Hop Butcher for the World
4257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Hopbutcher.com

Details: Since launching in 2014, Hop Butcher has been on a steady climb, not only building a reputation for consistently producing some of the best hazy IPAs in the state, but also with the purchase of a 55,000 square-foot production facility and warehouse in SW suburban Bedford Park and moving into Half Acre’s former Lincoln Avenue taproom, brewery and retail shop in Chicago in 2022.

What they’re known for: An ode to Chicago, first and foremost, as their name is a play on Carl Sandburg’s famous poem, and several of their beer names honor the city too, like Corn Cob Towers and Blizzard of ’67. You can find their cans for sale at Sox games, on Wendella’s tour boats, and at the Taste of Chicago and Goose Island’s Salt Shed music venue as well.

What caught our eye: The sleek, modern taproom with communal tables. And on a recent visit, we couldn’t help but notice how family friendly the space is, which makes sense considering Zimmer and co-owner Jude La Rose have seven children between them. “We have lots of crayons and apple juice available,” Zimmer adds with a chuckle.

In between the taproom and retail space, which sells everything from fresh 4-packs to t-shirts and keychains, is what they call “the Oasis” — a covered room with a large TV, barrels and a garage door that rolls up — that’s ideal for taproom overflow, small groups or pre-gaming it for Cubs games.

“The main elements of that building have not changed since we moved in four years ago, and that’s intentional,” says Zimmer. “It’s a comfortable space for drinking and community.”

Reflecting on three and a half years on Lincoln Avenue

Not only has the taproom served as a communal hub for surrounding Chicago neighborhoods like North Center, Logan Square, Ravenswood and Lakeview, but they’ve found that longtime fans will travel significant distances to come and have a few fresh pints.

Also, being able to make quick turnarounds with some experimental brews on the smaller 15-barrel system at the Lincoln Avenue location — while still producing the big sellers out of Bedford Park — and get instant feedback from patrons in the taproom has been a huge asset.

“It allows us to make a seltzer that tastes like a mint julep, a red IPA or a Mexican lager that you don’t see as wide of a distribution with yet, and the response has been pretty killer,” Zimmer tells us. “None of them are super hoppy examples of things we normally do, but it’s pretty exciting to see the response.”

What’s current

This spring was a fun and busy time for Hop Butcher, with collaborations with the likes of Mikerphone Brewing here in Illinois (Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight DIPA), RaR Brewing out of Maryland (Impossible Bottle hazy DIPA) and the legendary Dogfish Head in Delaware (Crispy Slice, a West Coast pilsner and A Square in a Circle in a Square, a hazy IPA).

“Dogfish Head… they’re a huge reason why we started Hop Butcher and very inspirational,” says Zimmer, “so talking to Sam (Calagione) on a Zoom call from my kitchen was a pinch-me moment for sure. This collaboration, where you get to learn about someone too, has been like making a friend out of a hero.”

The goal of the Dogfish collab was to create two beers that pair well with regional pizzas from both Chicago (think tavern-style with Italian beef and giardiniera) and Delaware (a local favorite called “scrapple,” which is a savory breakfast-style pizza featuring crumbled pork scrapple, eggs, cheese and sometimes maple syrup).

I don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to try both varieties.

From the brewery: “Between the excitement level of the Chicago community, the work our team has put in and the encouragement around our programming and whatever we’re planning, it’s been a fun ride. … Life is good, relatively speaking, and there is a real enthusiasm around us making more beer styles going forward.”

— Co-owner Jeremiah Zimmer