Visiting - Breweries other than Goose Island (Chicago, Warrenville: restaurants, bars)

[BLev555]

Hey there folks,

Coming in to town in June for a conference then taking in Cubs v. Yankees and really excited about it. Just wanted to know if anyone could point me in the direction of a brewery or two you really enjoy other than Goose Island. I've had it before and although I like it, I'd like to try something a little more local. We're coming from Portland, OR so I'll just throw it out there - I'm an IPA lover.

Any recommendations would be great. Thanks very much!

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by BLev555

Hey there folks,

Coming in to town in June for a conference then taking in Cubs v. Yankees and really excited about it. Just wanted to know if anyone could point me in the direction of a brewery or two you really enjoy other than Goose Island. I've had it before and although I like it, I'd like to try something a little more local. We're coming from Portland, OR so I'll just throw it out there - I'm an IPA lover.

Any recommendations would be great. Thanks very much!

I have heard alot of good comments about this brew pub
not in Chicago but about 40 mins away
3floyds

[Attrill]

Goose Island, Haymarket, Revolution, and Piece are the only places in the city that both brew and serve on premise. Metropolitan and Half Acre are breweries that do tours, but don't have brewpubs. Finch's recently opened and they probably do tours as well, but I'm not sure. Metropolitan is in the same building as Koval Distillery and you may be able to arrange back to back tours of both places. Outside the city there are Three Floyd's, Bell's, and Two Brothers. All are good, but require a car to get to.

There are loads of great bars that have a great selection of regional beers - Quencher's, Hopleaf, and Map Room are among the best. If you're looking for hoppy definitely try Bell's 2-hearted (I'm having one now) and 3 Floyd's Alpha King. There are also some Goose Island beers that you might not be able to get in Portland - Bourbon County Stout, Matilda, Pere Jacques, Sofie, Demolition and Fleur. They're a lot better than their classic styles and are worth trying. There are also a number of restaurants that take beer very seriously - Longman & Eagle, Publican, and The Brisol are my favorites.

[BLev555]

Attrill - a wealth of information, thank you much. Probably won't have time to get to all those places but will look into the suggestions. Also wasn't looking for tours, but rather a brewpub that serves their own. There's something about appreciating a pint of the homeade stuff at the brewery.

Thanks again, I think you've pretty much covered my interests perfectly.

[reppin_the_847]

Two Brothers & Three Floyd's sound like great choices if you can make it out to those areas (Warrenville, IL & Munster, IN respectively). Bell's is in Kalamazoo, MI so that is probably a bit of a stretch in terms of time & distance. Here's one that I heard opened up recently in the North Shore suburb of Lake Bluff. It's literally a block from their Metra train station (1 hour train ride from downtown Chicago):

Lake Bluff Brewing Company

Wherever you decide to go, best of luck & have fun!

Originally Posted by BLev555

Attrill - a wealth of information, thank you much. Probably won't have time to get to all those places but will look into the suggestions. Also wasn't looking for tours, but rather a brewpub that serves their own. There's something about appreciating a pint of the homeade stuff at the brewery.

Thanks again, I think you've pretty much covered my interests perfectly.

[oakparkV]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

Two Brothers & Three Floyd's sound like great choices if you can make it out to those areas (Warrenville, IL & Munster, IN respectively).

My boyfriend has been to both of these and said the tours were awesome at both places. Beer is good from both!

I've toured Metropolitan and Half Acre. I thought the tour was better at Metropolitan, but the beer was better at Half Acre.

[MannheimMadman]

Half Acre is good stuff. You can try a lot of their stuff next door at the Wild Goose.

[ole69]

Nothing beats 3 Floyds's Dreadnaught. For a brewery in the city, I highly recommend Revolution.

[Vlajos]

If you like IPA's, Half Acre should be high on your list. Daisy Cutter is amazing.

Daisy Cutter Pale Ale - Half Acre Beer Company - Chicago, IL - BeerAdvocate

[Attrill]

Revolution is definitely worth a visit, as is the Goose Island brew pub on Clybourn (the Wrigley location is decent, but the one on Clybourn is better). If you're going out for a beer before/after the Cubs game your best bet will be The Gingerman at 3740 N Clark St. It's a lot more relaxed than the sports bars right by Wrigley, and they have a good selection of local and international beers.