Jessica Sedgwick
Co-author of the new book Beer Hiking Chicago and Beyond

Favorite breweries: It’s hard to pick just a few! My favorite brewery in the city limits of Chicago has to be Half Acre Beer Co. They offer a cornucopia of IPAs, my personal favorite, with new experimentations every month it seems. I love when I can return to a brewery every few months and always find something new. Plus you can’t beat their cheeseburger and spacious patio!

If I’m near Peoria, I try to stop by Industry Brewing Co. They have an incredibly well-rounded beer roster, with something delicious for everyone. The huge outdoor space has fire pits, and they offer s’mores packages. How fun is that? They also have axe-throwing (no thanks, I’m good).

And finally, my favorite brewery that I’ve never actually been to is Scratch Brewing Company in Ava, Illinois. This is a bucket list brewery stop for me, but I always order a Scratch beer whenever I see one on the menu at Hopleaf in Chicago (which is pretty much always, since the owner, Michael, makes frequent trips to southern Illinois just to snatch up Scratch beer). They forage the area for beer ingredients like fig leaves and clover, and offer super unique flavor profiles. Delicious!

Half Acre Beer Co.

Drinking tendencies: My favorites are IPAs, especially hazy IPAs. I know I know, that’s super basic. But my other favorite styles are wild ales and spontaneously fermented beers like lambics. On a hot summer day, I love ordering a nice kolsch too.

Recent beers that have caught your eye: I absolutely love the Session Ale from Moor’s Brewing Co. I need a lower ABV these days. At 5.4%, this beer gives me that but packs the flavor punch of an IPA, all while still being light and refreshing with just a subtle hint of citrus. They don’t have a brick and mortar location, but you can find it in Chicago liquor stores and grocery stores.

Favorite beer bar: Has to be Hopleaf! It’s such a special place and takes its beer program so seriously. When I first moved to the city in 2000, I ended up living right next to it in Andersonville. I remember drinking my first lambic there (they have a separate lambic section of the menu) and being blown away. If you can get a table in the original room by the window and order yourself the charcuterie board along with a beer, now that’s a great Chicago night!

What are you looking forward to seeing on draft this summer? 
I’d love to stop by Macushla Brewing Co. in Glenview and get their Holla-Peño IPA on draft. I’d also love to make it down to Marz Brewing in Bridgeport and see what they’ve been up to lately.

Gene’s Sausage Shop

Secret beer spot: The beer case at Gene’s Sausage Shop & Deli in Chicago’s Lincoln Square is pretty special because you’ll find local beers there you might not find in bigger liquor stores. After you’re done shopping, you can head up to their summer rooftop bar for some beer and sausages and a great view of the Lincoln Avenue corridor.

Best brewery you’ve hit on vacation: If I can only pick one, I’ll say TALEA Beer Co. in Brooklyn. This is a female-owned brewery in a very cool space, and they offer some funky, experimental beers that were awfully tasty. It is the most beautiful taproom I’ve ever seen and has a slightly more elegant feel, which is a nice change of pace from the usual taproom. And it doesn’t feel stuffy at all.

You can buy the new book Jessica and her husband, Dan Ochwat, wrote called Beer Hiking Chicago and Beyond here. 

TALEA Beer Co. in Brooklyn, NY