Chicago Taproom Circuits I Recommended to a London Friend

A friend coming in from London asked me to recommend a couple of taproom circuits. He hosts the UK's This Week In Craft Beer podcast (https://thisweekincraft.beer/this-week-in-craft-beer-podcasts/) so my recommendations needed to be good.

His excuse for the trip was a sales meeting which landed him at the JW Marriott on LaSalle St in the Loop. I'm re-posting my recommendations here in hopes that they'll help some other business traveler/craft beer drinkers break out of Loop on a free afternoon.

Since my friend likes to walk between taprooms, my recommended circuits are on the North Side. One of his requests was to include Maplewood, so you'll see them featured in the second circuit.

Logan Square/Palmer Circuit -- a kinda triangular circuit through 3-4 taprooms in Chicago's "Hipster Ground Zero" neighborhood with some good food options along the way.

  • Take the Blue Line toward O'Hare to the California St stop. Walk east on Adams to Monroe and then north a half-block. It's a $2.50 fare; like the Tube, you can tap on with a contactless credit card. It's way cheaper than an Uber and lets you bypass a load of traffic. Follow Google Maps walking directions; you're basically walking south on California (or one of the less-crowded neighborhood streets running parallel) down to Armitage and then west to...
  • Solemn Oath Still Life -- This is kinda cheating. This is the Chicago outpost of one of my favorite suburban breweries. They have a good range of styles. They recently started up a second label, Hidden Hand, that goes deep into hazies. When you're done, walk out the door, turn right on Armitage (going back east), cross the street at some point, and end up at
  • Middle Brow Beer -- The vibe here is a bit of a crunchy granola with Democratic Socialist/Labour Momentum sprinkles (or hundreds-and-thousands if you will), but they do some interesting wild beers fermented from yeast cultured from their garden. Good for one, maybe two beers.
  • Food -if you're getting peckish, there are some good options on Armitage on the way to the next stop.
    • Middle Brow - While you're there, their bread and pizzas are great.
    • 90 Miles Cuban Cafe - Very good Cuban food
    • Redhot Ranch - Chicago street food; I get either a polish or a burger Chicago style
    • When you're done, continue walking east to Western, turn right (south), pass Margie's Candies and find the entrance to
  • Life On Marz - Another cheat, the north side outpost of the south side Marz Brewing. It's a small place, but they do a nice selection of styles. When you're done, head left out the door and then over to the diagonal street, Milwaukee, not the north-south street (Western). The intersection is a bit tricky. Head northwest up Milwaukee to...
  • Pilot Project Brewing - This is a brewing incubator, so there's usually some interesting stuff on offer. The last time I was in, they were serving Indian-inspired beers from Azadi Brewing. Brewer's Kitchen also does good stuff. Not everything works, but I've had a surprisingly good hit rate. Take a left out the door, cross the street (watch out for the bicyclists; this is the most Amsterdam-ish street in Chicago) and head up a block to...
  • Navigator Taproom - This is a pour-your-own, priced-by-the-ounce beer bar with a good selection of Chicago (they seem to have a lot from Pipeworks) and Midwest beers. Check out their beer menu on Untappd to see if there's anything that interests you. Continue up Milwaukee to the last stop
  • Revolution Brewing Brewpub - This is the original Rev Brew joint; it opened before the brewery taproom a couple of miles north. If you're IPA'd out and the temperatures aren't in the 90's, go for their Deep Woods offerings -- the variations on their Deth's Tar imperial stout (Josh Deth owns Rev Brew) or their Straight Jacket barleywine. If it's too hot (or you're too baked for those double-digit abv's), their Hero IPA series is good; lots of variants based on different hop combos.
  • And that's it. If you want to head straight back, you're a couple of blocks from the California Blue Line L stop. Get on the Forest Park Blue Line to Monroe stop in the Loop. If you're still walking straight, you can keep walking up Milwaukee through the neighborhood. It's an interesting neighborhood. The Blue Line runs parallel to Milwaukee. The next stop is the Logan Square stop, about a 15-20 minute walk. Or you can always just call an Uber.

Maplewood-Based Circuit -- this is less concentrated/less obvious, so I'll put in a few branches so you can choose your own adventure

  • Maplewood -- Part of its charm (a little corner tavern at the end of a neighborhood street) makes it inconvenient to get there via public transportation. So to start here, it's probably best to Uber up.
  • Option - A bit of a walking circuit from Maplewood
    • Ravinia Brewing -- Very optional. Not a bad place; I've had a couple of good beers sitting out on their patio after a bike ride. I wouldn't go out of my way to go there, but it's two blocks from Maplewood
    • Metropolitan Brewing -- This is ~10 min walk north from Maplewood through a little neighborhood. It's one of the original Chicago microbreweries, though a lager specialist which I know is not exactly on point for you. However, their patio looks down on the north branch of the Chicago River. So, if it's a nice day, this is worth a stop for the view -- and maybe a crisp palate cleanser.
    • The Beer Temple -- One of our favorite beer bars. It's what in Chicago is termed a "slashie" -- a bar and a liquor store. They always have a good beer selection and they're a verified venue on Untappd, so you can check out the menu to see if it's worth the 7-min walk from Metropolitan.
    • Food
      • Kuma's Corner is about a 5-min walk west on Belmont from Beer Temple. Kuma's is a great burger place with a solid beer menu (an Untappd verified venue) and a heavy metal soundtrack.
      • Honey Butter Fried Chicken - Convenient if you're walking up to the Rev Brew Taproom
    • Revolution Brewing Taproom -- If you didn't hit their brewpub on the Logan Square circuit, the brewery taproom is a 12-15-min walk from Beer Temple or Kuma's.
  • Option - Uber up to the Ravenswood neighborhood's Malt Row
    • Begyle Brewing -- First brewery on Malt Row. Nice IPAs and a good barrel-aged imperial stout
    • Dovetail Brewing -- The guys on the Steal This Beer podcast obsess over this brewery. Cool space; German lager-and-spontaneous ferm-focused. Walk down (south) Ravenswood Ave to the Irving Park Brown Line. Take it to two stops to the Paulina exit, walk south on Paulina St one block to...
    • Bitter Pops -- Another great slashie and also an Untappd verified venue if you want to check out the tap list. Also a good place to buy a cold 4-pack to take back to your hotel room. Or cross Lincoln Ave and walk down a half block to...
    • The Green Lady -- Old-time Chicago bar vibe with a great tap list.
    • Get back on the Brown Line and head down to the Loop, to the Quincy Stop which is ~1 block from the JW Marriott
  • Option - Uber up to Half Acre Beer
    • Half Acre Beer - Another original Chicago microbrewery. Augie Carton on Steal This Beer is a big fan of their Daisy Cutter pale ale, but I like their range of IPAs.
    • Spiteful Brewing - Next door to Half Acre. Good place; wouldn't make a special trip for it, but is worth the block walk if you're at Half Acre.
    • Probably best just to Uber back down to the JW from here.

Long Lunch Pit Stop --

  • Monk's Pub - old-school Chicago bar that's 5-6 blocks north of the JW Marriott under the L tracks on Lake Street. Used to stop here often when I worked in the Loop. They're an Untappd verified venue, so you can check out the beer menu to see if it's worth the walk.