By Trent Modglin, Publisher

Double Clutch Brewery
2121 Ashland Avenue in Evanston
DoubleClutchBrewing.com

What makes it unique: Double Clutch head brewer Scott Frank and Mike Chookaszian, a partner in Vandalay Brands (the company that owns Double Clutch), have long been neighbors and friends, not to mention car guys. So when you add in Scott’s skills as a brewer and Chookaszian’s access to his father’s vintage car collection, it seemed like a logical match to bring it all together for one of the most unique brewery taprooms in the state. 

Double Clutch, tucked away in a quaint neighborhood in Evanston, has three distinctly different rooms — the main bar, the music venue and car showroom, where a full-time mechanic rotates in up to 10 cars every month from the Chookaszian family collection of more than 100. We’re talking McClarens, a 1955 Ford Fairlane, 1956 Aston Martin, 1921 Ford Model T, 1913 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost and a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC, just to name a few. Vintage neon signs and gas tanks too. 

There’s a big focus on the experience itself at Double Clutch. If people come in for the cars, they’re surprised by the how great our food and beer are. If they come in for the beer, they’re surprised by how cool the cars and how diverse our food menu is.” — Kate Ahern

“Having a full service restaurant, brewery and all these fabulous cars on display on site, there really is something for everyone,” says Kate Ahern, marketing director at Vandalay Brands. “There’s a big focus on the experience itself. If people come in for the cars, they’re surprised by the how great our food and beer are. If they come in for the beer, they’re surprised by how cool the cars and how diverse our food menu is.”

What we’re drinking: The German-influenced beer list is a good one. The World Beer Cup-winning Altbier is so difficult to turn down, so we usually don’t. And grab yourself a pint of the Smooth Alternator doppelbock, a full-bodied lager that honors the traditional “double strong” beers of Bavaria.

Adams Street Brewing at The Berghoff
17 W. Adams Street in Chicago
AdamsStreetBrewery.com

What makes it unique: If there’s a more historic restaurant in all of Illinois, we’d like to see it. Herman Berghoff’s history with beer in Chicago began at the World’s Fair in 1893, where he set up a stand in the Midway Plaisance and sold his brews to people entering and exiting the fair. His success at the fair prompted him to consider a more permanent venue, and The Berghoff officially opened its doors in 1898. The price of a beer back then? Just a nickel. And each glass of suds came with a free sandwich.

Fast forward to 2018, when a fourth generation of ownership made good on a desire to return to the roots of their grandfather brewing his own beer, and Adams Street Brewery officially opened inside The Berghoff with the installation of a beer cellar in the basement. “My dungeon” as head brewer Mark Duchow lovingly calls it, is the lifeblood of the building, as beer tubes run through the century-old walls to the bar on the main floor.  

Herman Berghoff’s history with beer in Chicago began at the World’s Fair in 1893, where he set up a stand and sold his brews to people. His success prompted him to consider a more permanent venue, and The Berghoff officially opened its doors in 1898.

The Berghoff, especially when it’s decked out for the holidays, is a gorgeous building dripping with history. The scratch-made kitchen is on the fourth floor, a bakery on the second floor, and a vault still lies in the middle of the bar area where the family used to keep money. Old portraits of the prominent members of the Berghoff family are everywhere. It’s not uncommon to see three generations of families eating together, and a couple recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of their first date there, sitting in the exact same table. 

What we’re drinking: Winners of 13 brewing medals claimed in 2024 alone, it’s clear the team at Adams Street — with more than 20 beers on draft — knows what they’re doing. The award-winning Whitman’s Love Song double IPA is solid, as is Herman’s Dunkel, which tastes like it’s straight from a tank in Munich. As a fan of the increasingly popular style, the Ahh Vienna lager treated our taste buds well too.

Obed & Isaac’s Microbrewery and Eatery
321 N.E. Madison in Peoria
ConnsHG.com

What makes it unique: Located in downtown Peoria just off of the riverfront, this gem could be one of the most unique brewery taprooms in the entire Midwest, let alone Illinois. The Second Presbyterian Church of Peoria, with the help of renowned architect, W.W. Boyington, designer of Chicago’s iconic Water Tower, finished the structure in 1889 in the popular Richardson Romanesque Revival design of the time. The Conn family, which already owned another Obed & Isaac’s in Springfield, purchased the former church in 2015 and opened a year later. 

What we’re drinking: Try the Ditzy Blonde, a 4.3% ale that’s brewed with lightly kilned malts or the Obed’s Pride amber ale, a well-balanced option with light caramel, toffee and pine flavors.

The Ramova Theatre
3518 S. Halsted in Chicago
RamovaChicago.com

What makes it unique: In early 2024, Brooklyn-based Other Half Brewing set up shop inside the freshly renovated Ramova Theatre, a 1920s movie house in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood that was transformed into a major entertainment complex via a $30 million project, complete with a concert venue that can hold 1,800 people. Also included inside: the Ramova Diner and Other Half Ramova’s taproom, beer garden and events space. Prior to this undertaking, the building had sat dormant for more than three decades.

What we’re drinking: Off the list of the brews made in house, we’re all over the juicy and crisp hazy lager called Kiss the Goat and the Bakin’ Buns dunkel with some rich malt sweetness. 

A mischievous resident spirit named Jack has been known to make his presence felt in a variety of ways throughout Wolfden. Ask for some stories.

Wolfden Brewing
112 W. Lake Street Bloomingdale
WolfdenBrewing.com

What makes it unique: Wolfden opened in 2018 in a farmhouse that dates back to 1851. “We travel a lot up north to Wisconsin and wanted to created a lodge or supper club feel,” owner Krys Wolf tells us. And did we mention it’s haunted? A mischievous resident spirit named Jack has been known to make his presence felt in a variety of ways throughout the property. Ask for some stories. 

What we’re drinking: Full Savage is a great West Coast IPA that has subtle notes of lime and melon. And try the smooth and deliciously nutty Baltic porter called Peanut Butter Nuzzle. 

Industry Ales
230 S. Wabash in Chicago
IndustryAles.com

What makes it unique: A trio of restaurant and nightlife industry veterans renovated this space, which dates back to 1927, right next door to the iconic Central Camera Company in the heart of Chicago’s Loop. 

What we were going for is to keep the old-world, industrial charm of the original building but bring in little pieces of downtown to showcase in different areas.” — Matt Wiegers

The three-level, 14,000-square-foot venue, which opened in the spring of 2024, features a beer and dining hall, brewery, cocktail bar and mezzanine. “What we were going for in putting together the design is to keep the old-world, industrial charm of the original building but bring in little pieces of downtown to showcase in different areas,” says co-founder Matt Wiegers.  

Examples include an actual 1922 clock purchased from a department store, light fixtures that look like the L train and a vaulted, lighted ceiling meant to mimic the subway entrance on State Street. 

What we’re drinking: Fields of Kent is an English bitter that’s sought after, and at the end of January, they’ll have an Italian pilsner called Cosmic Spaghetti that they’re partnering with Italian Village on. It will be on draft at the famous restaurant’s new speakeasy. 

Prairie Street Brewing Co.
200 Prairie Street in Rockford
PSBrewingCo.com

What makes it unique: Prairie Street Brewing Company just happens to be housed in the oldest brewery in the state of Illinois, an 80,000-square foot historic landmark building along the Rock River in downtown Rockford. It opened in 2013 after a massive two-year renovation of a 150-year-old facility. 

It takes all of a few seconds inside of Prairie Street Brewing to realize it’s one of the most impressive, diverse and massive brewing and entertainment venues you’ll find anywhere, boasting a total of seven different event spaces that range greatly in size. 

What we’re drinking: The Copper Feather Irish red ale is a tasty one, as is their New Zealand IPA with hints of passionfruit and white peach. A silky smooth option ideal for winter is the Vanilla River cream ale. Weekday happy hour from 4-5 p.m. offers $4 beers and $3 off wine. 

Emancipation Brewing
13113 North 2500 East Road in Fairbury
EmancipationBrewingCo.com

What makes it unique: Well, for starters, the brewery and taproom are located in a refurbished barn that previously housed beef cattle and dairy cows for almost a century on owner Lincoln Slagel’s family farm in rural Fairbury (45 minutes northeast of Bloomington). While the family may have had differing opinions when designing the space, the main focus was to upgrade the building while keeping it as authentic as possible (note the pulleys, once used to hold cattle in place, still hanging from the ceiling). To the side of the brewery is the hop yard, where they grow their own hops, and sunsets over the nearby field can be quite impressive.

What we’re drinking: The Buddies Brigade is a firehouse lager with a touch of lingering smokiness, and Straight Line Winds is a DIPA with flavors of berry, citrus and wheat. Keep an eye out for Azalea, a session IPA made in honor of The Masters golf tournament that’s released each spring.

The Vogt House by Banging Gavel Brews
17400 Oak Park Ave in Tinley Park
BanginGavel.com

What makes it unique: The preservation project of the historic and stunning Vogt House in Tinley Park started back in 2017, and Banging Gavel Brews officially opened a restaurant and taproom inside in late 2023. The four-story and nearly 8,000 square-foot building, which dates back to 1865, “immediately commanded our attention and captured our imagination,” says co-founder Jim Richert. 

The four-story and nearly 8,000 square-foot building, which dates back to 1865, “immediately commanded our attention and captured our imagination.”

Our suggestion: Spend time walking around the entire building, which has an Italianate design, including a two-story porch with balustrades on each floor and a Brunswick-style bar to pay homage to the era.

What we’re drinking: We’re always drawn to one of their mainstays, the Legal-Ease Bavarian-style helles lager. Face the Music is a light-bodied Vienna lager, and Prop 65 is a piney West Coast IPA that’s brewed with five different hops. Don’t overlook their craft cocktail list, which is well curated from a seasonal and pairing perspective. 

Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery
1035 Sterling Ave. in Flossmoor
FlossmoorStation.com

What makes it unique: Ever have a cold beer and a delicious meal in a magnificently restored 1906 train station in a quaint, historic town? Well, you should. Flossmoor Station, which was chosen as the “Best Small Brewpub in America” at the Great American Beer Festival, opened in 1996, and later added a beer garden tap room housed in a vintage caboose. Plenty of beer names, dishes and taproom decor serve as reminder’s of the building’s storied past. 

Ever have a cold beer and a delicious meal in a magnificently restored 1906 train station in a quaint, historic town? Well, you should.

What we’re drinking: Plenty of award-winning options to try here, like the English-style Pullman brown ale. The classic American wheat ale called Station Master is an easy-drinking, year-round offering that pairs well with a lot of the menu, and hurry in this winter to get your hands on The Pawn and The King, a big-bodied stout packed with notes of chocolate, marshmallow and subtle roast. 

Reserve Artisan Ales
185 S. Kellogg Street in Galesburg
ReserveArtisanAles.com

What makes it unique: Reserve Artisan Ales’ historic building in downtown Galesburg is 18,000 square feet in all, with about 4,000 of that set aside as a taproom and another 10,000 used as a massive event space. The highlight of the venue though, in our opinion, is the 1960s Peoria city bus they found in a scrapyard, the shell of which is the dominant feature of the taproom, housing a cooler inside that holds the beer and tap equipment for the brewery’s pour-your-own tap system. 

What we’re drinking: Get your hands on Brews for Birthmarks 24, a strawberry lager brewed for Vascular Birthmark Awareness Month, before it’s gone. Nobody’s Malt But Mine is a tasty traditional ESB made with English malt.