Mickey Finn’s in Libertyville is part of the Lake County Flavor Festival

Lake County February Flavor Festival

You’re not going to want to miss the second installment of this massive festival that offers plenty of opportunities to sample some of the state’s best food, craft beer and cocktails. Visit Lake County combines their renowned Lake County Restaurant Week and Libation Trail initiatives into one taste-tempting event: The February Flavor Festival.

This month-long foodie frenzy is a multi-platform campaign highlighting Lake County restaurants, breweries (Mickey Finn’s, Tighthead, Roaring Table, Phase Three, Black Lung, Half Day, etc.), distilleries and wineries with exclusive dining offers, food and drink pairings, chef demonstrations, inspiring libation concoctions, live entertainment and other fun promotions.

Check in at VisitLakeCounty.org for updated information on the dozens of participating establishments and special events running throughout the festival. 

Rosemont’s Crust Brewing expanding to Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago

Crust Brewing, which has been quite a hit in Rosemont’s Parkway Bank Park entertainment district since taking over the former Hofbrauhaus space three years ago, will be adding a second venue with an expansion to the Old Irving Park neighborhood on Chicago’s northwest side this March.  

The new location, while significantly smaller than the 14,000-square-foot brewery and restaurant in Rosemont, will have a food menu similar to the original (mmm… pizza) and actually be able to serve a wider selection of their beer thanks to a larger draft-line system.  

Follow Crust Brewing on social media for updates on the second location. CrustBrewing.com

Westmont Winter Beer Festival Feb. 15

Make plans for one of the highlights of the winter craft-beer scene in Chicagoland. The 2025 Westmont Winter Beer Festival will again be held in Ty Warner Park in west suburban Westmont, featuring dozens of craft breweries from the Chicagoland area (and even a few from out of state) on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 2-6 p.m.

Participants will receive 20 four-ounce pours, and the event will have heated tents plus bonfires, outdoor seating and food trucks. Tickets are $50 for general admission, $65 VIP and $70 at the door. For more information, visit WestmontParks.org/BeerFest

Blind Pig Brewing is set to re-open a brewpub in downtown Champaign

Blind Pig Brewing signed a lease for 301. N. Neil Street in downtown Champaign, the former location of Destihl Brewing, in late fall with plans to open The Blind Pig Brewpub in early 2025. 

Chris Knight, who opened The Blind Pig back in 1990, sold his brewery business to Matt Monahan, and the two Blind Pig bars (which have since been renamed) to another proprietor, before retiring in April. Monahan will be running the new brewpub — which is located near Champaign’s new downtown plaza and area hotels — and the brewery’s nearby production facility. 

Suncatcher Brewing

Industry veterans open Suncatcher Brewing in Chicago

After three years of planning and building renovations, friends and business partners Rog and Sally McGuin and Matt and Laura Gallagher opened Suncatcher Brewing in the city’s Humboldt Park neighborhood in November. The cozy, welcoming taproom is located in a former service station near the Grand & Chicago Avenue intersection. 

Matt Gallagher is the co-owner of Chicago’s Half Acre Brewing Company and Rog McGuin previously spent a decade in sales and hospitality for Half Acre.

The focus of the new side project for these industry veterans, besides utilizing local ingredients, is producing moderate-to-low alcohol beers that boast plenty of character and flavor. 

And the beer will be coming straight from the tanks in the back to insure as fresh a delivery to your pint glass as possible. Distribution is not in the plans. Instead, it’s all about enjoying their British-influenced beers on site at this neighborhood pub brewery.

Suncatcher Brewing is located at 2849 W. Chicago Avenue in Chicago’s Humboldt Park. SuncatcherBrewing.com

Middle Brow adding Michigan location

Middle Brow, the popular brewery and restaurant in Chicago’s super trendy Logan Square neighborhood, earned itself a 2024 James Beard Award as a semifinalist in the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category. Now, it’s finalizing plans to open a second location in Sawyer, Michigan this summer.

Middle Brow’s as of now unnamed project in Sawyer, a popular tourist destination along Lake Michigan, is expected to have a large outdoor area and utilize fresh local ingredients, much like the company’s Chicago brewpub (called Bungalow by Middlebrow) does for its baked goods, Neapolitan pizzas, natural wines and wild beers.

Bungalow by Middle Brow is located at 2840 W. Armitage in Chicago. MiddleBrowBeer.com

Ravinia changes name to Steep Ravine Brewing Company, closes Logan Square taproom

As the result of a recent settlement following a lengthy trademark dispute with Ravinia Festival, the outdoor concert venue in north suburban Highland Park, the former Ravinia Brewing Company closed its taproom in Chicago’s Logan Square in mid-December and changed its name to Steep Ravine Brewing Company under a rebrand. 

Steep Ravine is both an homage to Highland Park’s trademark landscape and the name of brewery’s flagship beer. The company will still use the Chicago space to brew beer, according to a press release, and continues to operate its taproom in Highland Park. SteepRavineBrewingCompany.com