Jared Rouben Leaving Goose Island To Start Brewery

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jan 3, 2013 9:20PM

Jared Rouben (with Rare Tea Cellars' Rod Markus at left) during the brewing of Sai Shan Tea in 2010. (Chicagoist/Chuck Sudo)

The Goose Island exodus continues. Greg Hall left long ago, Founder and CEO John Hall left in November, brewer John Laffler left in December and now Jared Rouben, master of the Goose Island Brewpub, has told the Trib that he's leaving.

The Tribune just reported that Rouben, who has run the brewpub and the wonderful chef collaboration series for three years, resigned this week. He's off to start his own tap room.

"Though it doesn't have a name yet, Rouben said he is closing in on a space that will include a tap room and hopes to be producing beer by the end of 2013. His last day at Goose will be in mid-January."

He plans to continue chef collaborations, make seasonal beers and produce one year-round signature beer. This will definitely be a brewery to watch, though with all the new breweries we wonder if 2013 is the year that the Chicago craft brewing scene will begin to hit the saturation point.