By Trent Modglin

Revolution Brewpub & Kitchen
2323 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago
773-227-2739
RevBrew.com

The details: Opened in 2010, the brewpub of the state’s largest independent beer maker (the Revolution brewery is about 1.5 miles away at 3340 N. Kedzie) is a stylish venue with lots of natural wood, cool hanging lights and a large island bar in the middle of room. Visitors can enjoy some excellent one-off brews that are only available at Revolution’s facilities. And some fantastic food as well. More on that later. Things can get quite busy here in the evenings, especially on weekends, so reservations are recommended.

What caught our eye: Head upstairs to check out the second-floor Brewers’ Lounge, where Revolution can accommodate larger groups of 25-130 for private events. Keep an eye on future comedy nights starting this spring, including Jackbox sponsorships.

The brewpub underwent a significant renovation in February of this year, switching out a lot of the old seating and tables and adding a large, current beer menu to the wall.

“We were looking for a nice little refresh to modernize things a bit,” says James Nelson, a member of Revolution’s marketing team. “We overhauled the menu quite a bit too, and made the wild, game-changing decision to go back to an actual paper menu,” he adds with a laugh.

Food and beer: Revolution’s beer speaks for itself, but not to be overlooked is their mouthwatering grub. Refusing to start things off with some of their famous bacon-fat popcorn — which has thankfully made its return — or the applewood smoked wings or beer-steamed PEI mussels would be sacrilegious. Their smash burger, baked mac and cheese, bone-in pork chop, brisket tacos and hangar steak are perennial favorites, but you simply can’t go wrong whichever direction you choose.

“With the revamp, we focused on adding a few upscale items while keeping a lot of the casual selections as well,” Nelson says, adding that Revolution has expanded on a few vegetarian options too, including a portobello melt that’s gotten very popular.

All along, Revolution has been a mainstay in the transition of this neighborhood, and we wanted to double down on being a big part of the community that this has become.

As for the brews, the brewpub regularly offers around 20 options on draft. Cold Time is an easy-drinking lager that’s garnering a lot of attention among industry folks and beer enthusiasts. It’s already up to Revolution’s fourth biggest brand in a short amount of time. One of our seasonal favorites, Sun Crusher, an American pale wheat ale, can’t make its way to the shelves fast enough each spring.The Hazy Pitch is a solid hazy pale ale, and few produce barrel-aged stouts better than the talented crew at Revolution.

Revolution has dedicated a lot of time to the cocktail menu as well, and now offers eight non-alcoholic options (including their Super Zero sparkling hop water).

From the brewery: “Investing in a brewpub was a big thing for us, and we like to think we helped build Logan Square into what it is today. All along, Revolution has been a mainstay in the transition of this neighborhood, and we wanted to double down on being a big part of the community that this has become. We’re distributing to 14 states now and the scope is getting bigger, but we’ve never lost sight of the fact our own backyard is the most important focus. It’s a big trait of who we are — Chicago owned and Chicago brewed.”

— James Nelson, marketing associate at Revolution

Hopewell Brewing
2760 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago
HopewellBrewing.com

The details: Opened eight years ago, Hopewell is the brainchild of Samantha Lee, Stephen Bossu and Jonathan Fritz. The trio met at the University of Illinois, and Lee and Bossu would eventually marry and move to New York, but opening a brewery was always at the front their collective minds and they continued to work on a business plan while immersed in other careers (Lee in nonprofit advocacy work, Bossu at Brooklyn Brewery and Fritz in sales). Once Fritz found them a home on the north end of Logan Square, Lee and Bossu returned to Chicago to launch the business. 

What caught our eye: The clean, modern look of the taproom for sure. “When we opened and were in the design phase, we thought a lot about making it a warm, inviting and welcoming space for people who might be new to craft beer or coming with their families,” Lee tells us.

A large bar and mix of communal and smaller tables make this ideal for everything from groups looking to catch up to couples cozying up over a pint. A divider with board games and plants separates the taproom to some extent, opening the door for a semi-private party one one side. 

Patrons tend to enjoy the loads of natural light flowing in during the day (the windows are popped open during the summer), but the lights dim and candles come out at night for a different ambiance. 

The beer: On our recent visit this spring, we couldn’t get enough of Enchanted Bines, Hopewell’s much-talked about collaboration with Roaring Table. It’s a lupo lager that has many of the characteristics of an IPA, with a little more fruit expression via the fermentation, but carries the clean and crisp finish of a lager. Seriously hoping they do this again. 

Lightbeam is a tasty hazy IPA that carries hints of ripe mango, papaya and apricot. One of our favorites is their Tankbeer, which is an unfiltered, naturally carbonated lager that’s inspired by the rich traditions of Czech Republic bar culture, and Ride or Die is a perfect pale ale for summer with its soft malt base, slight bitterness and flavors of grapefruit and pine.

And if you’re looking for a warm-weather treat for the backyard BBQ or golf outing, grab yourself an Italian Ice, their refreshing citrus lager with a kiss of lemon.

We strive for consistency to have a great portfolio at Hopewell. I’m really proud of the fact that we have intention behind everything we’re putting out… beer, room layout, even the music we’re playing.

From the brewery: “We strive for consistency to have a great portfolio. I’m really proud of the fact that we have intention behind everything we’re putting out… beer, room layout, even the music we’re playing. We put a lot of thought — to the point of being nitpicky — into everything because it’s important how people experience your space and your business. Craft beer is not the cheapest thing you can be drinking, so we want to make sure it’s worth it and we’re providing a great service. The knowledgeable service, the glassware, the cleanliness should all match the beer.” 

— Co-owner Samantha Lee 

Pilot Project

2140 N Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago
PilotProjectBrewing.com

The details: The best, most accurate way to describe Pilot Project’s business model, according to co-founder Dan Abel, is as “a recording studio and independent record label for brewers.” And Abel should know, considering he picked up and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career when he was younger. 

Fast forward several years, when Abel had just moved back to Chicago from New York and he and his wife had their first child. Things were different, and lifestyles had changed. 

“I couldn’t play guitar inside the house anymore, so I started home brewing,” he says with a laugh. “And in the process, I learned that beer really is an art, much like music.”

Brewing beer was fine, but Abel and his parter, Jordan Radke, had bigger plans and set out to create a brewing incubator, the first of its kind in the area. Perhaps a better definition is a “portfolio company,” like on TV’s Shark Tank, that creates a seamless go-to-market plan for brands that may not have the opportunity otherwise. Serious applicants only. 

“We enjoy nurturing these breweries and companies, giving them directional data and using our influence and connections and the road we’ve already paved to help them along,” Abel says. “When brands outgrow us, we refer to it as graduating. Eventually, they don’t need us, and that’s by design.”

One example is Luna Bay Kombucha, found in close to 30 states now, and soon enough, Donna’s Pickle Beer, which started off in a 10-barrel system at Pilot Project, which grew to 20, then 40 and now resides in a 240-barrel tank every month in their second facility in Milwaukee. 

“As an incubator, we let you do all the things you want to and all the things you’re good at, and then once everyone feels good about it — us and them — it’s ‘Let’s go!’ ” adds Abel “And then it becomes an accelerator.”

“We enjoy nurturing these breweries and companies, giving them directional data and using our influence and connections. … And when brands outgrow us, we refer to it as graduating. Eventually, they don’t need us, and that’s by design.”

What caught our eye: Combine a modern beer hall with a comfortable Chicago coffee shop. A blend of couches, tall-top tables and barrels to rest your pint, plus some foliage and plenty of large windows overlooking Milwaukee Avenue. 

“It’s amazing how many first dates we get because of the ambiance,” Abel says. “The design was very much about how can we make it feel like your living room, be minimalistic in style, and let our products shine.”

A big draw when the weather is nice is the spacious, dog-friendly patio. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to the elevated train rumbling nearby every 7-10 minutes or so. Sometimes, it’s a cause for everyone outside to toast their beers. “You can pretend to be annoyed by it, but it’s kind of a beautiful moment too,” Abel admits. “It’s total Chicago.” 

Food and beer: Remember, we’re talking incubator, so what’s fun is you have lots of options from several different and talented breweries while they’re on the rise. 

Cuffin’ Season from Funkytown Brewery, which happens to be the second black-owned brewery in Chicago, is a solid red ale that boasts a hint of caramel, light roast, tart fruit and dark chocolate. A few options we liked from Brewer’s Kitchen were Les Bon Temps (a traditional bock), a melon-based herbal tea IPA called Mañana de Mallorca, the Nine: One imperial hazy IPA and Stone Patterns, a dark Czech lager touting notes of bitter, dark chocolate, toasted walnuts and sharp pine resin. Doosra is a basmati rice pilsner from Azadi Brewing that is extremely drinkable and filled with plenty of character.

For food, Pilot Project’s menu has seven sandwiches (everything from mortadella to meatball and a gyro) and a trio of shareables like a charcuterie board, Bavarian pretzel and house chips and dip. 

From the brewery: “We strive to give people from all walks of life the ability to create. A lot of people feel like we’re an engine for diversity by the fact that, when you lower the barriers of entry in any industry, you get an accurate reflection of what the world really looks like.” 

— Co-founder Dan Abel

Bungalow by Middle Brow Beer Co.
2840 W. Armitage Ave. in Chicago
MiddleBrowBeer.com

The details: Co-owner Pete Ternes started an organizational email back in 2010, when he was living as a lawyer in New York but always keeping one foot in Chicago. “I was thinking about getting back into craft beer again, and one of my best friends from first grade (Bryan Grohnke), who was an avid home brewer, reached out to me about starting a brewery that donates water in Africa for every beer that’s sold. 

Realizing then, that beer could in fact be a career, and one where they could focus on charitable and social justice organizations in Chicago that were important to do them, Ternes and Grohnke, along with Nick Burica and Ternes’ wife, Polly Nevins, took the plunge in 2011.

“At the time when we started brewing our Belgian, yeast-driven beers, there were probably 10 breweries in the city, maybe less, and we were donating half our profits to charity,” Ternes tells us. “But it ended up being about 100 percent early on, and then we watched all these other breweries open up.”

After contract brewing at six different spots over the first six years, and then another year and a half searching for property, they jumped at the chance to sign a lease in Logan Square in 2017 and, following a year-and-a-half buildout, officially opened Bungalow in January of 2019. 

I lived in both New York and San Francisco before returning to Chicago, and we actually have people come in from New York and California who tell us that this is what they’ve been missing. … That’s a pretty cool feeling.

What caught our eye: Besides the creative pizzas being served up, the bright and lively Bungalow by Middle Brow has almost a Brooklyn feel to it (in a good way). The patio out front, with seating for 100, is one seriously sought-after destination during the summer months. 

“I live in Logan Square, and we make it over to Middle Brow quite a bit,” Hopewell Brewing co-owner Samatha Lee tells us. “The folks are really friendly, they have great food and are the very definition of a neighborhood spot. So unpretentious and welcoming, but doing it with a high level of quality all along the way.  They’re true to their vision in how they operate and how they built their menu.”

Food, beer and wine: Middle Brow typically has anywhere between 4-10 beers on draft, along with 5-6 of their own wines. They’re excited about the “pretty crazy” yeast strains currently in their foeders, and they recently have expanded efforts toward producing their own natural wines — 18 small-batch varieties in the last year alone. Nearly every ingredient for food, beer and wine is locally sourced from the Midwest.

Check out the foeder-aged wild saison — called Then It’s — that’s fermented with Michigan grapes or the barrel-aged Mozart, a complex Vienna lager. Creative Neopolitan-style pizzas rule the menu. Our recommendation is the lamb merguez pizza with lamb, feta, goat tomme, marinated pepper and red honey. Plenty of bread plate combinations and a popular brunch as well. 

From the brewery: “I lived in both New York and San Francisco before returning to Chicago, and we actually have people come in from New York and California who tell us that this is what they’ve been missing. … That’s a pretty cool feeling. If our place helps take you out of your day-to-day as a little bit of an escape, that’s the point. That’s what beer and food are, right? Especially this kind of beer and food.”

— Co-owner Pete Ternes

Solemn Oath’s Still Life
2919 W. Armitage Ave. in Chicago
SolemnOathStillLife.com

The details: Solemn Oath Brewery, the creation of John Barley — who, unlike nearly everyone else in the industry, did not start out as a home brewer — rolled out its first beers in 2012 and has seen plenty of expansion since, including this taproom in 2021 after about a year and a half of planning. The main brewery is located in west suburban Naperville, where the vast majority of the brewing takes place, leaving fun small-batch recipes, including some impressive barrel-aged options, to be made in Chicago. 

Considering the founder hails from Wisconsin, it’s no surprise the Still Life taproom gives off a type of Northwoods pub kind of vibe with dark wood and a pool table. Perhaps a bit European beer hall too.

What caught our eye: The subtle simplicity of the interior. Considering Barley hails from Wisconsin, it’s no surprise the Still Life taproom gives off a type of Northwoods pub kind of vibe with dark wood and a pool table. Perhaps a bit European beer hall, too, with its communal tables, and the large windows let in a lot of natural light. If you’re a fan of the popular cocktail bar Estero in the city, they share the same designer. Looking for a little privacy? Check the comfy booths toward the back. 

Solemn Oath’s retail room has a huge beer fridge filled with to-go cans and merchandise, and events and fundraisers are regular occurrences. So our dogs. Feel free to bring your pooch. 

Food and beer: Blown away. Quite honestly, that’s how we often feel when sampling the draft list at Still Life, especially when it comes to the hazy IPAs and barrel-aged stouts. 

The staples of Solemn Oath’s menu are Snaggletooth Bandana, an IPA with hints of grapefruit, mango and pine, and the clean and refreshing Lu kolsch, which we’ve found pairs famously with a backyard BBQ. 

On a recent visit, we enjoyed the Saguro, a citrusy hazy IPA with a kiss of prickly pear and rockmelon, and Man vs. Internet, a Belgian-style imperial red ale with some caramel and oat sweetness combined with citrus spice. And just because it’s summer, don’t ignore their strong barrel-aging program. On right now is Enchanted Cup, a beautifully blended and delicious bourbon barrel-aged stout.

While Solemn Oath doesn’t serve food, you’ll find no shortage of quality restaurants to order from in the neighborhood (um, Parsons Chicken & Fish, anyone?). 

From the patrons: “This was a great addition to Logan Square a few years ago and is ideal for hanging with friends on a Saturday afternoon or for post-dinner beers. The ambiance is so chill, which we loved, and everything is spaced out so perfectly that it doesn’t feel overcrowded even when there are a lot of people inside. The way they cycle new beers in constantly is great too.”

— Brian Sesterhenn

Additional craft beer-centric venues in the area…

Logan Arcade
2410 W. Fullerton Ave. in Chicago
LoganArcade.com

This hip hangout features a ton of classic arcade games along with pinball machines and cranked-up music to go with regular activities like fundraisers, Movie Mondays, DJs, pinball tournaments, magic shows, etc. And we can’t overlook the craft beer selection with local favorites from the likes of Half Acre, Alarmist, Dovetail, Spiteful, Hopewell, Mikerphone, Revolution and Maplewood, plus plenty of other Midwest and national favorites such as Surly, 3 Floyds, Elysian and Bell’s. Check out their weekday happy hour from 6-8 p.m., where you can get $2 off select drafts or the Sunday special of $2 off all craft cans.

Navigator Taproom
2211 N.. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago
NavigatorTaproom.com

This modern serve-yourself taproom offers up an assortment of dozens of different craft beers, ciders, hard seltzers, wines and cocktails. With the pay-by-the-ounce approach, it’s ideal for sampling a variety of beers without committing to an $8 pint, and they regularly change out their beer options, which translates into a different experience with every visit. Great for private parties as well.