Chicago area brew pubs

Hello

Next month I will travel to Chicago to take a course at Siebel, and I would like to have some suggestions of brew pubs around there.

Also, I plan on extending the trip after the course, and I would like some recommendations of which area of the country has the largest concentration of brew pubs.

I would like to visit some, because I have future plans on starting one back at home (I am from Brazil).


Thank you

Junka

Unless it's moved, Seibel is in the building housing Goose Island, so that's a perfect start. There is also Revolution, a new brew-pub in Wicker park, and Piece, which is a pizzeria/brew-pub....
Chicago also has a few outstanding beer bars, including Hop Leaf and The Map Room, both specializing in Belgian beers.

I'm gonna have lunch/beers at Goose Island tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

I have a couple of growlers from a rock bottom in Chicago that I use to make starters.

Well I only had one beer due to time constraints but the smoked goose was pretty good and the fist taco was fantastic. All in all they're pretty pricey but they have some pretty good beer and food.

Be sure to check out Piece, excellent brews and amazing pizza. My regular Sunday afternoon hangout is The Beer Bistro, over 150 beers to try and pretty good bar food.

While not a brewpub, per say, The Map Room is a bar with the most impressive selection of foreign and domestic beers I've yet to come across in Chicago.

Great thread guys, I'll be in Chicago in August to visit family - am planning on hitting Goose Island and will make a stop at the Map Room as well (and looking for suggestions in the western suburbs as well)

Too bad you won't be here at the end of this month. Goose Island is hosting an AHA rally.

Lucky Monk, great house brew and awesome burgers.

Mermaid said:

Great thread guys, I'll be in Chicago in August to visit family - am planning on hitting Goose Island and will make a stop at the Map Room as well (and looking for suggestions in the western suburbs as well)

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Lunar Brewery in Villa Park (Western burbs) makes great beer. They also have a great commercial selection. It is just a bar though, but you can order out for food. It is kind of Chicago tavern looking.

kjung said:

Too bad you won't be here at the end of this month. Goose Island is hosting an AHA rally.

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I will be there for this.

It will happen right on the last day of Siebel's Advanced Homebrewing Program, so the schedulle says that we end early on friday and all head out to AHA rally to crash the party

I've enjoyed the several times I've been to Goose Island, both food and beer. The roof-top deck on the Rock Bottom downtown was a nice way to take a break in the middle of the afternoon. Only having visited Chicago a handful of times for a few days here and there, I can't be of much help on the hidden local gems.

Junkaboy said:

I will be there for this.

It will happen right on the last day of Siebel's Advanced Homebrewing Program, so the schedulle says that we end early on friday and all head out to AHA rally to crash the party

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If you want to meet up, PM me. We can go out for a couple more after!

If you get out to the far west burbs, check out "The Roundhouse" in Aurora. Higher in price, but has been good the times I've been there.

Also, there's a local brewery out here in the far west burbs called "Two Brothers Brewery" that has really good brews and added a restaurant to the front of their brewery (and a HBS...) that's worth checking out.

Half Acre isn't a brew pub, but they make great beer and put on a fun tour on Saturdays. http://www.halfacrebeer.com/home.php
In addition to Hopleaf and Map Room, I am a big fan of Sheffield's (just not after a Cubs' game!). They don't brew there, but like the other two they have a great beer list and good bbq.

Take the Metra down to Flossmoor and hit up Flossmoor Station. The brewery is in the old train station, literally just across the tracks from the new station.

bestbrown said:

Half Acre isn't a brew pub, but they make great beer and put on a fun tour on Saturdays. http://www.halfacrebeer.com/home.php
In addition to Hopleaf and Map Room, I am a big fan of Sheffield's (just not after a Cubs' game!). They don't brew there, but like the other two they have a great beer list and good bbq.

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Half Acre Over Ale is excellent. Rich, smooth, brown...

You can't come all this way and not hit up 3floyds in Munster In. It is not that far from downtown Chicago. Also northwest Indiana has quite a few more brewpubs you can hit.