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The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

All about the brew: Craft beer, microbreweries gain popularity in Chicago

The air in the Half Acre brewery is overwhelming with the biting scent of hops and vaporous condensation. Employees, clad in overalls and work gloves, patrol the isles of 18 ft. silver-alloy beer vats, which will eventually produce various craft beers with names like Sticky Fat, Gossamer, and Over Ale.   

Microbreweries like Half Acre are becoming more popular in the city of Chicago, as more beer lovers look to drink locally brewed and artisanal beverages with nuanced flavors and ingredients.

In 2008 America’s beer market saw an eight percent increase in craft beers, many of which were based in states like California, Oregon and Colorado, while Chicago had Goose Island as its sole commercial producer, according to the Brewer’s Association.

According to the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, there are more than 30 microbreweries in Illinois as of 2012 and more than half of those are in the Chicagoland area. The increase in the amount of microbreweries in the city offers unique products and philosophies in a competitive trade.

“We try to be ourselves and do things we would enjoy,” said Gabriel Magliaro, the 34-year-old founder of Half Acre in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood.  

Magliaro first got into brewing when he was living in Colorado before Chicago’s micro brewing scene had developed. Sand Creek Brewing Company in Black River Falls, WI, let Magliaro use their equipment to brew his beer, where he would then make trips to Chicago to sell it.

In 2009 Half Acre opened its storefront and brewery, and has since grown into a household name to Chicago’s restaurant and bar scene, particularly their American Pale Ale Daisy Cutter.

“I think there is a commonality with people buying our beer. They see what’s happening around them and they connect with it at a deeper level,” he said.

Erin Potter, 27, is a programming coordinator at Climate Cycle, a non-profit, as well as a craft beer fan. She explained that she does not drink macro beers or major brand name beers on principle.

“It’s the difference between having an experience and having something to drink,” Potter said.   

Magliaro is not alone in his belief of beer culture fostering a connection between people and sharing experiences. Pete Crowley, the owner and brewmaster at Haymarket Pub and Brewery in the southwest Loop, has been brewing in Chicago for 13 years with an emphasis on the working class and the raucous history of the labor movement.

Crowley, whose beers fuse Belgian style with the floral hops of contemporary Indian Pale Ales, gives voice to Haymarket’s tumultuous history through his beers with names like Speakerswagon Pilsner. Crowley explained the labor movement of the time had crafted the eight hour work day with eight hours for sleep and eight hours of what we will or free time.

“Those eight hours of what we will, you want to enjoy a good beer,” Crowley said. “When the teachers were striking, they came here… nothing’s more neighborhoody and local.”     

Crowley’s embracing of Chicago’s historical neighborhoods is echoed by Kevin Cary, 28, one of three owners at the recently launched Begyle Brewing Company in North Center.

“We actually have no commercial experience, we were homebrewers,” said Cary in reference to himself and two other partners, the only three current employees of the brewery.

“We work 9 to 5 downtown and then usually come here after 5 and work,” Cary said. “We all still have our day jobs.”

Cary explained that, in the eyes of the state of Illinois, Begyle brewery is legally considered a “production company,” like their neighbors, Half Acre.

The state recently amended legislation on distribution of alcoholic beverages, so the three employees at Begyle deliver their goods themselves to a scattered handful of bars and pubs.

Begyle’s attitude as a brand new brewery, which opened to the public this October, is in sync with so many of its predecessors, their product and presence is heavily reliant on the surrounding community.

“We started small enough that we wanted to be rooted in our community,” Cary said. “Many of our customers come from the neighborhood… a lot of our beer is going to be consumed within a mile from the brewery.”

Cary also hopes that not only will the beer primarily be consumed in the neighborhood, but the brewery will be an active participant in the civic life of the neighborhood, like the nearby annual Ravenswood Art Walk.

“Chicago has such a history of tide houses and local breweries, they were basically like social media,” Cary said. “Getting knowledge of what’s going on is found at the local pub, and we kind of lost that, so what we want to do is bring that back and be a focal point of the community.”   

Cary first got into craft beers and home brewing when he lived in Michigan, which is home to breweries like Belle’s and Dark Horse. Michigan, a state plagued by economic downturn, has always maintained a loyal microbrew cult following.

“We might as well support the local breweries, local jobs, the money spent on craft beers is easily returned,” Cary said. “It’s definitely a good way to keep the money in the community.”

Several more breweries have recently sprouted up in Chicago. Lagunitas Brewing Company, based in California, has purchased an old steel mill in the Douglas Park neighborhood, according to its website.

In addition, Pipeworks Brewing Company in Wicker Park, and Revolution Brewing opened one of the largest breweries in the state on Kedzie Avenue in Logan Square.

With the expansion of the micro brewing market in Chicago, imbibers will have more options than ever, and drinkers show enthusiasm about that.

Joe Figueroa, 25, a professional gambler, described his recent infatuation with microbrews from macro, or big brand beers.

“I am exposed to Budweiser constantly,” said Figueroa. “I might as well try this other type of beer I don’t see very often. Maybe I have an adventurous spirit when it comes to drinking.”

Drinkers like Figueroa appreciate the layers and texture that craft beers provide in contrast to their macro counterparts.

“Even though Indian pale ale is one category of beer, you can go from Lagunitas to Dogfish Head and you’re going to have a completely different beer,” said Figueroa, “Budweiser doesn’t make an IPA. PBR makes one kind of beer.”

For brewers like Magnialo who have a consumer base of eager and thirsty Chicagoans, there is plenty of opportunity to continue to explore the limits of these unique beers.

“The culture of making beer here is still catching up,” said Magliaro. “The culture of drinking beer here is highly evolved.”

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