The Buzz on Local Brews
Forget all other types of hooch--Chicagoans are beer-swillers at heart. Fortunately, local breweries go beyond the basics, wooing hops-lovers with interestingly nuanced, made-on-site selections. Here are a few brews from in the vicinity that beg to be savored.
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Goose Island - Clybourn
1800 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL
Goose Island's 312 Urban Wheat--a mainstay from Chicago-based Goose Island Beer Company--is made from barley malt and torrified wheat, resulting in an unfiltered, cloudy brew that's crisp and fruity enough to refresh on a sultriest of summer days. -
Flossmoor Station Brewing Company
1035 Sterling Ave, Flossmoor, IL
The restaurant and brewery--one of the countries foremost small brewpubs--is located in a historic train station. Especially known for its robust, molasses-y Pullman Nut Brown Ale, a blend of seven kinds of malt, three types of hops, this is a beer that tastes as good as it smells. -
Piece
1927 W North Ave, Chicago, IL
Since opening in 2001, this small Wicker Park New Haven-style pizza-pub has churned out winning, small-batch beers. Among the most beloved is its South German-style Top Heavy Hefeweizen, a bright, practically headless treat with hints of lemon, clove and banana. Can't get enough? Grab a growler to go. -
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
1 W Grand Street, Chicago, IL
Aficionados know to sign up for this chain's mug club, filling their special steins with Brown Bear Brown, a roasty, chocolate-tinged treat with Chinook and Willamette hops that's surprisingly drinkable given its heft. -
Mickey Finn's
412 N Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL
It's always St. Patrick's Day at this North Shore institution where boldly flavored Finn's Amber Ale--a dark-colored, American-style ale bursting with hints of caramel--gets props. It was created in honor of the Abana family, who bottled water in the county at the turn of last century. -
Emmett's Ale House
5200 Main Street, Downers Grove, IL
Silver medal-winning Victory Pale Ale is a hops-heavy concoction that's both bitter and noticeably malty, making it a popular companion for the pub's beer and apricot-glazed, slow-roasted pork loin sandwich. Just take note that this place intentionally avoids serving beer ice-cold and delivers 16-ouncers in 20-ounce glasses so there's room for a head.
