A Beer Lover’s Tour: 29 Chicagoland Brewery Reviews and 11 Must-Visit Breweries Nationwide
- chrissarcletti
- 12 hours ago
- 17 min read
I deeply appreciate all aspects of craft beer. From the nuances to the flavors of each particular beer style down to the styles within the styles, I'm interested. I appreciate the layout of each individual brewery, the music sets they play (if they don't have live music), the variety of board games and/or arcade games they have on hand down to the music bingo and trivia nights that make a Wednesday or Thursday evening a bit more interesting. The foods they serve and the restaurants they partner with to order from round out the experience. Let's face it - breweries are usually a pretty chill and enjoyable place to spend a couple hours.
For all these reasons, visiting breweries to "taste a sampler" is a regular thing for me when I have the time. I make my way around Chicago (and the hour surrounding it on all sides) often and am grateful that I have the opportunity to explore the terrific brewery community in the Chicagoland area.
I've listed the breweries below in order of the ones that I visit the most and am most fond of, but I enjoy visiting and recommend every brewery I've listed. I will continue my brewery "journeys" and will add additional brewery overviews to this post from time to time.
For an extra bonus, at the bottom of this post I've listed 11 breweries I recommend visiting for the beer and overall experience based on my travels throughout the country. This includes breweries I've visited in numerous cities from Freeport, Maine to Petaluma, California, Asheville, North Carolina, Saint Petersburg, Florida and beyond.
Maplewood
One of the very best at making high quality beer including Son of Juice, one of the better hazy IPA's ever made, in addition to the Charlatan American Pale Ale and Pulaski Pils. Maplewood has a reputation for quality and they deliver as well as anyone.
The Logan Square location is at the end of a residential street and is a cool spot with an interesting food menu. This is a great place if you want to try some of the beers they make that you won't ever see sold in a store. Their new location in Glen Ellyn opened in May, 2026 in the previous Two Hound Red location. It's a fantastic spot with all their terrific beers, European ciders, a strong cocktail list and a varied menu which is quite impressive, making for an excellent full meal dining experience.
Alter
Strong overall beer selection with a very good selection of IPAs. They introduce new beers regularly to keep things fresh and have great names for their beers (Tom Thanks, Bleacher Seat, Fresh Cargo).
The Oak Brook location is a full service restaurant in a terrific spot right near Gibsons Steak House and Fogo de Chao. The interior is beautifully designed with a terrific large bar and they serve excellent elevated bar/brewery food with a full bar including wine and cocktails.
The Downers Grove location is their production brewery with a cool taproom. I enjoy the laid back vibe, Wednesday music bingo and the terrific variety of beers at this location. They don't have food, but it's a great place to bring your own picnic or order pizza from great spots like Angelo's or Dan's. They also have a private party spot upstairs (holds 30 comfortably) and a terrific large event space (with a terrific sound system) in back that is used for weddings and corporate events.
Half Acre Beer Co
It's hard to beat their beer (Bodem, Vallejo and Daisy Cutter are a few favs) and every brewery in the Chicagoland area should pay homage to Half Acre! After all, they were at the forefront of the craft brewery scene in Chicago, following Goose Island with Revolution and others following them.
The brewery is located in the Bowmanville neighborhood on the Northside of Chicago. It's a really cool place and they have terrific food. SPACE Architects + Planners designed the indoor and outdoor space, which is the envy of breweries in Chicago and throughout the country.
Suncatcher Brewing
This is a cool newer spot (it opened in 2024) in Humboldt Park right off of Grand Avenue and Chicago Avenue that was opened by one of the founders of Half Acre.
They have an interesting and ever changing variety of beers including a rotating seasonal selection (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter), a blonde ale and varieties of pale ales. The vibe is laid back and that makes it an easy place to have 'just one more beer'. This place takes its beer serious and people that are "into" beer and find their way to places like the Map Room, Lunar Brewing or The Beer Temple should definitely make a visit to this spot. They have a terrific outdoor space and its bring your own food with a solid taqueria right next door.
Pollyanna Brewing Company
It started in Lemont (in 2014) and has a terrific reputation for its range of quality beers. They make numerous award winning beers including The Full Lemonty (Golden Ale), Lexical Gap (West Coast IPA) and Fruhauf (Oktoberfest). They opened in 2014 before the brewery scene exploded and are a pillar of the Chicagoland brewing community.
Pollyanna operates numerous locations, but they started in downtown Lemont. Located in the heart of Lemont, they have great indoor and outdoor space making it a focal point for celebrations (like Oktoberfest) and gatherings.
The Roselare location in downtown Roselle is tucked away near the Metra stop and is quite a gem. It has Pollyanna's terrific beer, a great cocktail list and is bring your own (or order in) for food. The have an extremely cozy inside space and their outdoor space includes a sprawling, partially enclosed patio which feels like a private backyard.
More Brewing Company
Excellent selection of IPAs (Shadows and Morever are two of my favs) and some other solid pilsners and lagers, including an absolutely terrific Premium Rye. They have a solid food menu that is mostly bar food centric with a few Indian dishes to add a unique twist. This is a family friendly spot and is in a great location near the Prairie Path and the center of Villa Park. It's a popular spot for those biking on the prairie path and makes for a nice stop to break up a long walk or bike ride. They also have other locations in Huntley and Bartlett.
Noon Whistle
They have locations in Naperville and Lombard and are known for their fantastic variety of IPA's and Hazy IPA's. The beer menu also features lagers, pilsners and some sour and wild ales. Some of my favorites are the Fortunate Day IPA, Hop Prism Blue IPA and the Gummylicious IPA.
I've only been to the Lombard location, which has a large, spaced out footprint that's equipped with pinball machines, arcade games and plenty of space for family dinners and gatherings. They have a great barrel room that is perfect for private events and weddings and have a solid food menu, including well renowned house made tavern style pizza. Overall, this is one of the best breweries outside the city of Chicago.
Phase Three Brewing Company
In terms of beer quality, Phase Three is top tier. Everything they make is a solid B with most of their offerings being solid to high A's. They are best known for their terrific traditional and hazy IPA's.
I've only visited their 'newer" Elmhurst location, which has elevated bar food with a glance towards Filipino cuisine. They also have an enviable location right off the prairie path that's popular with bikers, joggers and walkers due to its proximity to "one of the best" nature/urban mix walk/jog/bike trails in Illinois.
Goose Island
This is one of the early craft brewing hall of fame finalists nationwide. Some people tired of them because they became too familiar and some of their brands got acquired by a large brewery label. They are still relevant and came back strong with the Beer Hug series and a move of their flagship brewery next to the Salt Shed music venue in Chicago. They are still formidable, sound and strong.
Pilot Project
This cool "project" started in Logan Square and has expanded with more locations, including one in Milwaukee and another near Wrigley Field. They offer a few house brewed beers but their main focus is showcasing the beer of start up breweries and other small breweries that use the Pilot space to brew their beer and offer it to customers. They have a sleekly designed interior that would make anyone want to stay for a while and the Logan Square location has a huge, terrific outdoor space on Milwaukee Avenue. They also have a solid food menu that is a bit more creative than your typical brewery.
Revolution Brewing
Their Logan Square brewpub is closed but Anti-Hero continues to sell well. They aren't a one hit wonder either (they distribute their beer to 11 states) and have a cool production brewery and tap room in Avondale that has a terrific event space.
I have many fond memories of celebrations spent at the Avondale location that is family friendly, bring your own food and offers tours. This is another brewery that belongs on the first couple of pages (it opened in 2010) of any story about the Chicago craft beer scene.
Goldfinger
The owners and operators of Goldfinger are technicians that only make German beer using traditional recipes, and they do it extremely well. They offer lagers, pilsners and a mind boggling variety of seasonal styles that makes any visit to their brewery quite interesting. They also have a cool outside that feels like a sprawling private yard that is a great place to chill. They dont offer food, but often have food trucks and many people bring food to munch on or order takeout.
Piece
They offer terrific New Haven style pizza and great on site brewed beer that is only available at their ONE and only location. They have a lot of TV's above their gigantic curved bar making it a terrific place to watch a game and probably my favorite "sports bar" in Chicago.
This is an anchor spot in Wicker Park that opened in 2001 and helped to define this neighborhood. An interesting side note is that Need pizza in Cedar Rapids, Iowa was started by a former Piece employee. Need offers the same exact pizza and has a beer list featuring some of the top craft breweries in Iowa.
Map Room
Map Room has been making beer lovers happy since November, 1992. Other than the rotating 20 beer tap list, not much has changed in this absolute gem of an establishment. They don't brew any beers (it's not a brewery), but they deserve special mention since they've inspired an infinite number of people to appreciate beer and many to brew it themselves. They have an "embarrassment of riches" beer list strong on local breweries and select German beers that aren't easy to find on tap (outside of the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle).
This place is on Tripadvisor for a reason. As its 35 year anniversary approaches, very little has changed (no facelifts needed or desired) and business continues to thrive.
Beer Cellar
This is not a brewery, but could be better with 12 beers from 12 different small to medium size breweries available and the beers offered change weekly. Beer Cellar is half bar, half liquor store with a tremendous selection of beer, wine and spirits available for purchase. It has a similar feel to Beer on the Wall which has locations in Park Ridge, Elmhurst and Arlington Heights and The Open Door Taproom & Bottle Shop which is in a great location in Clarendon Hills near the metra station.
Beer Cellar has great outdoor space in downtown Glen Ellyn right off the prairie path and has a family friendly room next door that is also used for game themed nights (music bingo, etc.). They often have tap takeovers in addition to other events.
Lena Brewing
This is an impressive spot an hour from Galena (30 minutes from Lake Carroll) with a cool (middle of the cornfields) vibe and great indoor and outdoor space. The food and beer at Lena are both solid. They underwent a significant "redesign" in 2025 by expanding into the larger, adjacent "big red barn" (formerly the Rafters restaurant), creating a much bigger taproom with added features. The space is now more modern and larger with a terrific, sprawling outdoor space.
Solemn Oath
Their Logan Square location is quite the neighborhood "spot". Located in the base of a condo building, they did a terrific job of designing the inside, particularly on the bar. This is a great place in walking distance to everything in this amazing neighborhood. You can bring your own food or order in from a nearby spot and enjoy their terrific beers, including many solid IPAs. Solemn Oath started in Naperville where they have a large taproom and event space.
Hopewell
This is a great city spot to have in your neighborhood with plenty of board games, decent beer, good music and a cool vibe that is equally fun for families as it is for an adult catch up. They don't offer food, but there are plenty of excellent food options in the area to pick up food from and enjoy over beers at the brewery. Hopewell is a 2 minute walk from the Logan Square Blue line stop making it a great place for meet ups and after work drinks.
Will County Brewing Company / Mad Hatchet
Will County had a cool, relaxed spot with a nice patio in Shorewood on the outskirts of Joliet. They offered a solid cross style beer list with some interesting flavor profiles and names like Pickleball Tinder Date and Bamm-Bamm Loves Pebbles. Rocket Queen is one of their mainstays, it's a very good IPA, and I really enjoyed their F.U.S.S. hazy IPA.
Like many breweries that have closed their doors over the past few years, Will County met that same fate in April, 2026. They had terrific beer and a welcoming staff that had a keen ear for music, highlighted by their vinyl Wednesdays when customers could bring in a record and a full side would be played uninterrupted, no questions asked. This was a favorite of mine and will be missed, though nearby Mad Hatchet Brewing is a great local Shorewood alternative. They have a solid variety of cross style beers and have thankfully carried on the the vinyl Wednesday tradition from Will County.
Lone Buffalo
Fun spot in downtown Ottawa, IL near Starved Rock State Park that has good beer and offers an elevated dining experience. Overall, this is a terrific place with a free flow design that makes the experience extremely pleasant whether your in the busy restaurant or the slightly more laid back taproom next door. Lone Buffalo is part of Tangled Roots Brewing Company and they now have expanded from Ottawa throughout Illinois with locations in Glenview, Lockport, Vernon Hills, South Barrington and Washington.
Mikerphone
This is a cool spot with lots of light and good beer with a wide variety of pale ales, lagers and IPA's. They also have some unique flavored sours and golden ales flavored with pickle juice and arbol chili peppers. Mikerphone has a small food menu with pretzels, solid pizza and a mean cheese and cracker flight.
They have a nice outdoor patio and cool indoor space that is heavily music themed, with tons of vinyl records, music themed posters and instruments on the wall, in addition to pinball machines.
Lunar Brewing
This is an old school spot in Villa Park that feels a lot like the Map Room (see above). Lunar brews 5 to 10 varieties of their own beers (the Moondance IPA is always available) and also features 7 or 8 carefully chosen guest drafts. This is the kind of place that has many regulars, employs career bartenders and feels a lot like a comfortable couch.
Garage Band Brewing
Cool, laid-back spot in the heart of downtown Plainfield with a terrific Texas style barbecue restaurant (Station One Smokehouse) right next door. This is a great place to start or end an evening in downtown Plainfield. They play terrific music and have across the board quality beers, from lagers to stouts to bocks to IPA's.
Old Irving Brewing Co.
OIB has a cool bar vibe with great space that is equally good for those looking for a friends get together or for parents to have a beer or 2 over food and board games with the family. They have elevated food and offer a diverse menu that makes this a really good restaurant. The beer menu is solid and deep with their Beezer IPA acting as a game changer that elevated the profile of the brewery, much like what Anti Hero did for Revolution. This is an anchor spot in the Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Ike & Oak Brewing Company
Terrific beer with a nice indoor layout. The food menu is diverse with renowned Detroit Style pizza. This spot works just as well for a drink or two as it does for an extended family meal.
Ike and Oak may be underappreciated since it's tucked away within a large and extended strip mall complex.
Two Brothers Brewing Company
One of the earliest Chicagoland craft breweries which began in 1996 in Warrenville, adding a tap house restaurant adjacent to the brewery in 2008. The tap house has a full restaurant and has a great event space. Two Brothers offers a wide array of beers across all styles and they also make artisan spirits and coffee. Their coffee is fantastic (they launched Two Brothers Coffee Roasters in 2012) and popular enough that you can find it in Chicagoland Costco stores. The Aurora location opened in 2011 as a brewpub restaurant in a 19th-century railroad roundhouse that was converted to a restaurant adjacent to the Aurora metra station.
Dovetail Brewery
Dovetail is an all German Brewery located in an area that is kind of a "brewery row" near Ravenswood on the Northside of Chicago. Within a short walk of one another, you can find Begyle, Dovetail, Hop Butcher for the World and Demo Brewing Company. They have a great outdoor patio and offer a terrific variety of bocks, hefeweizens and lagers.
Cruz Blanca Brewery + Mexican Kitchen
This is as much a restaurant as it is a brewery with excellent Mexican food and solid beer, with a variety of styles available. They have a cool ground floor bar right off Randolph Street and a larger restaurant footprint upstairs.
Renowned restaurateur Rick Bayless was among the founders (though he is no longer involved), and the food menu remains largely the same, meaning it's still fantastic.
Guinness
Opened in 2023, Guinness did a terrific job of creating a local Chicago version of their brewery at this location near bustling Fulton Market. They have a wide variety of beers (IPA's, Blondes, Lagers, Oktoberfest) brewed locally, in addition to Guinness, and the build out of the location is terrific. It's a huge spot great for after work parties, happy hours and friends gatherings. They have one of the coolest circular harp shaped bars you'll ever see, a good food menu and often have live music.
11 Recommended Breweries spanning 10 Different States
3 Sheeps Brewing in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
They have good beer and an impressive onsite experience with LOTS of indoor and outdoor space. From live music to food trucks to festivals to bocce ball and gatherings of family and friends, this spot has it all.
Bell's in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Definitely worth a stop if your nearby to enjoy their terrific selection of beers and the cool atmosphere of Bell's Eccentric Cafe (which has excellent food and also hosts concerts).
Surly in Minneapolis, Minnesota
There are few better breweries in this country! The indoor and outdoor space lends itself to "long stretches of hanging" and lots of Sunday Funday kind of stuff. They have terrific food and beer. Visiting Surly is a Top 5 Minneapolis experience.
The Courtyard Brewery, New Orleans, Louisiana
With rag tag tables and chairs in an outdoor courtyard and beer served from inside a cozy atmosphere with eclectic furniture in what feels like a home, this is a great spot. Its located in a cool area of New Orleans thats a touch outside the downtown and French quarter with lots of good restaurants and the National World War II museum nearby.
Green Bench Brewing Company, St. Petersburg, Florida
This is a cool spot in the heart of St. Petersburg that makes the most of their indoor space and side yard next door so patrons can enjoy the weather and their terrific beer. There are many terrific restaurants within walking distance nearby including Bodega (Latin/Cuban) and the fantastic Hawkers Asian Street Food.
3 Floyds Brewing in Muenster, Indiana
3 Floyds is well knowned across the country and is a favorite of beer enthusiasts. They have a variety of top notch beers, including their limited Dark Lord stout, Zombie Dust Pale Ale and Gumballhead Wheat Ale. They had a very popular brewpub restaurant that closed in 2020 during the pandemic, which I enjoyed over a few visits. Their were plans to reopen the brewpub, but it is undetermined when and if this will happen. The production brewery still operates out of the same location as the brewpub in Muenster, making beer that is sent nationwide.
Lagunitas in Petaluma, California
Lagunitas Is now ubiquitous, but this is where the original small scale operation moved to after they launched the game changing Lagunitas IPA in 1995. They still make their beers in Petaluma to this day. Home to one of most important beer companies in craft beer history, Lagunitas is all around cool from the indoor and outdoor space to the live music to the location (on the outskirts of Santa Rosa one hour from San Francisco).
Maine Beer Company in Freeport, Maine
Maine's Lunch IPA is as good as any IPA from any brewery in the country. This is a cool spot with terrific beer in a beautiful part of the world. The brewery is located 20 minutes from Portland, Maine in Freeport (where L. L. Bean was founded).
Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado
There are few better places that have beer this good in a space this cool. Odell is popular with Colorado State students, locals and those that drive to Fort Collins to enjoy sunny days on their patio. Fort Collins is another terrific brewery city popular with beer enthusiasts.
Sierra Nevada Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina
Yes, this is a big brewery and it started in Chico, California. However, what they did in Asheville to continue to promote their undeniably fantastic product is something special. This location is built into a forest with an outdoor space made for all day hangs. concerts and meals from their terrific kitchen. This is a must see brewery if your in Asheville, one of the better brewery cities in the country (Burial Beer Co., Wedge, Wicked Weed).
Great Divide, Denver, Colorado
Since opening in 1994, Great Divide has gone on to become one of the most decorated breweries in America, earning 19 Great American Beer Festival Medals and 5 World Beer Cup Awards. Their taproom in the RiNo (River North Art District) is one of many cool establishments in this part of Denver.
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