Spiteful Brewing

What a great new taproom for all north siders in Chicago. Smack dab in the Bowmanville neighborhood, and right next door to the giant new Half Acre Balmoral, the new Spiteful taproom kicks ass. Simple, tastefully done, great bar space (also beautiful bar top and wood work, great job on that!). Maybe the best thing about this is that it doesn't pretend to be more than just a taproom. I'm sure merch will come on-line soon at this facility, but the amazing feature are the garage door "walls" which will make this a fantastic outdoor space to hang out in for 5-6 months out of the year. I'm jealous that I don't live here (in Chicago) or nearby. This city's brewing scene is killing it, and Spiteful's new taproom just adds to the appeal. Well done Spiteful - it's about goddamn time, too! ;)

 

A very chill place with a nice laid-back vibe. Super friendly service. Beers are solid but of varying quality. The God Damn Pigeon Porter is great and their lagers are underrated. Barrel-aged beers are decent but a bit pricey for the quality. The hoppy stuff is pretty middling in my mind, but my friends like it.

Worth checking out.

 

Just next door to Half Acre is another brick prism containing some fancy suds. How convenient. It's an otherwise unassuming façade, with some garage-style windows opening out onto a patio section; inside you can find some tables surrounding an L-shaped bar, the walls adorned with artwork from the brewery's various labels and such. Though clearly metal fans as well, the hip-hop being played while I was there was top-notch. The tap list had something for everyone, from a dark mild to some wheats to some IPAs to some stouts/porters to a barleywine. The bartender was genial and helpful, even willing to discuss the possibility of some of the artwork being for sale (not now, sadly, but possibly later on down the road). I think I saw some ovens in the corner that could provide nourishment in the form of pizza or pretzel, but I had none of that, no sir. Overall, a lovely spot, just as deserving of a re-visit as Half Acre next door. Right on.

 

 

 

 

Sunday night. Slow and quiet. Watching starship troopers. Staff is fine. Beer is not bad, but definitely not special. Selection seems fine, but I'm several breweries in and only interested in light-ish beers right now. I'd come back if invited, but probably wouldn't propose it.

Stopped by at 4 on a Friday. The taproom is in the corner of their brewing facility. A dozen or so seats at the wooden bar, an equal number of 4 tops behind, a half dozen hi tops as well. There are garage doors that can open to the outside when the weather cooperates.

The vibe was chill when I was here, but the floors are concrete and the ceilings are low and wood, so people talking reverberates a bunch. It might get loud when busy.

They had 16 of their own on tap, a decent spread of styles, but a clear focus on the hoppy end. Pricing was $6-7 a pint (plus tax), which is a touch on the high end.

No TVs in the taproom, which is fine by me, but plan accordingly if you prefer to watch some sports.

There are power outlets on the support beams at both ends of the bar, so you can charge your device if you are in the right seats.

Not sure if they always do this, but they were giving out small bowls of mini pretzels at the bar.

Service was solid, with 2-3 bartenders roaming around, even at the early hour.

I like to get around town on the El, and they are about a mile north of the brown line. It is an easy walk through residential neighborhoods, seemed perfectly safe to me.

Overall, I like the place and will add it to my rotation when I’m in town.

 

 

 

 

10/14/18 (Chicago): Stopped in for two pours, both were excellent. Nice wood bar, table setting as well, not very large but cozy and nice. No food beyond jerky and cheese. Definitely a great place offering quality beers of several varieties on draft, and several to go options as well. Right next to Half Acre, great destination for quality craft beers. Glad I stopped in, have liked their offerings offered at bars, and will definitely return.

 

 

A good selection of their beers, which I think are underated. A barleywine and a hot pepper stout to go, yes! Close to Half Acre. Friendly vibe and service.

 

 

Great spot, not far from Wrigley. Next door to the other Half Acre location. Pretty new, small, but not cramped. The beers and the artwork are great. The Pigeon porter variants were the stars of the show. A must stop in a town full of great places.

 

 

We went there on a Saturday afternoon. Not too crowded while we were there but, it was starting to fill up when we left. A good amount of tables and lots of seats at the bar. It would be a great place to go when the weather is nice. Some outdoor seating. The bar has garage door windows. You have to go to the bar to get your beers, no wait staff at the tables while we were there. They do have a water station if you want water. Nice selection of beers.

 

2022:
In the shadow of the Half Acre behemoth is Spiteful's modest taproom. If visiting town, HA is a destination and Spiteful is the bonus round. Lots of very good lagers and traditional ales that the rest of the beer scene seemed to forget, as well as big stouts and IPA's if that's your thing. Well rounded selection, surprisingly good lagers. Never too crowded and always a relaxing stop.

2017:
Opening day, a good sized crowd but still plenty of room to move around.
Free standing building with windowed garage doors in front, with the brewery name scrawled across the brick facade in typical Spiteful fashion. Inside it’s a fairly cozy room, plenty of table seating with more seats lining the front windows. L-shaped bar with 15+ seats. Decorated with a few plants and framed labels on the walls. Nice overall vibe.

The brewers themselves and Melani from Green Lady were behind the bar helping out and greeting people. Menu listed 12 beers, various standards and seasonals, out of 16 total handles. Curiously 2 were BA barrel handles but none were listed. I had a Messenger IPA. Solid place with quality beer and plenty of potential. Right next to Half Acre for an easy 1-2 option, although the HA entrance is around the corner on Rascher. Looking forward to stopping here again soon.