Lake Effect Brewing Co.

 

11/7/18 (Chicago): Been to the brewery before for purchases, this visit for the Lake Effect Barrel FOBAB Preview, a free event sampling a dozen pours, many excellent, the rest good or very good. Very small brewery, they did a great job with nice table set up, jazz music, free hot dogs and chips, and the first chance to sample their two FOBAB offerings. This brewer has great offerings, and hope they continue to grow and one day have a taproom or brewpub.

 

I've been here a number of times to buy beer or attend brewery events. Easy parking around the corner on Knox Ave. with a light at Montrose. If you get on their mailing list, they have seasonal events and sometimes grill out behind the brewery.

The shop itself is merely a roped off area of the brewery, with a freestanding cooler and tiki bar counter. Staff is great, they are always willing to chat and offer samples of the draft beers for growler fills. Sometimes they have experimental bottles that don't always see distribution. The barrel room is separate from the brewery, but also cool to see if time allows. Their barrel program is probably their strongest asset, along with their willingness to experiment.

If you're headed to Old Irving Brewing down the street, Lake Effect is a convenient 1-2 stop for beer to go. They’re working on a taproom in a former fire station near the Jeff Park blue line station, which the community was overwhelmingly in support of at a 2018 public meeting.