FreshieIllinois map
8 places we cover. Tap a marker for details.
Craft beer in Illinois
Chicago craft and the rural Midwest.
Illinois beer is mostly Chicago beer — Half Acre, Pipeworks, Off Color, and a deep bench of neighborhood breweries. But the state also produces something very different: Scratch Brewing in Ava, near the Shawnee National Forest, brews foraged farmhouse beer in genuine isolation, and is among the most influential rural breweries in America.
Places
9
With Scanner
5
Sub-regions
2
State
IL
Cities to plan around
- Chicago
- Ava (Scratch)
Notable picks in Illinois
Half Acre Beer Co.
ChicagoDaisy Cutter pale ale defines Chicago craft. The original Lincoln Avenue location is small but essential; the Bowmanville production facility has the bigger taproom.
Known for: Daisy Cutter, GoneAway, Vallejo. Hops: Citra, Mosaic in hazies; Cascade in Daisy Cutter
Hop Butcher For The World
DarienOne of the Midwest's most respected hazy IPA specialists. Frequent collaborations and limited drops that move fast. The new Darien taproom is worth the trip.
Maplewood Brewery
ChicagoLogan Square distillery-and-brewery with strong barrel-aged stouts and a clean IPA program. Charlatan IPA is a Chicago hazy benchmark.
Off Color Brewing
ChicagoJohn Laffler and Dave Bleitner's program focused on lost styles — Gose, Berliner Weisse, gratzer, traditional fermentation. The Mousetrap taproom is a beer-geek destination.
Known for: Saaz and noble hops in heritage German styles
Phase Three Brewing
Lake ZurichChicago-area NEIPA cult favorite. Tight release schedule, fresh-focused, worth the drive from the city for the hazy IPA chase.
Known for: Citra, Mosaic
Pipeworks Brewing
ChicagoLogan Square production brewery with one of the most adventurous IPA programs in the Midwest. Heavy can-art focus and a serious hazy IPA rotation.
Known for: Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy
All places we cover in Illinois
Half Acre Beer Co.
Chicago · Lincoln Avenue + Bowmanville
Hop Butcher For The World
Darien · Western Chicago suburbs
Maplewood Brewery
Chicago · Logan Square
Off Color Brewing
Chicago · Lincoln Park (Mousetrap) + Logan Square
Phase Three Brewing
Lake Zurich · Northwest Chicago suburbs
Pipeworks Brewing
Chicago · Logan Square
Revolution Brewing
Chicago · Logan Square (brewpub) + Avondale (production)
Scratch Brewing
Ava · Southern Illinois, near Shawnee National Forest (2 hr south of St. Louis)
Goose Island
Chicago
By Freshie region
Places in Illinois span 2 Freshie sub-regions:
Date code formats from Illinois breweries
MM/DD/YY
5 breweries
Common styles in Illinois
Neighboring states
FAQs about craft beer in Illinois
How many craft breweries does Illinois have?
Freshie tracks 9 curated craft beer destinations in Illinois (breweries, brewpubs, and bottle shops), of which 5 have date-code scanner support. The state has many more total breweries — the list here is curated for quality and editorial value.
What styles is Illinois known for?
But the state also produces something very different: Scratch Brewing in Ava, near the Shawnee National Forest, brews foraged farmhouse beer in genuine isolation, and is among the most influential rural breweries in America.
What does Freshie do?
Freshie helps you check whether the craft beer in your fridge is still fresh. Each brewery on the list has its own page explaining how to read its date codes, plus a freshness window based on the beer style. Hop-forward beers like NEIPA fade quickly; stouts and barleywines age well for years.