Temperance Beer Co.

Very chill and relaxed vibe, not easy to come by in the city. Definitely a hidden oasis where you least expect it. Outkast on the PA speakers, gentle misty rain outside on an overcast late Monday afternoon. Modern reclaimed industrial interior, wood bar with rail, contemporary local art, patio, window plants. Brewery was visible thru glass doors.

First flight consisted of an English Dark Mild, Porter, WC IPA, and Belgian Dubbel. Seconfd was a couple lagers and IPA’s. Spaced Out Helles was a winner, took home a crowler.

Bartenders were awesome and very genuine. They chatted at length when it was slow. Samples were offered, great conversation was the real bonus.

Overall it was a great experience, and a long overdue visit for me. Makes a good 1-2 stop with Sketchbook nearby in Skokie.

 

With an admittedly limited window to do so, I caught the bus to the stop about a block from the entrance of Temperance. It's in a commercial/industrial strip in the midst of other commercial properties, and the entrance is through what would otherwise be thought of as the rear. Get yer jokes out now, kidz. Up the wooden ramp to the door, down the aisle and to the bar that wraps around part of the facilities, the brewing apparatus to the right. No screens that I could see, just conversation. Plenty of laminated wood and steel and concrete and the like, but with a slightly punkier aesthetic than your local Chipotle. The range wasn't too expansive, but there was plenty to enjoy for most tastes, if not all. I had a hef and found myself more than satisfied. Didn't talk the staff up much at all, but they seemed pretty cool. I didn't notice any food, but that doesn't mean there isn't any (no checking for me, thankyouverymuch). Pricing is standard for the area. While nothing close to a destination, if you find yourself on the west side of Evanston, there are plenty of worse options to consider.

 

 

 

The tap room is built into a loading dock. There is a bar and tables with seating for up to 50 people or so. When I visited they had 15 beers on tap and some of their beers in cans to go. The quality of the beer is very good. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall was a pretty nice place inside but was a bit of a letdown. We really excited to support them but the beers were fine, nothing great. I would go back to give it another shot but not my favorite of the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just okay, I want to like this brewery more but it does not meet or exceed any of the standards set by its local competitors. Temperance is like a .500 baseball team, not bad enough to be terrible and be totally ignored and not good enough to be embraced and cherished as a local hero. Not to mention that Temperance "missed the boat " by not establishing a downtown Evanston satellite brewpub a couple of years ago. The current industrial location with expensive off-site provided snacks so far away from mass transit and high density housing is unattractive.

 

 

Interesting place with a really nice beer garden / deck to hang out and have some drinks. They have snacks available and you can order in food if you want something more substantial. Can see the brewery a bit through a glass wall, but not really a tour or anything like that when I was there - just a really nice beer garden!

 

For being a Brewery in an industrial spot, they got a nice setup. Nice open feel with the garage doors leading to a nice size patio. The beers are really good and they rotate which ones they can.

I'll definitely be back for more. Going to try a night they have music playing.

 

 

 

I like hanging around in the tap room even more than my garage. While my garage is closer, it doesn't have Temperance's spectacular beers!

Also — ambiance, patio, snacks — all great. This place is an asset to the community.