Rabid Brewing
17759 Bretz Drive, Homewood, IL 60430
RabidBrewing.com

Wednesday-Thursday: 4-10 p.m.
Friday: 4 p.m.-midnight
Saturday: 2 p.m.-midnight
Sunday: 2-7 p.m.

History in short: Spouses Tobias Cichon and Raiye Rosado launched Rabid Brewing in October of 2017. Raiye had introduced Tobias to craft beer many years prior, and through their many visits to breweries across the country, they fell in love with the industry and knew they had to be a part of it.

The space: Rabid is a warehouse brewery and taproom “designed with the creatives, the nerds, the rebels and the odd ones in mind.” Mythological artwork and do-it-yourself aesthetics create a welcoming environment for anyone who’s felt on the outside looking in. Pick-up sessions of Dungeons & Dragons fill some tables on Wednesday nights, they have half-price pizza on Thursdays, and sumo matches plaster the projection wall on Saturdays.

At Rabid, they like to say the taproom is “a place where zen and madness find friendship.”

Aside from a regularly churning list of sours, stouts, hazy IPAs, lagers and hard seltzers on tap, high-end spirits and craft cocktails (and mocktails) are regularly available. At Rabid, they like to say the taproom is “a place where zen and madness find friendship.”

Interesting note: Rabid’s biggest party of the year is Feast of the Goat Queen. A summertime floralia celebration, FotGQ is a ren-faire for fae folk where people dress as faeries, elves, witches, dragons and more, gathering to drink great beer, participate in the burning of burdens, hang out with baby goats and witness fantastic original live music.

2022 also saw their first annual Box Battle Basho, where people create cardboard weapons and armor and engage in total chaos, battling in the Beer Field. Sounds fun, no?

What we’re drinking: Volskar is Rabid’s latest hazy IPA, created with nectaron and citra hops. Wolfen is a highly crushable Vienna lager that is gaining popularity. And perfect for a winter day is the Tannhäuser Gate, a smooth and chocolatey porter.

On the horizon: A minimum of two new beers hit Rabid’s taps every month. December and January marked the release of a line of fruited sours. February will feature the first Twin Peaks Day celebration for fans of the television series and legendary creator David Lynch. Dropping that day will be a “damn fine” coffee beer and a cherry pie sour.

Rabid will also be serving brews at roller derby and pro wrestling events starting in January at the Homewood Auditorium. Keep an eye on @rabidbrewing for regular updates on events and releases.

What we really love the most is the community of creative, often hilarious, and fascinating folk that is building around Rabid.” — Raiye Rosado

From the brewery: “We offer some mythic-level quality in our brews — and our hazies are freakishly euphoric — but what we really love the most is the community of creative, often hilarious, and fascinating folk that is building around Rabid. It’s not a cult.” — Owner Raiye Rosado