At the Table with John Barley of Solemn Oath Brewery

Ship enormous bourbon barrels overnight just to keep them wet? Spend months brewing a beer that might end up undrinkable? Light barrels on fire? Yes—these are realities for brewers of barrel-aged beer.

This year, I discovered the annual Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB) in Chicago and became fascinated by the art and science behind it. My research led me into the world of barrel-aging—and eventually to a conversation with John Barley, founder of Solemn Oath Brewery. (And yes, that’s his real name, not just a stage moniker for brewing.)

The best part? FoBAB isn’t just for insiders. On November 7–8, beer lovers can meet brewers from around the world, taste one-of-a-kind creations, and experience the unique mix of creativity, community, and camaraderie that defines this festival.

John Barley was kind enough to join me at my virtual table to talk about his history and tell me about his craft. I liked John instantly. You’ll see why…

How did you become interested in brewing beer despite having no history in making beer?

I didn’t grow up brewing beer or even have much of a background in it, but my interest really sparked when my parents moved to Brussels while I was in college. Coming from Wisconsin, I was exposed to a different kind of beer culture.  In Belgium, you see these breweries that have been part of their communities for 400 or 500 years. It opened my eyes to not only the beers but their importance from a cultural perspective. Seeing that connection between tradition, place, and the people who make and enjoy the beer—it changed how I thought about it. It wasn’t just about what was in the glass, but what it represented. That’s what pulled me in and ultimately led to the creation of Solemn Oath Brewery.

What challenges did you face starting a brewery from the ground up, and how did you overcome them?

I didn’t have any brewing or hospitality experience so I started with a lot of research and a plan to surround myself with people who knew what I didn’t. Around 2010, when I first got serious about it, I started reaching out to breweries I admired all over the country, cold-calling, emailing, just trying to learn. It was a different time then with about a third as many breweries as there are now. Every single person I contacted got back to me. They poked holes in my business plan, shared advice, and, in some cases, became lifelong friends. 

Wow, that’s amazing that so many potential competitors would welcome you and share their knowledge.

Yeah, the craft beer industry has a reputation of being very collaborative and we are a direct representation of that. I leaned on my background in brand-building and communication to shape the vision, while trusting skilled brewers to help me bring the beer to life. The biggest challenge was figuring it all out as we went—but that’s also what made it exciting. At the end of the day, we all work toward this tangible thing—a beer with a label we designed and a story we believe in—that becomes part of people’s everyday moments. We don’t take lightly the fact that our product is brought to people that are either celebrating a birthday or, you know, putting their feet up after a tough day, that sort of thing. I think there’s a responsibility that comes with that as well.

It seems like there is a strong sense of community not only in the broader craft beer community but also in your Solemn Oath community.

Community has always been at the core of what we do—both within the larger craft beer world and right here at Solemn Oath. We sell about 95% of our beer here in Illinois and our tap rooms are a huge part of that. We’re always confident that if people come and visit us directly that they’re going to become fans of ours and that’ll influence their buying decisions at stores. We want to earn their trust that way. When  it’s just a product on a shelf, we don’t get to have that conversation as easily. 

At our tap rooms, we’ve always prided ourselves on being a little counterculture, doing things that are different, weird, and fun. Whether that’s a Viking Oktoberfest where people show up in full armor or a Pinewood Derby where twenty breweries and small businesses race homemade cars, it’s about giving people a place to connect.

We host euchre nights, small events, and collaborations that bring people together who might not have a community otherwise. That sense of belonging is what keeps this whole thing going. 

It’s so refreshing to hear about a place nurturing community and collaboration with so much conflict in the world today. Your beer partnerships seem like another way you connect with others.  You use beer as a medium for expression in so many ways. How do you approach collaborations?

We try to approach collaborations the same way we approach beer itself—with curiosity and a willingness to go outside the box. Some of our projects are with other breweries we’ve worked with for years, but many are with people or brands completely outside the beer world. Camp Wandawega up in Wisconsin is a great example. They’re close friends, and working with them came from a place of mutual inspiration—doing something meaningful for a place and a group of people we care about.

Other times, like our collaboration with Field Notes, it’s just about connecting with people who inspire us creatively. We became friends with their team during the pandemic, and one day it just clicked—let’s make a beer together. We brought them into our world—tasting grains, smelling hops—and together created what we called a “lawn chair beer,” something simple and summery that fit their personality. The packaging was half the fun too; we designed it like a four-pack of beer and notebooks.

For us, it’s not just about what ends up in the glass. It’s about working with people who make us think differently, learning something new, and creating something beautiful and unexpected together.

The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FOBAB) is coming up on November 7-8 in Chicago. Explain a little bit about what barrel-aged beer is all about.

Barrel-aged beer has been around for hundreds of years, but in a lot of ways, it’s become part of Chicago’s brewing DNA. To have the Festival of Barrel-Aged Beer right here in the city is a privilege and feels like a celebration of that heritage. People from all over the world come to Chicago to share and taste beers. What makes it special is that it brings together the head brewers themselves—the people behind the most complex, experimental, and time-intensive beers. The amount of time and dedication and failure and perfection that goes into it is all a part of that process, which is really cool. The festival is like the most specialized of the specialized beers. Every year, you see creative stuff that you didn’t even know is possible.

What kind of barrels do you use when making a barrel-aged beer?

At Solemn Oath, we lean heavily on bourbon and rye barrels, and we try to bring them in as “wet” as possible — meaning the barrels still carry spirit character, because that residual booze helps flavor the beer. We source them either directly from distilleries or through brokers and try to get them into our facility quickly, often overnight, so we don’t lose that essence. Once they arrive, we flush the beer right on top of whatever remains in the wood, and then let the beer sit, draw flavors, and mature.

For example, one of our staple releases, The Black Corridor, spent ten months in Willet bourbon barrels and then six months in Weller bourbon barrels. After that extended wood aging, we bottle-condition it for another six weeks, which gives it minimal carbonation so the barrel character shines through without being masked. 

We also experiment with wine barrels. In those, we’ll extract as much of the wine or residual character as possible, then steam or clean the barrel interior and infuse the beer so it picks up tannins, oak, or delicate fruit notes depending on whether it was red or white wine, French or American oak, etc. Sometimes we even use foeders — large oak vats — for lagers, letting them pick up subtle oak influence without full barrel aging. 

Each barrel becomes its own canvas. Some are perfect; some fail — that’s part of the art. But with each, we layer complexity, work in blending if needed, and ultimately try to let the wood and the beer speak to each other over time.

It sounds like the inconsistency and possibilities lead to the innovation. It keeps it interesting!

Yes, with barrel-aged beers, some of them are going to be amazing. Some of them are going to go and be undrinkable. The beautiful part about FoBAB and really barrel-age beer is just the wide array of different experiences you can have with these kinds of beers. It is certainly a cool experience for people to push their own limits a bit and try things that they’ll never have the chance to see again.

It sounds incredible. What an opportunity for beer lovers and non-beer lovers who appreciate creative tasting experiences!

Lastly, can you recommend a favorite food and beer pairing that you are really loving right now?

Well, my favorite beer of all time is Orval, which is a Trappist beer made by Belgian monks. So anytime you can see Orvol, please pick up two bottles of it.  Pair it with a few cheeses, or a charcuterie board. Though you know, I think it would be just as good with macaroni and cheese.

Thank you for your time! Where can people learn more about Solemn Oath, your events, and your special edition beers?

Visit the Solemn Oath Brewery website.

Follow Solemn Oath Brewery on Instagram and Facebook.

Want a front-row seat to the barrel-aged brewing process? Check out this tasting club. 

Learn more about the FOBAB festival on November 7-8 in Chicago here.

BUY TICKETS to the festival.