of Kalamazoo — Indian pale ale, porter and royal amber ale.

Each bottle will have a label reading: "Brewed especially for the people of the great state of Illinois." (even Blago? ed.)

Mr. Bell also needs a license and label approval from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, but litigation may be a more significant obstacle.

He says National Wine & Spirits officials have told him they will sue to stop the sale of Kalamazoo beers in Chicago. NWS executives could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

"I think it will be a very interesting court case"” Mr. Bell says. "They’ve promised to make it as messy and difficult as they can..."

"We know we’re going to get sued, so we’re just sticking our toes in the water with a couple of people who are willing to get in the water with us," (Smiff? ed.) Mr. Bell says...