By Trent Modglin

Beer Hiking Chicago and Beyond is available for pre-sale online via Amazon, Target and more. 

Q: What was it that initially led you guys to write the book?

Jessica: Well, for us, we didn’t come to the project set out to create this book, it just sort of happened. Like a lot of people during the pandemic, we were looking for things to do outside our four walls so we would’t go crazy inside the house. That led to taking our son and exploring a different city park or forest preserve in the suburbs every weekend.

And then, trying a new brewery felt like a natural thing to do after a hike — you’re sweaty, the beer is refreshing, and most of the breweries are super kid-friendly. We did so much of it, I ended up writing an article for Chicago magazine, where I worked at the time. Helvetiq, the publishing company, later reached out to me out of the blue since they had already been publishing a series of these beer hiking books. We enjoyed talking to them and their template for the series and got excited about what we could do for a Chicago-area book.  

Sometimes a hike gets hard, you run out of water, you get tired, you get testy and push each other along, but then you enjoy that beer afterward and some foosball, and the whole day settles in. And you’re much closer as a family for having gone through that experience.

Q: Sounds like a pretty fun way to get some research in. How did you go about the planning process? 

Jessica: Oh man, so my first thought was, can we write a whole book about a bunch of flat hikes through the woods or a bunch of open prairies? But once we started thinking about all the hikes we went on, we realized there actually is a lot of diversity in the kind of hiking you can do around here. City trails with really cool views of the city, islands in the middle of lagoons to explore, river trails with so much local history. 

Dan: But a lot of that diversity started to spring when we got into the research. We naturally started by thinking of the hikes we enjoyed the most during that COVID period, and the breweries nearby, and then we built a list of breweries we loved and potential trails and parks.

As we narrowed it down, it became, well, where do I want to get a beer and is there a good hike nearby, or where’s a good hike and is there a good beer nearby? And is there a story to tell when both are combined?

Q: Give us a couple of your favorite hikes and favorite breweries that you hit.

Dan: For me, the city hikes jump out because you can learn about the history behind the location. We’re usually quick to ignore all the historical signage at a park or why that statue’s there, but taking time to understand it adds to the experience.

In particular, Palmisano Park on the South Side really stood out to me as such a fun outdoor space that has been beautifully revitalized from its days as an old quarry. There’s a reclaimed water feature, and it feels like an innovative use of park land, so pairing it with Duneyrr, which is such an innovative brewery, felt special.

Jessica: I loved Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, even though we didn’t do the trail by the buffalo preserve because we were told we would definitely not see them. Sorry to all readers, but apparently the buffalo are difficult to see! So instead we did a less-traveled trail south of the visitor’s center, and the prairie is just gorgeous. We paired it with Route 66 Old School Brewing in Wilmington, Illinois, which has great beer, all the bar sports and live music. 

It’s hard to wake our son up on a Saturday and say, “Guess what? We’re driving 45 minutes to go hike for two hours and then you get to sit at a brewery with us.”

Q: Explain the family bonding that happened with having your son along for most of the hikes?

Dan: Well, as with any tween, it took some nudging to get him moving. It’s hard to wake him up on a Saturday and say, “Guess what? We’re driving 45 minutes to go hike for two hours and then you get to sit at a brewery with us.” 

Jessica: But we always incorporated games and snacks during hikes to make it fun, like we’d pack candy and if anyone spotted wildlife, we’d celebrate with a piece. Note, chocolate doesn’t do well on a sunny hike. 

Dan: Of course, too, I think with a lot of parents, breweries are fun because there are games and usually relaxed vibes. But he also had his share of screen time at those places, so we’re not going to fool any other parents out there on that front. And you also bond by being in challenging situations. Sometimes a hike gets hard, you run out of water, you get tired, you get testy and push each other along, but then you enjoy that beer afterward and some foosball, and the whole day settles in. And you’re much closer as a family for having gone through that experience. I think people think that a family beer hike is all sunshine, beautiful flowers and an endless fountain of beer at the end. Sometimes it is that way — minus the beer fountain — but the other days are still great experiences.

Q: What surprised you the most with the whole experience? 

Dan: Again, the city hikes surprised me. They’re not grueling hikes; this is flat, Midwest territory. But there’s more to the experience than you realize. 

Jessica: One surprising thing to me about the area’s forest preserves is that most of the time the small, dirt hiking trails are not included on the county’s website or any map. Only the big, paved bike trails are there. So if you want to find an actual hiking trail, you have to show up and look for one or really do some research. That was a big part of this book — avoiding bike trails and doing some of that work for people. Some of the hikes in this book are trails that are well-maintained, but for some reason they’re just not on the map of the preserves. 

Q: Like which ones? 

Jessica: We did a hike on the inner island at Skokie Lagoons that was a bit rugged but really fun, with lots of wildlife. There are also small dirt trails in Schiller Woods South you won’t find on the Cook County website. You have to hop off the main Des Plaines River Trail and head east into the woods, and it’s really pretty back there. 

Q: Would there be anything you would do differently if you were to do a second book on Illinois or a different state?

Jessica: Mapping the hikes is very hard. I’d definitely refine that system (laughs).

Dan: I’d love to bring my dog on the hikes and have a dog-friendly beer and hike edition, highlighting dog-friendly hikes and breweries.

I loved Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. … We did a less-traveled trail south of the visitor’s center, and it is just gorgeous. We paired it with Route 66 Old School Brewing in Wilmington, which has great beer, all the bar sports and live music.

Q: When you finished writing the book, what beer did you drink to celebrate?

Dan: Oh wow, good question, I think I honestly had a Cake Crusher from Black Horizon Brewing because I had been working on that chapter toward the end. I might’ve also chosen to celebrate with ice cream, because I’m always searching for an excuse there too.

Jessica: I believe I had a Pixel Density from Phase Three, but if I didn’t, it was definitely an IPA of some kind.

Q: Finish this sentence: Hiking and breweries go together like…

Dan: Ticks and dog fur. 

Jessica: Snakes and me screaming.

Dan: Honestly, it’s corny, but you can say peanut butter and jelly. It feels like a natural pairing. It’s all about camaraderie and getting out with people. 

Jessica: You were supposed to just finish the sentence (laughs). Now I know what the book editor went through.