2023 Illinois Brewery Opening / Closure Thread

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by ChicagoJ, Aug 12, 2023.

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  1. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (5,247) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thread to post announcements and discussions regarding upcoming Illinois brewery openings and closings.

    Started with the ones I'm aware of, please reply with corrections or updates.

    Opened Through July

    • Bust'd Brewing (Peoria Heights - 4408 N. Prospect Road)
    • Good Times Brewery (Chicago - 3827 N. Broadway)
    • Mississippi Culture (Staunton - 201 S. Union St.)
    • More Brewing Third Location (Bartlett - 121 W. Railroad Ave.)
    • Sundial Brewing & Blending (Barrington - 200 Applebee Street, Suite E)
    • 206 Brewing Company (Carol Stream - 600 E. North Ave)
    • Will County Brewing Company Second Location (Channahon - 24735 W. Eames St. (Route 6))
    Opening Pending TBD
    • Demo Brewing Company (Chicago - 1763 W. Berteau)
    • Goose Island Salt Shed Brewpub (Chicago - 1200 W. Blackhawk)
    • Guinness Open Gate Brewery (Chicago - 901 W. Kinzie) - Liquor License Application Filed
    • Industry Ales Brewing (Chicago - 230 S. Wabash)
    • Lake Effect Brewing Company (Chicago - 3074-3076 N. Milwaukee)
    • Old Irving Brewing Second Location (Chicago - 1800 W. Walnut)
    • Whiskey Hill Brewing Company (Mount Prospect - Route 83 & Prospect Ave.)
    Closed Through July
    • 12/30/22 Smylie Brothers Brewing Company (Evanston)
    • 1/8/23 Rock Bottom Brewery (Chicago)
    • 1/12/23 Galena Brewing Company (Moline)
    • 1/29/23 Flesk Brewing (Barrington - Sundial opened in their space)
    • 2/7/23 Hofbrauhaus (Belleville)
    • 2/24/23 ShadowView Brewing (Woodstock)
    • 2/26/23 Dry City Brew Works (Wheaton)
    • 4/30/23 Recess Brewing (Edwardsville)
    • 4/30/23 Tribes Beer Company (Mokena)
    Announced Closing
    • August TBD Metal Monkey (Romeoville)
    • 9/3/23 Lo Rez Brewing
    • 9/3/23 Oswego Brewing Company (Oswego)
    • TBD - Goose Island Clybourn Brewpub (Chicago - Move to Salt Shed Location)
     
    #1 ChicagoJ, Aug 12, 2023
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 18, 2023
  2. Jplachy

    Jplachy Pooh-Bah (1,848) Feb 12, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Fox Republic Brewing in Yorkville opened in July.
    EDIT: Their neighbor is Foxes Den Meadery if you want to count Mead.
     
  3. Nbrock24

    Nbrock24 Pooh-Bah (1,770) Mar 11, 2016 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    The loans, less than expected taproom traffic, softened distro interest, and foot traffic that hasn’t rebounded to 2019 levels is consistent throughout these closure announcements.

    Can you think of an area brewery whose taproom traffic is *up* compared to 4 years ago?
     
  4. Max_Powers

    Max_Powers Crusader (466) Jul 3, 2022 Illinois
    Trader

    Thanks for starting this thread. Nice to see the openings and sadly the closings.
     
    ChicagoJ likes this.
  5. toastjeff

    toastjeff Crusader (404) Mar 27, 2014 Illinois

  6. Shriner

    Shriner Zealot (518) Mar 29, 2017 Illinois

    Yes, Pollyanna Roselare. Expansion of back patio and the place is packed on weekends.
     
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  7. TwilightBeerCareer

    TwilightBeerCareer Pooh-Bah (2,260) Feb 13, 2021 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    I think the Galena Brewing closing was their second site in Moline, IL., not the main Galena location. Unless they both closed.
     
    ChicagoJ likes this.
  8. TwilightBeerCareer

    TwilightBeerCareer Pooh-Bah (2,260) Feb 13, 2021 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    There's going to be a woodfire pizza/ brewery opening in Silvis, IL in the future. Punk Rock Pizza and Brewery. Demo of the site they bought is near completion, with remodeling to come. I'll post back when an opening date is announced.
     
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  9. Nbrock24

    Nbrock24 Pooh-Bah (1,770) Mar 11, 2016 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    MyGrain in Joliet is closing Saturday.
     
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  10. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (5,247) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks for your update. @FBarber , can you update my OG post and replace Galena with Moline in parentheses for their entry as a correction?

    Thanks!

    Sad to hear about MyGrain.

    Also, I intentionally left off Meaderies since that product isn’t covered on BA.
     
  11. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (5,247) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    A few more 2023 NYE closers and several mid to late 2022 closures noted via Doug's @BeerCruncher 's tiktok video today. I don't have a tiktok account (or any others beyond this, rate beer and a White Sox MB), but do enjoy following his videos.

    https://www.tiktok.com/@beeraficionado/video/7268772849215622443

    Closed prior to 2023 (Several in the Summer or Fall of 2022)
    Closed in 2023 (or NYE 2022)
    • NYE/NYD Big Cat Brewing (Rock Island)
    • NYE Forge Brewhouse (DeKalb)
    Also, Finch Beer Company - brewed at the second location Old Irving is taking over, and then served beers out of "The Perch". Not sure if they are still brewing out of "The Perch" or if the restaurant is contract brewing or perhaps brewing without Finch in house.
     
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  12. TwilightBeerCareer

    TwilightBeerCareer Pooh-Bah (2,260) Feb 13, 2021 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    The Rock Island one was called Blue Cat. Had quite a history. Was the Blue Cat Brewpub for 23 years. Opened in 1994 and closed in 2017. It was the first brewery in the Illinois QC's. In 2019 Big Swing Brewing opened in the same building under new ownership and closed abruptly in 2020. Finally, in 2021 it opened back up as the Blue Cat again under new ownership. Even got the recipes for some of the former Blue Cat owners more popular beers and brewed them besides brewing their own. But sadly, the partners in the venture was the brewer and the chef and the chef moved on. Coupled with burst water pipes in the building due to a furnace failure while it was closed during the holidays it closed again in 2023.
     
  13. HouseofWortship

    HouseofWortship Pooh-Bah (2,735) May 3, 2016 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader


    Finch is one of the more curious breweries in Chicago. They were literally there at the start of Chicago's craft beer boom and for whatever reason couldn't make it work despite multiple locations and opportunities.
     
  14. GrumpyGas

    GrumpyGas Grand Pooh-Bah (4,579) Apr 7, 2009 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Fixed that.
     
  15. beardown2489

    beardown2489 Pooh-Bah (1,966) Oct 5, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Yes, because space and opportunity are bad things….:thinking_face:

    finch had terrible branding and inconsistent product. from my viewpoint, vision and execution were to blame.
     
  16. GrumpyGas

    GrumpyGas Grand Pooh-Bah (4,579) Apr 7, 2009 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Exactly. Their vision and execution couldn't get them a consistent, stable location.
     
  17. Jplachy

    Jplachy Pooh-Bah (1,848) Feb 12, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Finch's management were some of the worst people on Earth, so there's also that.
     
  18. mbockstruck30

    mbockstruck30 Pooh-Bah (1,800) Dec 31, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Finch’s founder was a marketer that brewed crappy beer. His early years he did a good job of getting his stuff into places but it never sold well. His plan was to sell out (which he did eventually). It was no surprise it failed. I’m surprised it hung around as long as it did.
     
  19. pudgym29

    pudgym29 Zealot (634) Mar 14, 2009 Illinois

    350 Brwg. in Tinley Park is now Flipside Brwg.
    "The Perch" counted as a brewery location in the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild's Passport scheme. (I got there.) Most probably standing in for Finch Brwg. Finch was upfront about its intention from day 2. It publicly stated if it got a good offer, it would sell out. I don't know if I have ever mentioned this: When I drove the 1987 Sprint back from Philadelphia for the 2013 AHA National Homebrewers' Conference, a clutch cable broke and stranded me in Harrisburg, PA. On one of the days I was there [it had to be ordered and installed], I found a multi-tap bar which had a Finch beer on draft.
    I want to know when Aleman Brwg. shut down. It was the closest brewery to the abode here. I interloped inside it one night when it had an employees' event for people from Fountainhead. I have photos. I was asked to leave. My response that a successful bar would not be successful without customers was rejected. This was 30 January 2020. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: I will let you deduce what happened to Fountainhead a few weeks thereafter.:rolling_eyes:
     
  20. Max_Powers

    Max_Powers Crusader (466) Jul 3, 2022 Illinois
    Trader


    Aleman was meh. Purchased some of their brews over the years it was either ok or just not good. Only thing I liked was their logo.

    Finch had some decent brews like Sungasm and Skullhammer. They tried rebranding but most of their stuff was still mediocre. Still have a couple of pint glasses from them I got at tastings.
     
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