Roaring Table Brewing Co.
739 W. Route 22 in Lake Zurich
RoaringTable.com

Tuesday-Thursday 4-10 p.m.
Friday 4-11 p.m.
Saturday Noon-11 p.m.
Sunday Noon-8 p.m.

History in short: It was the summer of 2015 when the husband-and-wife team of Beth May and Lane Fearing “foolishly decided to start a brewery.” After perusing properties everywhere from West Dundee to Geneva, they honed in on the northwest suburb of Lake Zurich. 

“We didn’t want to be in a strip mall, but this space gave us everything we needed and the landlord is a great guy who helped us out a lot,” says Lane, whose first batch of beer came from a brewing kit he received for Christmas back in 2006 before he went on to work for Mickey Finn’s in Libertyville. 

The brewing began at Roaring Table in the summer of 2017 and they opened in August of that year, with a design scheme focused on, well, making people forget they were nestled in a strip mall between a Trader Joe’s and nail salon. 

“We didn’t want people staring at a Taco Bell drive-thru while enjoying our brews,” Lane says with an acknowledging chuckle, “so we set out to create an escape like a lot of the places we used to go to in the city.”

What I’m most proud of is we have proven that we can make very good examples of a wide range of styles. … We’re proud of the space and community we’ve been able to establish. We have lots of regulars, which is a very big component of what we wanted to create.” — Lane Fearing

The space: The renovation seven-plus years ago to transform a former furniture store “with a drop ceiling and crunchy carpeting” into a stylish brewery came from the vision of Beth, and fortunately for the couple, the property’s supportive landlord was on board with all of it. 

The goal? To have people walk in and feel at home. Safe to say they accomplished that mission, as the industrial look, rich detail and warm vibe are not lost on first-time visitors. Consider the unique, artist-created bar that was made from one big piece of elm. The long, communal tables? Same matching elm. 

A fireplace and small lounge lounge with leather couches in the back definitely add to the coziness factor, and a courtyard patio out front has shaded picnic tables and rows of planters to make it feel almost secluded from the nearby parking lot. 

Interesting note: Roaring Table started canning and distributing more of their beer in the winter of 2019, just before Covid hit, and that proved to be a fortuitous move that kept sales coming in while the pandemic forced them to turn — like everyone else in the brewing industry — from a taproom into just a production facility for a long, rough stretch. 

What we’re drinking: Few breweries get as much attention from fellow industry folks (aka compliments) in the pages of this magazine as Roaring Table, and their consistent, well-rounded array of options — with everything from smoked lagers to saisons, sours and imperial stouts — is a big reason. 

On a recent visit, we were delighted by the Lupo lager called Enchanted Bines, a collaboration with Hopewell Brewing that is mildly hoppy with a subtle hint of citrus. Also enjoyed were Concordance, a Czech-style dark lager that has flavors of espresso and baker’s chocolate, and American English, a pale ale on a cask pour. 

“A couple gentlemen from England come in regularly, and it always makes me happy when they have a second or third pint off the cask,” Lane tells us. “I watch them when they drink to make sure they enjoy it.”

The Irish Job gets 60 PSI of nitrogen pumped into it right before it hits the faucet, producing a wonderfully thick, custardy foam that encapsulates the entire glass — and is more than Instagram worthy.

The 4.1% dry Irish stout called The Irish Job is very much in the spirit of one of the most popular beers of all time (that’s Guinness, in case you were wondering). This smooth and delicious beer gets 60 PSI of nitrogen pumped into it right before it hits the faucet, producing a wonderfully thick, custardy foam that encapsulates the entire glass — and is more than Instagram worthy. 

“I installed the device myself and it works as advertised, which is unusual for this business,” Lane says with a laugh. “I’m very proud of this beer. … It’s night and day between a carbonated and nitrogenated stout, and it’s just creamy and delicious.”

Roaring Table is expanding to a 15-barrel, two-vessel brewhouse in a 3,000-square-foot space behind the current taproom. Also in the works is a second bar with an event space and open-kitchen concept.

On the horizon: To say Roaring Table has some game-changing plans lined up for spring and summer would be the understatement of the year. They’ll be expanding to a 15-barrel, two-vessel brewhouse in a 3,000-square-foot space behind the current taproom. Also in the works is a second bar with an event space with seating for 70, as well as an open-kitchen concept offering salads, sandwiches and flatbreads. 

“It’s been in the works for a while, and we can’t wait for the work to begin,” Lane says. “I’m going to get a real brewhouse finally. This is going to be a big, big change for us because we’re planning to double our production in the first year after the expansion and look to become more of a Chicagoland brewery destination. We’ve had to do fairly limited runs to this point, and this system will allow us to take that next step forward.”

From the brewery: “What I’m most proud of is we have proven that we can make very good examples of a wide range of styles. I think we make really good, quality beer and an extremely diverse range of beers. … We’re proud of the space and community we’ve been able to establish here. We have lots of regulars, which is a very big component of what we wanted to create.” — Co-owner and head brewer Lane Fearing