Hey folks, I've got a friend traveling to South Bend then west Chicago (near O'Hare). They have expressed an interest in picking up some beers I can't get in NYC while they are there. I don't want to take advantage of their kindness and send them on crazy hunts, so what might be some good shops I could recommend them to look at that might not be so out of the way? Thanks for the help!
Here's what I'd do if I were you: go to beer menus and use whatever zipcode they'll be in (60656 is O'Hare). Take a look at what some nearby beer stores have in stock. Be sure to take notice of when the menu entry was updated. Make your suggestions based on those results. Things I wholeheartedly suggest: Revolution Anti-Hero. Anything Pipeworks. Anything Three Floyds. YMMV depending on your style preferences. There is an astounding amount of excellent craft beer available in the Chicago area. Part of it is due to a bunch of great breweries in the immediate area. Part of it is because we are centrally located in the US. Good luck!
Binnys has a few locations near O'Hare or at least on the way. They carry just about everything you could ever want from the midwest. In south bend, their options are more limited but they can easily score fff stuff. fff usually hits on wed or Thurs around here and zd goes pretty quick. Belmont beverage has decent to good selection depending on the store, you can find their locations on their site. City Wide liquors is a better option as they are staffed w/beer nerds and have a nice selection. They have two locations; one in downtown south bend and another in mishawaka which is minutes from south bend.
