Hey all, I will be in town for some education for work on August 5-6, but coming in early to check out the beer scene. From my research already, i have identified several stops that i'd like to make: Pipeworks, Half Acre, Revolution, Dovetail, Off Color, Goose Island, Afterthought, Cruz Blanca, and Maplewood. If there are any that i should take off the list, or any i should add, let me know. Also, I believe i am staying on the northwest side of town, if there are feasibility constraints i need to be aware of, let me know. If there are any releases i need to be aware of, that would be nice too. Any breweries with great food / food in immediate area are also recommended. Thanks in advance!
In case you haven't already, this is a good thread. https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/2019-visiting-chicagoland-resource-thread.601977/
It's unreal how little us locals talk about Afterthought, which is absurd considering how amazing their brews are. You'll really dig them if you are into mixed fermentation stuff. Just a heads up - Afterthought doesn't have an official taproom, but The Beer Cellar in Glen Ellyn is where members pick up bottles, so they'd have the best selection. They do have decent distro in the city if you don't want to drive that far - Beer Temple in Avondale has it consistently and is a great stop for out of towners.
I've only tried one beer from Afterthought, and it was fantastic. It's pretty far outside the city though (if you can avoid traffic, it might be like 40-45 minutes each way), and it apparently doesn't have a taproom. If you're going that way though, More and Noon Whistle are basically on the way, so you could make a trip out of it. Also, Pipeworks doesn't have a tap room, they only have a bottle shop. They usually have BA beers in stock, so it may be worth a trip if that's what you're looking for.
Thanks for the heads up on Afterthought, i'll have to check out Beer Temple in Avondale! I found it listed pretty highly on a couple of lists, so that's why it was on mine. Thank you!
Beer Temple is a MUST VISIT in my opinion, for both the draft list and the bottle shop...and ask for the Beer Bible if you're drinking there, they have an impressive rare bottle list for on-site consumption.
I am attending this for the first time this year but have heard great things about it. 23 local craft breweries paired with local BBQ joints, lineup is in the link below. It is a competition in which you are the judge and get to sample 2 beers from each brewery plus a BBQ sample. Event is on the NW side of Chicago. Have a great visit to Chicago! http://www.beerbbqchallenge.com/ http://www.beerbbqchallenge.com/lineup-2019
This looks like an awesome time. Although I've been to neither event, I bet the gas generated at this can rival FOBAB.
Indeed! It will def be less crowded than FoBAB. Also the event is outdoors so at least the ventilation is way better than UIC Forum!
The wife and I have been to this for the last several years. DEFINITELY worth going to. FYI, the "BBQ sample" is a dish made with barbecued meat, not just meat. One dish that stands out in my memory is the Filipino egg rolls!
Two places on the NW side that have great food and beer are OldIrvingBrewing in Chicago itself and ShortFuseBrewing just outside of Chicago. A great non-beer place for breakfast is Alexanders, just north of Chicago, in Skokie. Get there early tho. By 10:00, there's guaranteed to be a wait. Unfortunately, their website, with the menu, seems to be down. So I posted the TripAdvisor link for them instead.
Revolution - Maplewood / Half Acre - Dovetail / Goose Island - Cruz Blanca are relatively close pairings to one another.
I second Corridor. Also near the Cruz Blanca-Goose Island pairing is Haymarket, Ballast Point Chicago, All Rise, and On Tour.
