In a nostalgic mood lately. I was wondering if any BA's remember this place. I got my good beer drinking start there. They had 500 diff beers from around the world. I am sure I drank stuff that was ancient... But what did I know at 18. Had my first Guinness there. Drank most of pitcher that we got from the server, who did not want to see it go to waste. Me and my buds, Tim, Paul, and Eddie. Udo was a man before his time.... Sláinte.
Yep. Remember it well. Way before todays American craft beer scene. Toward the end, they also had a brewpub there- as well as ones in Westmont and in River North. Their German hefe weiss was pretty good. All gone by about 1996.
I cut my wisdom teeth at its package store in the mid-1980s. It wasn't a craft beer, but it had 12-oz. returnable bottles of Fox Deluxe, by then brewed @ Cold Spring Brwg. [still extant!] in Minnesota; and other August Schell beers {A. Schell is no longer distributed to Illinois.} It was my 'go-to' place for megabrews in returnables for most of the 1980s. [Stroh's {16-oz.} is the only one I can currently remember.]
I am a little surprised that I only got a couple of hits. I have some good (some fuzzy) memories of that place. I still think of that damn ratty stuffed mallard, with the cigaret in its beak hanging over the middle of the bar, when I see the GI logo.... The giant half and half gemütlichkeit beers were a great and tasty deal. Never made it to Westmont and downtown was so different than the Berwyn place.
This was my Friday night go to place circa 1990-1992. My grandmother lived about 3 blocks away and one evening, I elected to drive home Grandma home with my roomate and check out the place that was "making its own beer". Immediately fell in love with the place, although I was 22 years old at the time so what did I really know. Favorite brew was the liters of Dopplebock, In fact for about 2 or 3 summers we would obtain a keg and have a Weinkellar Dopplebock party. At this point in my life is when I staring homebrewing and tried to replicate the Weinkellar recipe. Not sure I ever got too close but it was a lofty goal. While at the Weinkelllar, we'd eat about 3 baskets of pretzels with their spicy mustard, and eat landjaeger sticks, never really ate meal their though. They had about 6-8 beers they brewed, A hefeweizen, amber, stout, dopplebock, Berliner Weiss ( w/ choice of Syrup) and perhaps a few others. Tons of bottled beers and I seem to recall this is where I first witnessed German Hefe's where the bartenders ( At some point there were two Filipino brothers working there that would roll the bottles to get all the hazy yeast from the bottle and into your glass. Owned by Udu Hartung, who I believe was a wine distributer/salesman before opening the brewpub. I think Nick Floyd of 3 Floyds had a stint there before opening 3 Floyds. I tried the Westmont location which was behind a BMW dealer, not visible from Ogden ave, they had a nice outdoor beer garden, but things weren't the same. One visit only to River North in the city. I still hit up the area ( Berwyn - every now and then for Fitzgeralds ( usually around Mardi Gras time for some great Louisiana Zydeco) and Freddy's Pizza down on 16th street for a slice of sausage and Italian ice ( Lemon w/ pulp and all)
My friends frequented the location in Westmont, but I was living in Urbana and then DeKalb (a beer mecca even then) during the era when I could've gone.
I still hit Freddy's when I pass through the area. They have expanded the food selection, but the square piece of pizza brings back the past. Just don't ask for cheese on a beef sandwich.
I had been to Weinkeller a few times as a destination before moving to an apartment 1/2 mile away about 1992. My life changed then. I became a regular. Their taps were ONLY their own beers (so I don't know how the previous guy got a pitcher of Guinness-they had their "Dubliner Stout". I sampled everything. I made friends with the entire staff who generally gave me free drafts all night most of the time and I'd tip really well. Then I'd go out with them when they got off work-often to the Villa down the road, or to catch shows at Fitzgerald's. With the current craft beer explosion I often talk about how I have been doing it since then-with two of the originals-the other being the Original Goose Island-before they sold off the company, more or less. (I won't drink Goose Island from the liquor store-not since I saw "brewed in New York" on it.). I'm glad for the new revolution-but it isn't like they invented it. Folks have been doing it for decades.- Still I am happy that it is happening. I have been to the one in Westmont, but not recently. I know Udo (Hartung) also had opened a bar and cigar aficionados place somewhere in a trendier part of the city, but I don't think it's there. The original with all of its character- "mysteriously" had a kitchen fire in 99 or 2000. And closed. Became a parking lot for the turano bakery. Many good memories.
Kep54, I was going to WK well before they were brewing. They had taps from Germany, as well as Guiness. The package store on corner at one time boasted 500 diff beers. I thought it was heaven back then... I am sure I drank a lot of old, expired beer.. Lol...
