Great Central Brewing Company
221 N. Wood Street
Chicago, IL
GreatCentralBrewing.com

Wednesday 2-8 p.m.
Thursday-Friday 2-9 p.m.
Saturday Noon-9 p.m.
Sunday Noon-8 p.m.

History in short: Founded by two friends, David Avram and Conor McFerran, in 2015 in Chicago’s Fulton Market District (near the red hot West Loop and walking distance to the United Center), this massive brewing venue was named after the city’s famous Great Central Train Station. It also served as Chicago’s first craft-dedicated contract brewing facility, connecting people, product and businesses the way the train once did. 

The idea was to “build a place to brew together and drink together,” with their 32,000-square-foot space destined to be collaborative from the beginning. Not only do they brew their own beer on site, but the Great Central team also provides the adequate space, equipment and assistance to established breweries that may be expanding or in need of tank space for a seasonal recipe, or perhaps a newer brand looking for additional capacity.

Not only do they brew their own beer on site, but the Great Central team also provides the adequate space, equipment and assistance to other breweries that may be expanding or in need of more tank space.”

“This is a full 50-barrel system, so we have a lot of different projects going on simultaneously,” says taproom supervisor Matt Martin. “And from day one, we’ve always had fantastic partnerships with several breweries in the area and beyond.”

The space: If you haven’t been before, picture a cavernous, modern beer hall where you can get fresh beer from a number of different Chicagoland breweries. Long, wood communal tables, giant windows offering a ton of natural light, games (shuffleboard, board games and even occasionally a ping pong table) and more, it’s got a little something for everyone — families, dates, groups, private events or even those looking for a pint while they send a few work emails. 

Interesting notes: Great Central recently hosted two of their regulars on their wedding day, when they brought their entire bridal party in for a couple pints on the way to the reception. The staff at Great Central regularly entertains people from all over the world coming in to see the Bulls, Blackhawks and concerts at the United Center.

What we’re eating and drinking: There are 24 beers on draft at Great Central, six of which belong to them. Then typically four more are outside purchases, and the rest are beers from those who are contract brewing on site at the time, so it’s as fresh as can be, and usually a pretty diverse lineup. 

“This setup allows us to have a really good, intimate relationship with the people that walk in with beer requests because we listen to them and get a good sense of what our customers want,” Martin tells us. 

We’ve seen people visiting — either on vacation or in town for a conference — who will come in to have a beer Thursday, and then we’ll see them again on Saturday. And that says a lot about what we have going.”

As for Great Central, the focus is on traditional German styles like a standard lager, pilsner and hefeweizen, and they recently introduced a pair of IPAs, one hazy in collaboration with The Perch Kitchen and Tap called Kick Push, and one West Coast IPA. They also churn out a beautifully malty Oktoberfest and a premium dark lager seasonally. 

For food, bar snacks are available, and guests are welcome to order from any of the award-winning food options in the thriving West Loop. 

On the horizon: Get ready for hop tea with a company called Hoplark out of Colorado. Think hop water that’s brewed with chamomile tea and a bit of carbonation, available on draft and in cans. They also have established a makers market by partnering with local artists for different events.

From the brewery: “We’re very proud of our insanely high quality, and the house recipes are some of the best Chicago has to offer. We offer multiple experiences, and we’ve seen people visiting — either on vacation or maybe in town for a conference — who will come in to have a beer Thursday, and then we’ll see them again on Saturday. And that says a lot about what we have going.”

— Taproom supervisor Matt Martin