Revolution Brewing

Chris Baynes
Home brewer and beer enthusiast

Favorite breweries: I’m a Chicago kid, born and raised, so the breweries that I tend to go to are in Chicago and the Chicagoland area. Revolution Brewing was one of the first breweries I remember going to consistently. The duck fat-cooked popcorn was amazing as well. I just remember it being one of the first places I went where you could see the brewing tanks. I thought is was beyond cool that the beer was being made right on location. Regretfully, I don’t get out to breweries much anymore — you know… family and all. But I love that I live at a time where I can go to my local store and pick up craft beer. I still drink my fair share of Revolution, but I usually get it at the bottle shop now instead of the brewery.

Drinking tendencies: My flavor profiles are chocolate, vanilla and coffee. So I do go out of my way to find beers that use those flavors. Don’t get me wrong, on a hot as hell day in July or August, all I want is a Miller High Life, and I will die on that hill. But when I want something that is going to challenge me or make want to travel for a beer, it will probably be some combination of chocolate, vanilla or coffee. I am a home brewer, and I challenged myself this last year to brew a chocolate, vanilla and coffee porter. It was smooth, complex and boozy — and right up my alley.

Recent beers that have caught your eye: I don’t have a specific brewery or beer for this question, but I do have a style. I’m the first to admit, I was scared to try sours because sour taste and beer just did not make sense to me. But when I went to Boston recently and ended up at Harpoon Brewery, they had a fruited sour that I tried and I was hooked. I tell you what, if I go to any place serving beer, the first thing I look for now is a fruited sour. I love them so much that this summer, I am trying my hand at brewing a blueberry sour. Wish me luck.

When I went to Boston recently and ended up at Harpoon Brewery, they had a fruited sour that I tried and I was hooked. … I love them so much now that this summer, I am trying my hand at brewing a blueberry sour.

What you will be looking forward to having on draft this summer: To be honest with you, “spring” beers are probably my least favorite when it comes to the seasonal beers. They tend to be flowery but not hoppy, if that makes sense. I do love summer because a lot of radlers come out. If you have not had it, Sam Adams makes a radler called Porch Rocker. The last two years I’ve gone to my local Jewel and bought them out. Then I horde it. Sorry, this one I do not share. I also just found out that Spiteful Brewing on Chicago’s far north side has a grapefruit radler, so I will be making a specific stop to try it out.

Favorite beer bar: My garage. I am a home brewer, and last year I brewed 27 gallons of beer across five different styles. My beer fridge is usually pretty well stocked with the beer I make, and I love that I can just sit in my La-Z-Boy, watch some sports on TV, have a few neighbors and friends over, and not have to worry about anything else. I keep a sixer of Great Lakes Brewing’s Edmund Fitzgerald and Breckenridge Brewery’s vanilla porter (which is the beer that really changed my life and redefined what I thought beer could be) in the fridge at all times. I sleep better knowing I have them.

I keep a sixer of Great Lakes Brewing’s Edmund Fitzgerald and Breckenridge Brewery’s vanilla porter (which is the beer that really changed my life and redefined what I thought beer could be) in the fridge at all times. I sleep better knowing I have them.

Best brewery you’ve hit on vacation: I really like Sam Adams beers. I’ve been to all three taprooms. Two in Boston and the one in Cincinnati. The taproom in downtown Boston is unique because they brew a lot of experimental beers that may never make it to mass production. They elicit feedback and, as a home brewer, I think that’s what it’s all about. … I know people dismiss Sam Adams a bit these days, but Sam Adams walked so all other craft breweries could run.

Secret beer spot: I really like going to Beer on the Wall in Park Ridge. The people who work there are knowledgeable about beer, they make great recommendations, and they have local breweries come in all the time so you can find always something new. The selection itself is great, both in terms of the shelves and the draft list. I don’t know how secret is is since it always seems pretty packed, but when I want to go find something that I’ve never had before, I usually end up at BOTW.