Half Acre Beer Company: I really love these guys! They make truly incredible beer in a growing small batch craft brewery here in Chitown. Located at 4257 North Lincoln Avenue, they're also close to the Brown line. I like to grab a growler or two of Double Daisy Cutter. Coming up soon in Dec you can get Big Hugs imperial stout brewed in collaboration with Dark Matter Coffee. Take the Brewery tour & check out the store! Look 'em over here: HALF ACRE is a Local Chicago Brewing Company
One of the owners, Chris DiBraccio, is there usually early in the evening. If he's got his distributor list out you can help him decide what beers to order. Chris is a super guy and he knows his beer!
The mavericks of Revenswood: Metropolitan Brewing!
Metropolitan Brewing: You can't help but love Doug and Tracy Hurst. Not shy retiring types, they're a husband and wife brewing team that puts real heart and soul and a hell of a lot of hours into their finely crafted German style beers.
Located at 5121 North Ravenswood Avenue, I really enjoy their Krankshaft K?lsch style beer as well as their Dynamo Copper Lager. Sign up for the tour & get to know the gang. They also have some kool stuff in their store.
Here they are: Metropolitan Brewing | Chicago, IL
All of my favorites have been mentioned, except for one:
Cigars and Stripes
6715 West Ogden Avenue
Berwyn, IL 60402
The bar itself is a trip and an odd mix of people. It's got the down-to-earth blue collar vibe of Berwyn, with a bit of a mix of hipsters and misfits thrown in, all in a setting right out of Son of Svengoolie. The most interesting bar on the South/Southwest Side I've found yet (and I've grown up in that part of the city.)
Also, the Pub in Ida Noyes at University of Chicago has perhaps the best overall beer selection south of Madison Street, but you have to either be a student or know one to get in, and the admission is $3 for non-members (and non-students cannot become members.)
I'd really like to find a good place in the loop to grab a bottle of craft beer for the train ride home. There's a little shop in the Merchandise Mart that isn't bad, and there are a couple places in the new French Market section of Ogilvy Station if you don't mind paying big bucks. Even the CVS in Ogilvy station sells Goose Island Matilda and a few others...but they're like $9 a bottle. Any other Loop spots to buy good beer by the bottle/can?
i think map room is a little on the overrated side. its REALLY loud and fairly dirty. the beer selection is vast and comes at a reasonable price, but there is no discernible ambiance.
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