Chicago breweries with lower ABV beers?

Off Color should have some nice lower ABV stuff.
Dryhop and Corridor are my go to places...easy quick uber between the two.

 

First, I’ve never even heard of Urban Renewal.

Second, I just checked a little spot called Half Acre and they have 11 beers at 8% or lower at their Lincoln location. They’re better than any of the breweries you mentioned.

There’s also this place called Revolution that has 10 beers at 8% or lower at their taproom. I’d also suggest them.

You should just check out this thread. https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/2019-visiting-chicagoland-resource-thread.601977/

 

We typically like stouts, but want beer under 8%? I can't even help with this one....

 

But do their styles match up with the OP's preferences? They are mostly wilds and farmhouse stuff.

 

Low abv stout, try this flavorless wonder:
http://www.offcolorbrewing.com/sellmyshka/

 

Here we go again. Scroll through this list of more than 500 American Stouts, the vast majority of which are sub 8%.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/158/?sort=revsD&start=0
Why can''t you comprehend this concept?

 

It would be easier to comprehend if you could show me a few that are on in the city they are visiting....

 

Strange that there's this tendency to think stouts = strong beers. Guinness is only 4%. Even American stouts, with more bravado, top out around 7% (I think Sierra Nevada's is ~ 6%).

If you want a specific, local example, Begyle's Neighborly Stout is on at their taproom, and it's 6%. So is their 5% ABV milk stout.

 

A quick taproom search shows Haymarket, Spiteful, Rev, Off Color, and Goose Clybourn all have 2 sub 8 stouts/porters on currently. I'm sure there are more.

 

Oh my god why don’t people serve stouts INSIDE of coconuts?!

 

You have to consider most IPAs put out by Pipeworks/HA/Etc are over 7% these days so these stouts aren't so "stout" in comparison.

 

Why don't they drill out a little hole and AGE the beer in it first!!! Then you can drink it out of the coconut when it is done....

 

[Later, in the line to get in to dark lord, the security guard looks into your bag]

What are these?

- Homebrew Stout aged in Coconuts, sir.

Are these... legal?

- Only if the adjunct wasn’t peyote, sir.

Ok, cool. Wait, was the adjunct peyote?

- Sir, you can trust a gentleman with a sharp mustache and a lovely bunch of coconuts.

That checks out. Would you say each coconut is roughly... 12 oz?

- Sir, these are Vietnamese coconuts. They average 250 mL.

I... I don’t get paid enough for this. Just give me one and get out of here.

- Of course sir. One more thing, if I may - here is a wholly unrelated pamphlet that I’d like you to have.

[pamphlet title reads: “So, you just dropped peyote. Now what?” A Practical Guide]

 

I think you answered your own question....

 

Alarmist. Go there

 

If you guys are gonna recommend Haymarket, I'm gonna plug On Tour if they're pouring their Grind coffee stout. 6.5% and really rich, roasty coffee flavor. Just a nicely balanced beer. They also have a number of sub-7% options.

Great Central is also nearby. They contract brew some IPAs and wheats for Begyle, Maplewood, and a few others, in addition to having some of their own German styles.