District Brew Yards adds suburban Wheeling location

Already a hit in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, District Brew Yards opened its highly-anticipated second location late last fall in the former Ram Restaurant & Brewery location in north suburban Wheeling.

We had the pleasure of attending the grand opening (with a few additional follow-up visits), and could not have been more impressed with the space, which offers 12,000 square feet of production and serve-your-own taproom space, a beer-to-go retail area at the entrance, and a gorgeous exterior deck with fire pits. 

One significant difference with the Wheeling location is that it is more of a food hall-meets-beer hall setup, as several new food concepts have been developed in the same space under the guidance of chef/restauranteur Charlie McKenna (of Lillie’s Q fame).

Two things that haven’t changed: 1.) Getting to sample a total of 50 beers from five different breweries and 2.) Getting charged by the ounce for what you pour from wall-mounted taps, making it easier to make your rounds and find what you like.

The new District Brew Yards is located at 700 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling (with the original location at 417 N. Ashland in Chicago). DistrictBrewYards.com

Alter Brewing’s new Oak Brook location
1170 W. 22nd Street in Oak Brook
AlterBrewing.com

This highly accessible location in Oak Brook Commons, which opened in December, is Alter’s third brewery-and-kitchen concept and offers a modern design-meets-brewery-chic layout and great views of the solera system (wooden beer-aging vessels that house Alter’s souring program for all three venues). Plenty of quality food, beer and spirit options, as well as a fabulous patio.  

“We recognized the opportunity that these caliber of locations don’t come around very often,” Alter president and partner Ken Henricks tells us. “Bringing our beers, food and hospitality to the near west suburbs was a pivotal moment in Alter’s arc, and this was one of the most unique, detailed and interesting interior designs I’ve ever been a part of.”

New riverfront event space for Burning Bush in Chicago

Burning Bush Brewery announced it will be opening its River Room, a new 5,500-square-foot event space behind the brewery along the north branch of the Chicago River, in the spring of 2023. River Room will be a multipurpose, fully customizable event space specializing in weddings, private parties, live music, art exhibits, conferences and fundraisers.

The 1,200-square-foot outdoor deck with views of the river and Horner Park figures to be a popular spot in nice weather. Burning Bush Brewery is located at 4018 N. Rockwell on Chicago’s north side. For details, visit RiverRoomChicago.com

Hop Butcher for the World opens first taproom in Half Acre’s old Chicago space

In a move that had its share of anticipation surrounding it, Hop Butcher for the World, known for their stellar IPAs and fresh-to-retail distribution, opened their first taproom in November, taking over the former Half Acre facility in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on Chicago’s north side.

The 13,000-square-foot building includes a taproom, retail storefront with beer-to-go and merchandise, and a production facility that will allow the brewing team to experiment with smaller batches and new beers while the company’s Bedford Park facility handles the larger-scale projects.

4257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. HopButcher.com

Stay tuned to IllinoisBrewing.com for information on additional Illinois brewery openings and expansions.