NORTH CENTER — Pope Leo XIV will get a chance to enjoy a craft beer brewed by a North Center brewery in his honor thanks to Gov. JB Pritzker.
During a visit to the Vatican Wednesday, Pritzker presented Pope Leo with a four-pack of Da Pope, an American mild ale from Chicago’s Burning Bush Brewery, according to a social media post from the Catholic News Service Rome.
“We’ll put these in the fridge,” Pope Leo said when he received the beer.
Burning Bush Brewery, 4014 N. Rockwell St., started brewing Da Pope in May as a way to celebrate Pope Leo XIV, history’s first pope from Chicago.
The American mild ale appears dark but has a light body with a mix of malty flavors along with notes of caramel, toasted nuts and fruit and low alcohol content. The beer is similar to a low-ABV English mild ale, Burning Bush Brewery owner Brent Raska said.
“We’re very excited and very thankful,” Raska told Block Club Wednesday.
Pritzker visited the brewery in May when the beer was initially released. Someone from his staff texted Raska Saturday asking if the beer was still in stock because the governor planned to meet with Pope Leo this week and wanted to give it as a gift, the brewery owner said.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, yes of course,’” Raska said.
In addition to the beer, Pritzker’s staff also picked up some shirts and stickers for Pope Leo, Raska said.
“What was also really cool is, Gov. Pritzker called me later that afternoon. I unfortunately missed it because I was outside raking leaves,” Raska said. “But he left me a very nice voicemail thanking us for donating the beer and coordinating, but also he was proud to represent us at the Vatican and our product.”
Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was born in Bronzeville and raised in south suburban Dolton.
After he was was elected pope, Chicagoans shared memes as well as stories about his time in the city and its suburbs, excitedly discussing which grade school he attended, where he studied scripture and his favorite local pizza chain.
Raska himself is familiar with religious service from his years as a Presbyterian pastor for a suburban church. When the church closed in 2017, he spent his free time making beer — and ultimately decided to pursue his passion full time.
The publicity around Pope Leo’s namesake beer couldn’t have come at a better time since $1 from each Da Pope four-pack will benefit North Center’s Common Pantry. Every $1 raised translates into three meals at Common Pantry for neighbors who are food insecure.
Most food pantries already experience about a 25 percent uptick in demand during the winter holidays, but the recent government shutdown exacerbated that demand, Common Pantry Executive Director Margaret O’Conor previously told Block Club.
“That’s obviously very fitting of the Pope too, with giving back and helping people in need, and that’s what we’re all about as well,” Raska said. “It’s also cool, that in the midst of depressing news, you have people of three different faiths coming together — Gov. Pritzker, who’s Jewish; the Pope who’s Catholic; and I’m Protestant, a Presbyterian — to support each other and work together.”
Pope Leo also expressed an interest in returning to his hometown while speaking to Pritzker this week, according to NBC5 Chicago.
“We are prepared to receive him. There’s a level of excitement that he can only imagine that’s very high. And we hope that he’ll come in 2026, but as soon as can. And he was optimistic that he would be able to,” Pritzker said, according to NBC.
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