The Great American Ale Trail - Christian DeBenedetti [97]
KEY BEER
Widely imitated, the first Bourbon County Stout was born after Hall met legendary Jim Beam distiller Booker Noe, who gave him some used bourbon barrels. Hall hoped to make a memorable beer for the Clyburn location’s one thousandth batch; aged for a hundred days in the aromatic wood, the beer emerged opaque as coal, with a thick head of beige foam and mouthfuls of viscous, oak-tinged vanilla, dark chocolate, caramel, and smoke flavors (13% ABV).
BEST of the REST: ILLINOIS
DELILAH’S
2771 N. Lincoln Ave. • Chicago, IL 60614 • (773) 472-2771 • delilahschicago.com
The black, Old West exterior resembles a saloon a gunslinger might have preferred, but inside it’s pure rock and roll. Dimly lit with an amber glow with punk, rock, ska, and alt-country blasting from a lovingly-stocked jukebox (plus pool tables upstairs), this bar (est. 1994) offers a refreshing break from the sometimes too-precious vibe of new-school beer bars. Owner Mike Miller proudly rotates a selection of 20 taps and 150 bottled crafts and imports, like Daisy Cutter Pale Ale (5.2% ABV), an American pale ale from Chicago’s own Half Acre Brewing Company.
HALF ACRE BREWING CO.
4257 N. Lincoln Ave. • Chicago, IL 60618 • (773) 248-4038 • halfacrebeer.com
A group of bike-and-beer-loving friends living in Bucktown (home of the Map Room) started Half Acre as a contract brewing arrangement in 2006. Within two years, the crew was ready to move into a big converted brick warehouse and were soon brewing an impressive arsenal of beers, including the peachy, pungent, and eminently drinkable Daisy Cutter Pale Ale (5.2% ABV). Along the way the brewery has propelled the Half Acre’s competitive cycling team to new heights. The beers are finding wider distribution in the area every day. Brewery tours are offered on Saturdays at 1 p.m. by reservation only, with a maximum of sixty adults per day.
HOPLEAF
5148 N. Clark St. • Chicago, IL 60640 • (773) 334-9851 • hopleaf.com
With warm weathered wood throughout, Hopleaf (opened in 1992) is broken up into three areas—a front bar, dining area, and loft-like seating area upstairs, offering 41 taps and 260 bottled selections. The beer selection is heavily influenced by Belgian styles, as is the menu: standout dishes include the mussels, frites, rabbit with dumplings, duck meatballs, and cod croquettes. Look for Lost Abbey beers (from California), such as the cloudy gold Carnevale on draft, a 6.5% ABV saison beer with hints of orange peel and a delicate floral aroma from ample Amarillo and Simcoe hops.
METROPOLITAN BREWING CO.
5121 N. Ravenswood Ave. • Chicago, IL 60640 • No phone number • metrobrewing.com
Out in the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor another upstart brewery is making waves in the Chicago beer market. Next door is Chicago’s first microdistillery, Koval, which is both certified organic and kosher, making spirits with rose hip, ginger, pear, oat, spelt, wheat, rye, and even one of Metropolitan’s beers. Metro (as it’s sometimes called) is not a pub, and tours are by appointment only from the website, but for die-hard fans these are mere speed bumps on the road to trying some of head brewer Doug Hurst’s genre-bending beers at the source. For example: Dynamo Copper Lager is a reddish and slightly nutty Vienna-style with clean, subtle hop character (5.8% ABV).
REVOLUTION BREWING CO.
2323 N. Milwaukee Ave. • Chicago, IL 60647-2924 • (773) 227-2739 • revbrew.com
Opened in 2010 with a vaguely Bolshevik attitude, this Logan Square brewpub roared into high gear under the leadership of former Goose Islander Josh Deth. With tin ceilings, contemporary-classic dark wood bar island, defiant fist tap handles, and locally sourced pub grub, it’s cool enough for the young folk