Megan Gil
General manager and co-founder
Bitter Pops taproom, kitchen & retail shop
3357 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago
BitterPops.com

Favorite breweries: We sure are spoiled here in Chicago with all the amazing breweries and taprooms. There are really too many great ones to list. However, I do want to give a shout out to our friends at Funky Town Brewing, who are about to open their own brewery and taproom on the near west side of Chicago. Wahoooo! So excited for them. Saint Errant just opened its own space in Evanston as well. Way to go, friends!

Drinking tendencies: I’m an equal opportunist when it comes to beverages — I truly like them all. So I do what they say you should never do… I mix it up, all night long, Lionel Richie style!

Recent beers that have caught your eye: In late spring we released our annual collab beer — called Story IPA — with our friends at Noon Whistle Brewing. This is in remembrance of a dear friend we lost, and for melanoma cancer awareness I crushed a couple of these at Noon Whistle’s Lombard brewery, and devoured their amazing pizza, all while watching the Pistons destroy the Magic in game 5 of the NBA playoffs. Pure bliss! (I’m obviously a Michigander)

Each summer, our house lager, brewed for us by Phase Three, is featured in our taproom in three tasty shandy flavors — yuzu lemon, blood orange guava and the new raspberry black currant.

Noon Whistle Brewing’s taco pizza

What are you looking forward to enjoying on draft this summer: Shandys, baby! Selfish plug: Each summer, our house lager, called Courage Lager, brewed for us by Phase Three, is featured in our taproom in three tasty shandy flavors (yuzu lemon, blood orange guava and the new raspberry black currant). Talk about a couple of patio pounders. But honestly, anyone who’s having fun with beer and making cocktails, I’m always going to dive in and give them a try.

The Long Room does a great job of including both local beers and options from all around the world. … They have a pop-up kitchen that always invites great food, as well as a very fun and secluded patio in the back.

Favorite beer bar: The Long Room on Irving Park and Ashland on Chicago’s north side. When you’re at the Long Room, you can be sure that you’re going to have a great time with a tasty cold beer or incredible cocktail. They do a great job of including both local beers and options from all around the world — or you can just grab a can of Hamm’s if the night calls for it. They have a pop-up kitchen that always invites great food, as well as a very fun and secluded patio in the back. If you haven’t been, be sure to check them out.

The Long Room’s beer garden in Chicago

Best brewery you’ve hit on vacation: Other Half Brewing. Enough said. If you’ve been lucky enough to go to upstate New York and visit their location in Bloomfield, then you know what I’m talking about. Truly a gorgeous space, and I can’t wait to go back there someday. I love that we get more and more Other Half beers on draft and in package at Bitter Pops because it brings me back to their wonderful space every time!

Secret beer spot: Truth: There are no secret spots anymore. Tik Tok and the internet have ruined any fun secrets there are in this world… so just come see us at Bitter Pops. We have the best cold beer selection, and the best smash burger there is. Cheers!

Bitter Pops’ smash burger