Chicago has been on my beery bucket list ever since learning about its beer scene through the voice of Michael Kiser and Good Beer Hunting. I had an opportunity to visit the Windy City in April 2023. Going was an easy choice. With so many breweries, choosing the breweries to visit was not as easy.

“One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore. Another is that writing motivates you to look closely at life, at life as it lurches by and tramps around.”

— Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird)

I used a few online tools to assist with creating a brewery trekking plan.

Search Tools

Yelp is an excellent tool to display a list of breweries and also create a map of their locations. You can Sort the list by Recommended, Highest Rating, or Most Reviewed and the list order can change dramatically.
Another thing to keep in mind is when breweries may be open. Some may not be open earlier in the week or later in the day. One note, like many great cities, Chicago is a series of neighborhoods and Yelp will allow you to search within one or more neighborhoods. I used the search criteria brewery and Chicago in the location field. Search results >> breweries chicago
Hop Culture posted an article The 11 Best Breweries in Chicago. It is dated February 2022, so some things may have changed since then, but it does provide more background on some of the more interesting beer in the Windy City.
Untappd is always a good source for beer information especially using a smart phone.

Getting Around

Since we would be staying in a hotel near the Navy Pier, I chose not to get a rental car and rather learn and depend on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to get me where I wanted to do. That proved to be a good decision. Most of my travel miles were on the CTA trains, with some of the way breweries requiring a bus, some time was foot time. When feeling tired or lazy I depended on Uber.

Ventra Metro Pass - A Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Ventra metro pass will allow you unlimited trips on the tickets to ride CTA trains and Pace buses for $5 per day. I picked up a 3-day pass at the airport, then purchased a credit card sized Ventra pass after the temp pass had expired.
The CTA trains or buses will take you just about anywhere you need to go in the city. I ventured to breweries and museums using both systems. An occasional Uber ride (there were plenty of Uber drivers available) filled in some gaps. Some walking was involved for the final trek to the brewery, but I got to experience some Chicago neighborhoods that way.
Apple Maps - I depended on Apple Maps to navigate the transit system. It did a great job in telling me what train or bus to hop on, plus how many minutes till the next train would arrive.
Google Maps - This app has a great display of the area for your search criteria, plus the transit connections required to get you there. A great filter option is “Open” — is the business open now. With some smaller breweries taking Mondays off for example, you could be disappointed having trekked across the city only to find the taproom closed for the day.
Transit Stop App - I downloaded this app expecting it would be helpful to me in navigating the CTA for the week, but really found it more confusing than helpful. I depended more on Apple Maps.

Corridor Brewery & Provisions

Corridor Brewery and Provisions was an easy 30 minute metro train ride from downtown. I arrived at about noon on a Wednesday. As I entered the taproom a turntable (really) was playing smooth jazz selections in the background. Corridor is located on a busy business street in Chicago's West Lakeview neighborhood. Outdoor sitting available and an open garage door provides inviting light and air inside the taproom. It was an unseasonably warm Spring day for Chicago but I wanted to experience the taproom so opted for a table inside.

Business men were enjoying their lunch and a quick draft, young families showed up with strollers, couples were enjoying the afternoon and a beer, while an out-of-state beer writer was quietly taking notes in the background.

Corridor Brewing taproom with the doors open.

The Food

When you have “provisions” in the name of your establishment you must be confident in your food offerings. The food menu was beyond common pub food. It was lunch time and I strategically had planned my arrival to take advantage of the food menu. I opted for the patty melt with an egg option. It was tasty and plentiful, served with perfectly golden brown fries.

Corridor Brewing has a food menu meant to pair with their beer.

The Beer

Beer options included 5 oz flight options, 10 oz and 16 oz pours with six beers on tap. They also had a cooler with to-go cans.

I enjoy a good rauchbeir and the beer tender advised me that the smoke was subtle. And is was as well as smooth and flavorful. If you like a touch of smoke then I could easily recommend this beer. 5.3% ABV | 14 IBU
My second draft was a DDH IPA hazy Wizard Fight. It had a nice west coast hop bite and without the in-your-face bitterness. 6% ABV | 60 IBU

Corridor Brewing has several Great American Beer Festival medals among their trophies, including a 2018 Gold medal for their Belgian-style ale.

“Our kitchen’s focus is on simple, but delicious and locally sourced food meant to pair with the wonderful beer being brewed under the same roof.”

— Corridor Brewing & Provisions

Corridor Brewery & Provisions
3446 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60657

Hopleaf Bar

Michael & Louise’s Hopleaf Bar is on of those places I heard about so many times in the early days of the Good Beer Hunting podcast. Coming to Hopleaf was not an option to me, but the anticipation was like a kid’s meeting his sports hero. It has been said that it is not always a good idea to actually meet one’s hero because they may not live up to your expectations. Hopleaf did not disappoint.

Taking the CTA red line train and a 15-minute walk from the Argyle stop through the stylish Andersonville Chicago neighborhood, the bright red Hopleaf sign over the door alerted me that I had arrived.

As I walked in it was apparent this place has an old world character — the wooden bar and floors, painted metal ceiling tiles.

Street facing windows add light to the front of the taproom but dims as you move deeper into the bar. Dark wood, large beer posters reflect the focus on beers from around the world and their beer menu. As I glanced across the beer menu, it was difficult to choose through the world-renown beers — some familiar and some not. How do you choose?

So, I allowed the description of the De Garre Belgian triple is the house beer for a pub in Brugges (11% ABV) persuade me.

There are a few Belgian style beers I really enjoy outside of those brewed in Belgium itself — Ommegang is one of those exceptions. De Garre is a perfect reason why. Wine aficionados talk about terroir (influences from soil, topography and climate in character, taste and flavor) but I believe there is something to be said about terroir in beer. To me German and Belgian beers simply have a different (preferred) character to those produced domestically.

Revolution Deep Wood Series Where Eagle Rare is a bit of an conundrum. At only 3.8% ABV, even the beer tender thought it was a typo. But at first taste I realized it is not boozy as you would expect a beer aged in such fine whiskey barrels. Described as “a fancy rendition of Revolution’s beloved Working Man Mild”. It is a light brown ale with a huge oak accent. A pleasant sipper. If you were asked if you would enjoy a fine beer if it had no alcohol, this beer would be a great reason to reply, “Yes”.

Hopleaf Beer Menu Revolution Deep Woods Series

The atmosphere is one of a fine neighborhood pub establishment. Light jazz was floating in the background. Light and dark tones of the taproom play as I look out onto a busy business street. Millennials in booths with a glass of beer propped along side laptops and phones. It reminded me of Starbucks with a London pub appeal — with a draft rather than a coffee to motivate and keep company.

“So many beer bars aspire to be the Hopleaf. The pretenders boast about their deep brew list, their food, their lack of snobbery. But none manage to get the alchemy right—they lack the globe-trotting drink selection that’s heavy on Belgian ales, the smartly sourced (and far above average) food, the savvy bartenders, and the spark that’s turned it from a just another watering hole into an institution.”

— Chicago Magazine

Hopleaf is a place I wish I had more time to soak in. I know if I make my way back to Chicago that I will be back. I didn't explore the food nor get deep into the beer menu. Yes, this could be a place where I had a favorite meal. Where people knew my name.

Leaving Hopleaf, my next stop was Half Acre. But little did I know I was in for a surprise.

Hopleaf Bar
5148 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640

Spiteful Brewing

My next stop was Half Acre Brewing. On my way to I bumped into an unexpected surprise - Spiteful Brewing. Recognizing the Edison lights and outdoor seating of a taproom I thought I had arrived at Half Acre. Half minded walking in, quickly discovered this was not yet at my taproom destination but an unexpected oasis. Spiteful is a neighborhood brewery with in easy walking distance to hundreds of neighbors. The brewery has been opened for about five years.

I looked over the beer menu and opted for a samplings with a flight of four 5 oz. pours.

Working for the Weekend - a standard double IPA brewed with classic Mosaic and Citra hops
Working for Vacation - a tropical variant of the Weekend beer, brewed with the addition of Motueka hops
Farthing Dark Mild - 3.6% ABV classic English mild
Barrel Aged Hostile Harry (Weller Bourbon Barrels) - a Russian Imperial Stout aged for incredible 32-months in Weller bourbon barrels which was offered at the 2022 FOBAB (Festival of Wood + Barrel-aged Beer.

The taproom has an open atmosphere with the doors opened wide. The outdoor sitting was in full use with locals taking full advantage of this sunny uncharacteristically warm Spring day. The beer tender was pleasant and helpful in guiding me through the beer menu.

Inviting wood of the taproom bar looks across to large open doors.

Spiteful Brewing
2024 West Balmoral Avenue
Chicago, Il

Half acre taproom

After leaving Spiteful I had only a 3-minute walk to Half Acre Beer Company. I circled around the back to witness the beer garden. Inside, the beer menu is as I expected offering a wide range of beer styles. Daisy Cutter Pale Ale is their signature beer, first offered in 2009. I found and enjoyed Half Acre beer at Chicago restaurants during my stay. I asked the beer tender if Half Acre beers are available back east. His response was that they do ship to some Philadelphia locations because the ownership has connections there. Checking my Half Acre history on Untappd I learned that I did have have Pony Pilsner at Garrett Hill Ale House (Bryn Mawr, PA) in 2018.

“In March 2009, Half Acre Beer began production in its own brewery on Lincoln Avenue in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago. In 2015, the brewery expanded by opening a second, larger brewhouse and pub on Balmoral Avenue in the Bowmanville neighborhood of Chicago, approximately a mile and a half from the Lincoln Avenue facility. In 2021, they consolidated operations into the Balmoral Avenue location, closing the Lincoln Avenue facility.”

— Wikipedia

Their barrel-aged beers are incredible. I was at the end of my day and conscienceless. I had time for a couple of tastings, so I went high.

Sickle Through Sable (Untappd rating 4.29) an imperial stout aged in both Heaven Hill and Bardstown Bourbon barrels. This is a complex beer.
Catch Hell With Saigon Cinnamon and Madagascar Vanilla (Untappd rating 4.51) a barrel-aged stout.

Half Acre Beer Company is in the Bowmanville neighborhood of Chicago. It was founded by Gabriel Magliaro in 2006 and was originally brewed in Black River Falls, WI before moving to Chicago in 2009. The brewery expanded, opening a second facility in 2015 before consolidating the brewhouse and pub to the current Balmoral Avenue.

Benthic barrel-aged beers are their big releases. Too bad for me, I was a day early for their 2023 Benthic release would be the next day. I was denied. However, not to be completely quashed I grabbed a 4-pack of the 2022 Benthic in the merch cooler.

Half Acre Beer Company
2050 W Balmoral Ave
Chicago, IL

Closing Thoughts

It was a busy day, learning to navigate the Chicago Transit, with many miles of train rides and some pleasant walking on a beautiful spring Chicago day — the kind of day you wish for in February or August. I had some interesting conversations along the way. For example, the local women that was out walking her dog when dutiful pet pulled her into Spiteful Brewing. The puppy was somehow knew she needed a beer. I enjoyed some great food, beer and neighborhoods.

I originally planned to share my Chicago brewery experience within a single journal entry. I realized there was so much that I have broken it up to three parts. So, I have two more installments of my Chicago beer experiences. Yes, it is that kind of town.

Chicago Beer Hunting: Part 2 - Goose and Beyond

Chicago Beer Hunting: Part 3 - Giants and the Mouse