The Best Breweries
Illinois has over 300 breweries spread across the state with Chicago often recognized as the one the top beer cities in the country. Many of the top breweries are located in the suburbs providing not only quality beer but a gathering spot for their local communities. Check out our favorites below.
NORTH SHORE
Sketchbook Brewing
Award winning brewery with a spacious taproom and dog-friendly patio, perfect for savoring their diverse selection of craft beers. If hungry, you can bring your own food or grab a bite from a local food truck or pop-up on the weekends. They host a ton of great events and concerts throughout the year so keep an eye out in our newsletter or visit their events page.
Locations in Skokie and Evanston (See map for details)
Tangled Roots Brewing
A unique brewery that prides itself on it’s craft food as much as it’s craft beer. They create beautifully designed unique restaurants in each town they expand to, which now includes four locations. They make a wide variety of beers, but be sure to try their Farm-to-Foam beers made with local ingredients from their farm in Ottawa, or their award winning Sunkissed Blonde Ale.
Locations in Glenview, Vernon Hills, Lockport and Ottawa (see map for details)
District Brew Yards
A unique brewery concept that houses a production brewery for four different breweries, a full beer hall, and tasty food from Paulie Gee’s (legendary New York slice shop). Currently you can sample beers from Around the Bend, Twisted Hippo, Burnt City and Casa Humilde. They also have a location in the West Loop.
Ten Ninety Brewing Co.
A Glenview favorite that holds its own as a restaurant as much as a brewery. They offer a full menu alongside their tasty beers. They also have a full cocktail and wine list should any non-beer drinkers join you. On Saturdays, they are a great place to see live music.
Une Année | Hubbard's Cave
A popular Chicago-born brewery that focuses on Belgian Style ales, has since relocated to the burbs and expanded. The Niles location now includes a taproom and kitchen serving delicious BBQ and their latest brand, Hubbard’s Cave which produces American Style ales like imperial stouts and Fresh IIPAs.
NORTHWEST SUBURBS
Black & Gray Brewing Co.
A great place to grab a beer before or after dinner in downtown Dundee or after a bike ride along the nearby trail. The taproom only serves beer so grab food nearby if hungry. While all their beers are delicious, we are big fans of their lagers, such as Bike Path Light and Fox Valley Lager, which are both light and refreshing.
Buffalo Creek Brewing
Buffalo Creek might have the best outdoor patio in the burbs with plenty of space and beautiful tree-lined surroundings. The Bavarian style taproom, event space and a one of kind Biergärten are a must visit if you are near Long Grove. They also regularly host trivia nights, yoga sessions, live music and food trucks at the brewery.
More Brewing
A family-friendly brewery with award-winning beers and creative food menu. More has three locations across the suburbs, with their Huntley taproom housed in a former car dealership and the home of their annual Morefest, which brings together over 60 breweries. If you enjoy stouts, be sure to try their barrel-aged brews which are always at the top of Beer Advocates top beer ratings.
Locations in Huntley, Villa Park and Bartlett (see map for details)
Phase Three Brewing
For craft beer aficionados, Phase Three is always high on their list with an array of sought after special release beers. They have two locations, a taproom in Lake Zurich that only serves beer and their new Elmhurst spot that has a full kitchen with a diverse and creative menu. Phase Three makes their own hard seltzers as well, and offers whiskey barrel-aged seltzer cocktails.
Locations in Lake Zurich and Elmhurst (see map for details)
Roaring Table Brewery
Located in a suburban strip mall, you will be surprised to find this hidden gem once you step inside. They make a variety beers from traditional saisons to fruited sours and offer a small menu of snacks at their cozy taproom. If hungry for more, you can order in from nearby restaurants which will deliver inside the brewery.
Sundial Brewing & Blending
Tighthead Brewing Co.
A neighborhood institution since 2011 making a great range of beers. The taproom has the feel of a traditional English pub and serves beer only, but you can bring your own food or oder takeout. They have a variety of board games to play, and regularly host live music, food trucks, trivia nights and other local events.
WESTERN SUBURBS
Alter Brewing
A great place to meet friends for beers, grab dinner or host your next event. Alter creates a great atmosphere at all three of their breweries and taprooms, which serve as the perfect setting to enjoy their delicious food and beers. Their St. Charles location has a year-round patio along the Fox River and all three spots have live music weekly throughout the year.
Locations in Downers Grove, Oak Brook and St. Charles (see map for details)
Hardware
A sustainable gastropub and brewery serving delicious food and over 400 whiskeys. Hardware takes eating and drinking local to the next level with year-round food grown in their greenhouse, a 1.5 acre organic hop farm that provides the base ingredients for their beers, and fruits from their micro orchard on the property.
Noon Whistle Brewing
Their brewmaster and his family spent summer vacations growing up in a small Wisconsin town where the daily blowing of the noon whistle indicated it was time to crack open the first beer of the day. This tradition continues at their breweries today where they make fantastic lower ABV beers that can be enjoyed all day long.
Locations in Naperville and Lombard (see map for details)
Penrose Brewing
One of our favorites who makes a variety of award winning Belgian-inspired beers like their Goofy Boots Hazy IPA and their fantastic limited release wild ales. They have a great taproom in downtown Geneva where you can grab a flight and order a pizza or bring in some food from a nearby restaurant.
Pollyanna Brewing
A craft brewery and distillery with four unique locations across the suburbs. They have five flagship beers available year round and constantly experiment with seasonal lagers, barrel-aging, wild yeast and bacteria. The Lemont location offers a scenic look at their production brewery, the Roselle location offers a wide array of wood barrels, Italian Foudres, and a smaller brewhouse for unique one-off offerings, and the St Charles location offers their largest taproom and a beautiful view of their distilling operations as well as the Fox River.
Locations in Lemont, Roselle and St. Charles (see map for details)
Riverlands Brewing
A small local brewery and taproom that makes a range of great beers from a crisp, clean pilsner, a hazy IPA, a fruited sour, or deep, dark stout called Secret Burrito. They don’t serve food but often host food trucks and pop-ups on the weekends. They also have live music and various events at their taproom throughout the year.
Solemn Oath Brewery
One of the OGs of craft beer in the Chicago suburbs, who have been delighting IPA drinkers with their Snaggletooth Bandana for years. They recently opened a Chicago taproom but are rooted in Naperville, where they host several great events such as Oath Day featuring special beer releases, live music and great food.
