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Home›Featured Post›IB Insiders›Illinois Brewing Insider: Navigator Taproom’s Tim Enarson

Illinois Brewing Insider: Navigator Taproom’s Tim Enarson

By Trent Modglin
November 5, 2025
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Tim Enarson
Co-owner of Navigator Taproom
2211 N. Milwaukee Ave. in 
Chicago
NavigatorTaproom.com

Favorite breweries: I really like the breweries in and around Logan Square that have supported Navigator Taproom so well over the last eight years. Pipeworks, Dovetail, Hopewell, Revolution, Maplewood and Pilot Project. Also, Phase Three Brewing is doing some fantastic beers.

Drinking tendencies: I like a good pilsner. I remember learning on an early tour of Half Acre Brewing that pilsners take up to a month to brew, and there is little room for error. It takes up tank space and the brewer has to commit to it when they could otherwise be churning out quicker turns like IPAs. So to taste that crisp pils taste, you know someone with knowledge dedicated a lot of time and put a lot of love into it.

Phase Three Brewing

Recent beers that have caught your eye: Geo, the pilsner by Phase Three Brewing is delicious, along with their P3 Polotmavy Czech amber. Bound, the IPA by Hopewell Brewing, is also very enjoyable.

It’s always been The Beer Temple and Map Room in Chicago for me. … These are the places I fell in love with craft beer. I would meet up with friends, try new beers and begin to have my own dreams of launching Navigator Taproom.

What are you looking forward to enjoying on draft this fall: I am excited for Oktoberfests lasting a bit longer. I can feel it in the air. I love that the local breweries all brew their own festbiers, and we showcase as many of them as we can on our 48-tap tapwall at Navigator Taproom.

Favorite beer bar: It’s always been The Beer Temple and the Map Room in Chicago for me. But of course I’m partial to Navigator Taproom. These are the places I fell in love with craft beer. I would meet up with friends, try new beers and begin to have my own dreams of launching Navigator Taproom with my business partner, Erik Swanson.

Best brewery you’ve hit on vacation: Rhinegeist Brewery in the Over the Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati is just fantastic in every way. Highly recommended, and just a quick five hours from Chicago.

If you like German beer like I do, Double Clutch Brewing in Evanston has been one of my go-to spots.

Secret beer spot: I’ve always loved Resi’s Bierstube on Irving Park Road in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago. If you like German beer like I do, Double Clutch Brewing in Evanston has been one of my go-to spots. I also like dropping into Old Irving Brewing on Montrose near the Kennedy. But if I’m being honest, my favorite secret beer spot is still having a cold pilsner in my own walk-in cooler at the ol’ Navigator Taproom.

TagsDouble Clutch BrewingDovetail BreweryHalf Acre BrewingHopewell BrewingIllinois BrewingLogan SquareMap RoomMaplewood BrewingNavigator TaproomOld Irving BrewingPhase Three BrewingPilot Project BrewingPipeworks BrewingResi's BierstubeRevolution BrewingRhinegeist BreweryThe Beer Temple
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Sponsored by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, Illinois Brewing is printed and distributed quarterly (early January, April, July and October) to more than 250 breweries across the state as well as more than 100 craft beer-focused bars, restaurants and stores. Each member of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild’s IMBIBE club also receives the magazine in the mail. 

Publisher/owner: Trent Modglin
Trent@IllinoisBrewing.com

Art director: Brian Hertel
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