6 of Chicagoland's Best Breweries in the Burbs
Chicago is a brewery hotspot. Turn the corner in nearly any hip neighborhood and you can find a hopping brewery (pun absolutely intended). If you are a craft beer aficionado, don’t relegate yourself to Chicago’s city limits: The surrounding suburbs have some of the best brews. Here are six suburban spots any brewery crawl would be proud to include.
5 Rabbit Cerveceria
This Bedford Park brewery with a name derived from Aztec mythology is dedicated to the flavors of Central and South America. 5 Rabbit Cerveceria is one of the first Latin American-focused breweries in Illinois and the entire country. The signature beer list and food menu offer a delicious array of flavors inspired by Latin America. The 5 Rabbit beer is a golden ale. You can also look for more adventurous beers on tap, like Zarzamora, a chocolate stout with hints of blackberry. Come on Thursdays for some mouthwatering tacos.
Myths & Legends Brewing Company
Myths & Legends Brewing Company, formerly Urban Legend Brewing Company, is located in the village of Westmont. Brews here are broken up into different groups. Tales beers are offered all year long. Try Catherine the Great, an imperial IPA. The brewery’s Myth beers are seasonal. Look for the classic fall brew The Devil and Jack, a pumpkin cream lager. Finally, Legend beers make only a brief appearance. Red Rabbit, a raspberry and cream ale, is one of these legendary brews.
Metal Monkey Brewing
Metal Monkey Brewing is a microbrewery in Romeoville. Like the name suggests, this brewery is heavily influenced by heavy metal music. The draft list rotates, but you can look for brews RomeoPils, a German pilsner, or Passion of the Gose, a sour beer. The tap room at Metal Monkey offers plenty of entertainment, like a game of giant Jenga or a collection of classic board games.
Prairie Street Brewing Company
Prairie Street Brewing Company, a staple of downtown Rockford, has both a brewpub and a dockside taproom. The 15-barrel brewing company has a lineup of four regular beers on tap: Screw City Light, Hefeweizen, Petritz Pale Ale, and West Coast IPA. Prairie Street also has a collection of rotating beers, wine, and cocktails.
If you can’t decide what you want to drink, try a sample flight. If you aren’t the indecisive type, go with a 32-ounce Howler or 64-ounce Growler of your favorite brew. While you enjoy your handcrafted beer, you can munch on menu items like chicken and bacon crepes and the cheesecake of the week. Keep an eye out for other weekly specials, like the ever-changing poutine of the week.
Solemn Oath Brewery (Naperville)
Naperville’s Solemn Oath Brewery swears by its delicious beers so much so that you can’t get any draft not made by SOB while you are here. This suburban brewery focuses on barrel-aged, Belgian, and West Coast beers. Like most breweries, SOB has a rotating list of on-tap brews. Some regular starring beers to look for include American pale ale Old Faithhorn, American IPA Snaggletooth Bandana, and Belgian IPA Butterfly Flashmob.
Opened in 2012, Solemn Oath is tucked away in an industrial park, but its undercover location has done absolutely nothing to dampen its popularity. The brewery’s beer can be found at other bars and in stores. Solemn Oath just released its Butterfly Flashmob into the wild, and it is now available to buy in cans. The brewery might not have a kitchen, but you can sometimes catch a food truck outside.
Two Brothers Artisan Brewing
Two Brothers has more than one location, but if you want to find the Two Brothers Tap House you’ll have to make your way out to Warrenville. This brewery prides itself on its commitment to independence and its love of craft beer. The brewery is named for — you guessed it — the two siblings who founded it. Jim and Jason Ebel have been running this brewery for two decades. Domaine DuPage, a French country ale, is the brewery’s flagship beer. Other popular brews include Cain and Ebel, Atom Smasher, and Monarch. Two Brothers even has a beer crafted to remove gluten (Prairie Path) for those who live a gluten-free life.
The food menu at the taproom is built from sustainably sourced and organic foods. Get your fried food fix with loaded cheese fries or fried pickles. You also go a little healthier with the fish tacos or the grilled meat and veggie skewers.