Products Manufactured in Illinois (Chicago, Champaign: home, to live, cost)

[Scio42]

Originally Posted by linicx

The number of breweries and brew pubs in Illinois is growing. too.

Illinois Brewpubs - Beer & Brewing Library -- Beer Info Missing from this list is the John S. Rhodell Brewery and Crooked Water in Peoria, IL and some others

Crooked Waters closed down almost 10 years ago. The building that it was in has been a string of bars & nightclubs since then (none of which make their own beer).

[linicx]

Thanks. I was going by a few of the brew/pub listings I found on the web.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by linicx

The number of breweries and brew pubs in Illinois is growing. too.

Illinois Brewpubs - Beer & Brewing Library -- Beer Info Missing from this list is the John S. Rhodell Brewery and Crooked Water in Peoria, IL and some others

Illinois Brewpubs and Microbreweries - Midwest Craft Beers

Originally Posted by Scio42

Crooked Waters closed down almost 10 years ago. The building that it was in has been a string of bars & nightclubs since then (none of which make their own beer).

There's a ton missing from that list, and a few that have closed down. Craft-brewing is a fierce and intensely competitive industry with a lot of coming and going. Others on that list that have since shut down are both of the Prairie Rocks (no big loss), Govnor's (even less of a loss), and Elmwood Brewing Company (their beer was so awful that I was praying for a tornado to wipe that place out). I don't think Copper Dragon brews any more either.

Missing from the list are J.W. Platek's (Richmond), Half-Acre (Chicago), Metropolitan (Chicago), Moonshine (Chicago), two Rock Bottoms (Orland Park and Lombard), a Gordon Biersch (Bolingbrook), two Granite City's (Rockford and Peoria), one Ram location (Roesmont), Brickstone (Bradley), Blind Pig (Champaign), Destihl (Normal, opening a branch in Champaign soon), and M.T. Barrel's (West Dundee).

It's kind of a shame how many of these places are national chains. Kinda defeats the premise behind the "local" brewpub

[linicx]

Drover,

Is any of this stuff fit to drink? I"m looking for a brew that is close to the what is called the 'White Belgian Beer"It is neither wihite nor flavorless.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by linicx

Drover,

Is any of this stuff fit to drink? I"m looking for a brew that is close to the what is called the 'White Belgian Beer"It is neither wihite nor flavorless.

I don't have an exact bead on where you're located so I don't know which direction to point you. I can tell you this much though, quality craft breweries/brewpubs are few and far between downstate. There's not a great amount of hope on the Missouri side of the river either.

Anyway, as for "White Belgian beer" what you're looking for is a style of beer called witbier. The most commonly available version from Belgium is a brand called Hoegaarten. One of the best American versions that is widely distributed is Allagash White. Another fairly widely distributed American version is Ommegang Witte. You typically won't find any of these in a standard liquor store or grocery store; you kind of have to go out of your way to find them. But stores that have any pretense of carrying craft beers will typically have Hoegaarten and perhaps Allagash White as well; looking for Ommegang in most of downstate would be an exercise in frustration.

Coors makes an acceptable version of the style called Blue Moon Belgian White. It's not a great representation of the style but it will do in a fit of desperation.

[linicx]

I wish I remembered the name, but the white beer I had is carried by Trader Joe's. I buy it in St. Louis at the Brentwood store. It's a long block west at the 61/40 Exit. Getting there may still be a problem if the I-55/61 bridge at St. Louis is still closed for repairs.

[linicx]

The Sara Lee products in the dairy case are manufactured in Illinois.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Drover

There's a ton missing from that list, and a few that have closed down. Craft-brewing is a fierce and intensely competitive industry with a lot of coming and going. Others on that list that have since shut down are both of the Prairie Rocks (no big loss), Govnor's (even less of a loss), and Elmwood Brewing Company (their beer was so awful that I was praying for a tornado to wipe that place out). I don't think Copper Dragon brews any more either.

Missing from the list are J.W. Platek's (Richmond), Half-Acre (Chicago), Metropolitan (Chicago), Moonshine (Chicago), two Rock Bottoms (Orland Park and Lombard), a Gordon Biersch (Bolingbrook), two Granite City's (Rockford and Peoria), one Ram location (Roesmont), Brickstone (Bradley), Blind Pig (Champaign), Destihl (Normal, opening a branch in Champaign soon), and M.T. Barrel's (West Dundee).

It's kind of a shame how many of these places are national chains. Kinda defeats the premise behind the "local" brewpub

Dont forget about Two Brothers here in Warrenville.

There are several cars made in IL, too (ie Mitsu Eclipse).

[linicx]

Peoria was built on whiskey and beer in the 1800s. If my memory serves me, which it rarely does- I believe I read in Peoria history that at one time it was the distillery, and maybe the brewing, capitol of the world. There was a paragraph about millionaires per capital. I read it too long ago to quote it accurately.

There's a Japanese car plant in Bloomington-Normal if it hasn't closed.

[TabulaRasa]

Vitner's Potato Chips
Tackleboxes (more are made by Plano Molding than any other manufacturer in the nation)