Jeff Bovee
Sterling, IL

Favorite breweries: My wife and I started visiting breweries as a fun activity to do together on weekends or while traveling, and we have enjoyed so many great breweries in Illinois and surrounding states over the last few years that it’s really hard to choose a favorite.

One of the first breweries we went to and still frequent is Lena Brewing Company in Lena (halfway between Rockford and Galena). They are very dog friendly, which really helps us enjoy going as a family and not having to worry about leaving the dogs home alone. They have great food and also have a ton of events going on all the time, so it makes for a great excuse to slip in to check out what’s happening. My wife’s favorite will always be their Drunkleberry (black raspberry amber ale), and I can’t wait to get back and try out their new hazy IPA called Pollo Picante and check out the new expanded patio.

Just down the road from Lena, you’ll find the Highway 20 Brewing Company in Elizabeth, and you’ll want to put in the extra few miles to get there. It’s a small brewery located in an old church/schoolhouse with some tasty brews. The staff was really friendly, and the cozy atmosphere made for a relaxing break from the road.

Another one of our favorites is Hairy Cow Brewing in Byron. They’ve graced the pages of Illinois Brewing a few times and for good reason. I love their beers, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t the wood-fired pizzas that really keeps bringing us back. We always try to hit Hairy Cow around lunch or dinner time when we are traveling through the area to be sure to get a great meal washed down with some excellent beers.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also talk about Destihl Brewery in Normal. We’ve been to this brewery and restaurant a few times over the last couple of years, and we are never disappointed. The facility is extremely nice, and they even let us park our RV overnight the last time we were traveling through on our way back from southern Illinois. One of my favorite hazy IPAs, Deadhead Tourbus, comes from Destihl, and I’m lucky that it’s widely available at retailers across the state. The same can be said for my wife’s favorite sour from them called Wild Sour Dragonfruit Mango.

I love the beers at Hairy Cow in Byron, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t the wood-fired pizzas that really keeps bringing us back.

Drinking tendencies: I am always looking for hazy IPAs when we’re looking at breweries to try out, and I am always surprised at the variety of flavors you find from place to place. It’s been awesome the last few years as more and more breweries embraced the hazy IPA trend with many offering multiple beers to taste and compare. On the other hand, my wife loves sours, and finding breweries that fit both of our tastes is always a challenge, but we’re always up for trying new places and seeing what we can both find that we like.

Recent beers that have caught your eye: Lena Brewing Company’s new Pollo Picante has me really interested to get back and give it a try.  They’ve done some excellent hazy IPAs in the past, and the mouth-watering description of Cashmere hops, papaya, jalapeño, habanero and ghost peppers has me craving an excuse to head down Route 20.

Grainology Brewstillery in Batavia

What are you looking forward to enjoying on draft this summer: I’m really looking forward to getting back to Batavia to go to Grainology Brewstillery again this summer.  We discovered it a couple months ago and loved it so much that we had to take our whole family back the next weekend. I loved their New England IPA called Cumulus, and my wife thought their espresso martini was to die for.

Favorite beer bar in Illinois: Crafted Roots in Sterling has an impressive selection of beers from around the state and beyond. We’ve only been there a few times, but it was a fun time and the bartender was very knowledgeable about the beer selections.

We discovered Grainology a couple months ago and loved it so much that we had to take our whole family back the next weekend. I loved their New England IPA called Cumulus, and my wife thought their espresso martini was to die for.

Secret beer spot: Probably one of our favorite places to sneak away to for a drink is The Stables in Dixon. They have a really nice selection of brews on tap, and the atmosphere is great. Historical photos line the walls, and you can see where at one point a horse was actually stabled in the bar. Friendly staff and welcoming patrons always make it a great afternoon or evening out for a couple of beers.

Best brewery you’ve hit on vacation: So if you are ever traveling in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan and get anywhere near West Branch, you absolutely need to go to The Highway Brewing Company. It’s by far one of the best little breweries in Michigan, hands down. We discovered this little gem by chance when we were filling in stamps in our hop passport, and their hazy IPA called Noon Whistle was so good that I hugged the brew master. My wife loved their sour/Berliner weisse called Wise Guy.  Also make sure to try their cheddar cheese & jalapeño hush puppies.