Rob Hunter
Head brewer at Crust Brewing in Rosemont, IL
CrustBrewing.com

The last really good beer I drank was…

Crystal Lake Brewing’s Hop Comet pale ale. A lot of experienced — in other words, older — brewers like myself can remember the first good craft beer we had, and for me it was Sierra Nevada’s pale ale and Anchor’s Liberty Ale. Both were so good, and with all the things that have come and gone with craft beer over the years, a good American pale ale is always a wonderful fallback. And Ryan Clooney, the brew master at Crystal Lake, nailed this one. It’s assertive without being bossy and bitter without being harsh. At the end of the glass, it just tastes really good. It’s a rare treat when you want to have two or three, and you actually can have two or three.

Double Clutch in Evanston has an awesome helles, awesome pilsner and kolsch. The altbier — from the ale bastion of Germany — is one of my favorite styles, and Scott Frank has won awards for his. It’s such a unique spot with the classic cars, and it’s super relaxed and welcoming.

What fellow Illinois breweries and specific beers have impressed you lately?

I’m a lagerhead from way back, and I appreciate that style so much. My wife works in Evanston and I met Scott Frank from Double Clutch Brewing Company at a Master Brewers Association of the Americas meeting, so when I picked her up from work recently, we headed there to check out his operation. Awesome helles, awesome pilsner and kolsch. The altbier — from the ale bastion of Germany — is one of my favorite styles, and he’s won awards for his. It’s such a unique spot with the classic cars, and it’s super relaxed and welcoming. Great menu of food too.

What are you most proud of at Crust Brewing?

I love our Lights Out dark lager. I’ve been brewing in Illinois for 30 years now, and I got a good education in brewing quality lagers from the Hofbrauhaus brand (which was in Crust’s current location from 2012-2020). And now I’ve been able to put my own spin on things, especially with a dark lager that’s so full of flavor and easy to drink. We try not to do anything over the top at Crust. I’ve always appreciated subtlety in beer and making the kind of brews you can have a few of.

I’ve been brewing in Illinois for 30 years now, and I got a good education in brewing quality lagers from the Hofbrauhaus brand. … We try not to do anything over the top at Crust. I’ve always appreciated subtlety in beer and making the kind of brews you can have a few of.

What do you have coming up that people should know about?

We tapped our tasty winter warmer, called Wreck the Halls, in early November and should have enough to last until mid January. Our Belgian tripel is called Astro Pear, and that will be up next in mid-January. Our New Year’s Eve party at Crust should be a good one with a DJ, table reservations and the big Rosemont fireworks show outside in Parkway Bank Park.