By Daniel Booth

Sundial Brewing
200 Applebee Street, Suite E in Barrington

Wednesday-Friday: 4-10 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
SundialBrewingAndBlending.com

History in short

Sundial Brewing is helmed by front-of-house manager Michael DeMalpartida, along with the husband-and-wife duo Ian and Diana Carlini-Swanson, operating respectively as head brewer and public relations chief. The three have been friends since their school days, and all three are veterans of the brewing and hospitality industries.

Sometime around 2011, Mike and Ian began brewing together. They would share those early offerings with industry colleagues, and it quickly became apparent they were onto something special. But it was a 2022 visit to Brussels’ 3 Fontienen that sparked Sundial’s real genesis. 

“Seeing the culture around beer, not only at 3F but all around Brussels, drove us to embrace a more local approach, to view beer as a product of agriculture that should create a circular economy amongst local farmers, breweries and consumers, and not to fear trying to make something more characteristic of ourselves,” says Ian. 

The space

Sundial resides in the old historic Ice House Mall in Barrington. Out front, they offer a cozy patio set against the building’s homey-looking brick façade. A web of string lights hung from several tall fenceposts lends an inviting backyard vibe for patrons enjoying an evening pint. 

Inside, the overall impression is one of minimalistic charm. The walls sport a few black-framed, monochromatic posters and little else. The space is less a high-toned destination than a hearthsome hideaway, throwing back to the bygone days of the village tavern and absolutely in keeping with Sundial’s emphasis on old-world tradition.

When asked which pour encapsulates Sundial in a glass, Mike pushes a sample of First Fruits toward me. It’s a clear, delicately pink barrel-aged saison, refermented with Michigan strawberries. And it is delightful.

What we’re drinking

When asked which pour encapsulates Sundial in a glass, Mike pushes a sample of First Fruits toward me. It’s a clear, delicately pink barrel-aged saison, refermented with Michigan strawberries. And it is delightful. I tell him so and he nods. “We approach brewing like we’re building a cocktail,” he says. “Everything’s got to be balanced.”

Floraison, a saison incorporating locally-picked dandelion flowers and Illinois wildflower honey, stands as further proof of this commitment to balance. It’s tart, but not overly so, with an enticing nose and a finish somewhat reminiscent of a dry white wine. And then, as if to drive their point home, Sundial offers a grätzer that is light-bodied with a perfectly executed smoke-to-hops ratio. 

Also on draft is a grisette that’s been refermented with oolong and lemon peel. This deliciously crisp style was first brewed in northeastern France, where it was served primarily to miners, and Sundial bears the name Greystone as an homage to the hardworking men who first drank it.

For the more traditional light beer drinker, Sundial offers two pilsners — a plain and a dry-hopped version, as well as a kellerbier, both of which are tight, sessionable quenchers. And if none of the above strikes your fancy, try Le Petit Bonnet. Listed on the menu as a “hoppy farmhouse blonde ale,” it’s potentially their best pour on draft. 

Activities galore

As Sundial’s events and marketing honcho, Diana keeps things around the brewery hopping. In addition to the impressive roster of food trucks she books (with Peruvian, South African and German fare on the docket, just to name a few), she also spearheads events like classes on flower arranging and cheese and charcuterie making. Diana’s approach is lovingly community-centric.  

“I love creating fests and events for our community to enjoy,” she says. “I always get thanked for giving the town something to do and somewhere fun to go, and I am so happy to do it.”

Diana keeps things around the brewery hopping. In addition to the impressive roster of food trucks, she also spearheads events like classes on flower arranging and cheese and charcuterie making.

On the horizon

As a brand, Sundial is just two years old, having celebrated their one-year brick-and-mortar anniversary this past summer. When asked what’s on the horizon, the guys keep it a little close to the vest. They give me two tantalizing words: spontaneous fermentation. Ian says they started filling barrels of spontaneously fermented beer back in autumn of ’23, but that nothing will be ready to serve until spring next year, at the earliest.

From the brewery

“Our first year as a brick and mortar was great, and we’re extremely grateful for the support we’ve gotten from the beer community as well as our local community. … We don’t want to chase what everybody else is doing. We want to make the trend.”

— Co-owners Mike DeMalpartida and Ian Swanson