Pilot Project Brewing

We’ve been in for 3 days pre-gaming the trade show which kicks off tomorrow; bounced up to ‘Sconsin on Friday and got our ‘Glarus on enroute to Madison, and hit some outer burb places on the way back down yesterday. And now, the old Chicago Sunday afternoon one-two, it’s on. First, we hit a place for a bite and a beers, and then made our way here, where we’ll mull about suspiciously until the boss men (senors establishamente) get in from jersey. And so we wait, with beer. It reads like the neighborhood’s okay, but you wouldn’t know it by the look of the Congress Theatre eyesore across the street. Vacant & under renovation for how long now? Get moving on that shit already…

Large airy open space, good light. Slab concrete floors, gray corrugated ceiling, I-beams, & ductwork. Drop ping pong ball lamps tracing the bar and in rows across the floor, in alt height bundled trios forward, and mounted between the far wall windows. White walls mostly, save the gray rear wall, a wall of windows up front, and a pair of windows to both sides of the side door overlooking the outside space.

Straight wood slat feather patterned topped bar to the rear, vertical panel base in gray, and a steel foot ledge. Seating for 9 on wood chairs, we are on the end. Gray bar back wall with 24 block handles on a copper panel. Cool 3D wrapping & twisting wood slat piece mounted above, and like, I don’t know what they are, but I guess they’re some sort of crazy air plants in cool cages atop. Glassware & sample racks stacked below the barback.

Brewery in the back corner behind glass. Large spiraling painting on the inside wall, & a large neon in an inlay with more of them crazy air plants above. Small potted trees & leafy plants riddled about. Front corner Donna’s Pickle beer stuff and merch, board games and dog bowls by the door.

15 tables; long hightop recs in rows on the far side, small squares & rounds standalone and on a shared bench on the inner wall, and cushy couch, chair & table set ups. And bar counter ledges below the windows to both sides of the side door with 8 stool each. 18 picnics in the outside side patio (parking lot) space under sun shades and strung baby martini glass lights.

I want to say this place is a Midwest 12 percent, but I don’t think that’s doing them justice. Different folks making beer, kombucha, cider, seltzer, & cocktails here. The tap list is pages of paper on clipboards in rows (brewer, liquid, style, ABV) on the side wall off the bar. Kind of hard to tell what’s up right now as the clipboard collection and printed menu don’t jive, but the paper list shows 26 things up, some of which are canned. That’s 3 Lagers, 5 Pale Ales, 7 IPAs, 2 Sours, 3 Porters/Stouts, 3 Kombucha, 1 Hard Apple Cider, 2 NAs.

Current offerings are from Years Brewing, Brewer’s Kitchen, Azadi Brewing, Funkytown, Cerveceria Paracaidista, Pilot Project, Donna’s Pickle Beer, ROVM Booch, & Standard Goods, though I can’t speak to whether they all still produce the juice here.

Got into a few today that were in my wheelhouse, stylewise (Brewer’s Kitchen Ventana, WC IPA, 6.8%, citrus, but had a big malt bite, it’s okay but not the best; Funkytown Black is Beautiful, Baltic Porter, 7.1%, roast, blackberries, a certain richness about it; Brewer’s Kitchen Tree Talker, WC Pale Ale, 5.3%, crisp, good hop sturdiness, solid; Funkytown & Sam Adams 1984, Pale Lager, 5%, citrus, floral, pleasant, crispy boi). Am thinking the Brewer’s Kitchen Tree Talker WC Pale Ale & Funkytown & Sam Adams 1984 Pale Lager for the wins, but I liked the Funkytown Black is Beautiful Baltic Porter, as well.

We did house nachos with carnitas, ‘cause pork for the win. I could have gone in on a grilled cheese sando but no, it was not to be. Rebeccatending today, she’s got skillz. Amongst them is apparently making tap handles. Good beer list, a wide range of styles, from multiple players. The beers I had were solid. This place will slap when the Congress reopens.

 

Having already experienced the multi-brewery fun of District Brew Yards, I figured I knew what I was in for with the similarly-plotted Pilot Project. Not quite. Situated on Milwaukee a few blocks southeast of the Revolution brewpub, the place is pretty much a large, open cubic structure, lines of tables, a few more bistro-style bits here and there, and a few couches for the more decadent of us. (Yes, I took a couch to myself, complete with the rest of the miniature living room set around it, but there was almost no demand for seating, so it wasn't a deal at all. Trust me.) No screens, really, it's more of a work and socializing atmosphere. The gimmick, aside from the multiple breweries (and a kombuchery) occupying the space, is that you order on your phone. Entirely. This includes setting up a tab to be fully paid at the end, but it's still a minor hassle if you're either somehow without a smartphone/laptop or do not already have a ToastTab account (I had to replace my password, as it had been a minute since I'd used the service). If this is a deal-breaker at all, I'd steer clear. That being said, the app is pretty easy to use, though sometimes the serving style isn't as obvious at they might think (I ordered a can when I thought I'd ordered a draft pint), but you get used to it as you use it. The time between ordering and getting the brews delivered is mere minutes, usually slightly less than if you'd ordered from wait staff (not counting directly at a bar, though). The ranges on offer depend on the breweries' output and availability, most of them having 3-5 on tap, but some only a couple at the time. Food is on offer, but I didn't delve into that aspect of the menu, so I can't really speak on it. Despite the impersonal nature of the experience, it's still generally positive, and I could easily see myself coming back when next in the neighborhood. That said, if any of this sounded weird, or if you just wanna throw down a few sawbucks cash, I would say Pilot Project isn't best suited for you.

 

I'm going to offer a round-about review for several reasons. Here are four.

First, I have a confession. I've had 22 brews from Pilot's tenants/partners past and present: 10 from Orkenoy (with 4 new ones in the frig), 6 from Brewers Kitchen, 4 from Azadi, 2 from Histrionic and a Duneyrr. But... I'm ashamed to say I've never been to Pilot's taproom until yesterday; despite it being a mere 4 blocks from home. (I bought 12 beers from Beermiscuous, the beer cafe that sells single copies and 14 from Orkenoy's gastropub off the 606 where I ride my bike.)

Second, that limited distribution indicates Pilot's emphasis is on its taproom. But, its small bottle shop should be expanded and it should offer singles instead of just 4-packs. I suspect Pilot thinks their ideal customer has a flight, likes two and buys two 4-packs to go. But... what about the beer geeks who want to try all of what is on their 26 taps? Sell single cans is my advice.

Third, I think both reviews before mine provide good insight. And for now, I'd rather talk about how their taproom is part of the evolution of brewpubs in general. Primarily, they are for young people now... and certainly not for 68 year-olds like me. (I used to be hip and edgy, but that was the previous century.) Pilot's Taproom and patio space were packed on a mid-Autumn Saturday afternoon. It was quite noisy inside and the sun was going down outside, dropping the patio temperature. So I went to the bar, talked my way into a quick taste from the bartender and left. As I got on my bike, it occurred to me that neighborhood pubs are changing big-time. (I had a similar experience at Hopewell 6 years earlier.)

Fourth, I think Pilot's business model is more interesting than its beers (or even its tenants/partners, despite how many I've had.) Particularly with Covid lurking always as an endemic that makes drinkers cautious to be in close quarters indoors, American micros' taproom business plan needs adaptation. Micros need to avoid the capital costs of their own equipment and expensive high-design taprooms. Best to share. Pilot has the right and bright idea. And Pilot even says they model their brewhouse on the music industry, how a recording studio provides additional services to get bands sustainable.

I will visit them again. It's only a short bike ride.

6/6/22 At a second visit after my initial review, I finally at their food (man does not live by beer alone.) It is a good, but not a great menu as it is limited. Six sandwiches, five had meat... so I had the vegan Californian, which was OK with a better bread from Aya. I also sat outside on the patio and enjoyed Chicago's full effect of the Blue Line Elevated's cacophony every few minutes. Pilot Project is a slice of life. Visit.

probably August, a third visit to have another flight of 4 and by two 4-packs from Funkytown's Belgian-inspired offerings.

10/28/22. Stopped by for another flight and bought two 4-packs (one from Flora and one from a Funkytown and Is/Was collaboration. It was a brilliant autumn day on the patio and I won't forget the sun setting on the Congress Theatre and a half-empty Blue Line rumbling by as a metaphor for this difficult winter that Chicago (and civilization) is entering. Maybe as Ben Franklin is quoted as saying: "Beer is God's way of making us happy."

 

Very interesting concept. Using a very nice and large space to allow multiple brewers to produce and sell their beer.

Had some basic house options that were above average and a wide range of other styles produced by a group I think 6 brewers/breweries.

Limited but good quality taproom snack options including charcuterie and cheese platters.

Wide open space, lots of seating options.

Pleasant and knowledgeable staff.

2022: Pilot Project offers little to no representation for their tenant brewers, usually just a token draft with nothing available to-go. For being co-owned by a marketing executive, it's ironic that their marketing is so dismal. Pair that with the sterile cafeteria vibe and QR code ordering to get a $20 flight, there's very little appeal for a return trip.

2021: Tried the food, basic sandwiches for $12 and a giant doughy pretzel for a dollar less. Carb heavy, and merely serviceable. I'd eat elsewhere next time, but it's good that they do offer some kind of semi-edible food here.

2019: Interesting concept, looking forward to seeing more small batch beers from new upstarts here. The house beers were okay, but after half a dozen tasters, we both went with 2nd Shift beers, if that tells you anything.

Decor is modern and minimal, they out Hopewell-ed Hopewell. White neon, sparse plants, a nice wood bar in back. Feels very sterile and neutral. Dull vibe feels more like a co-op workspace cafe than brewery taproom. The bar itself looked nice, there was a large abstract wood sculpture hanging over the wood & brass Publican-style taps. Brewery visible through a cooler door stocked with kombucha and crowlers.

House beers were okay, straightforward and a little unremarkable. Brewer's Kitchen collaboration beers were alright, tea beer was interesting (wasn’t that Bixi’s original concept?). Small batch beers from start-ups Ørkenoy and Tethered Vines (now Duneyrr) were interesting to try.

Service was really good and informative, the bartenders gave honest recommendations.

The vibe was pretty sterile to me, entering the front vestibule felt like a doctor’s office waiting room. There were a lot of large corporate groups, it felt like the opposite vibe of the neighborhood, but likely a more relaxed vibe by day when they serve coffee, kombucha, and food.