Since opening on Christmas Eve, Haymarket Pub & Brewery had been serving only selections from other breweries while brewmaster Pete Crowley played catchup and raced to fill the tanks with his own stuff. Late last week Crowley was finally able to tap the first three of Haymarket's offerings for customers - a Belgian Pale ale, an India Pale ale and an abbey-style Dubbel. We were able to sample all three. more ›

A rising tide floats all boats: our classical music correspondent Alex Hough asked me the other day if there was any rhyme or reason behind all the recent brewery and brewpub openings, or if it was just a coincidence. I allowed that it was a bit of both. Craft beer sales increased last year by 7.2 percent in volume and 10.3 percent in sales dollars. While Chicago has lagged in other areas of the country as a craft beer community, the learning curve for consumers has been fast and they've coalesced around the new openings. It doesn't hurt that the established breweries and brewpubs in the area produce an overall high quality product. more ›

Since Goose Island renewed the lease on their Clybourn brewpub at the last minute in 2008, they've been actively moving forward to improve both the quality of both its beers and its food. John Manion's short stint at the brewpub laid the foundation to the new menu advancements of current chef Andrew Horza. Hroza is a certified cicerone and well-qualified to know the intricacies between pairing beer with food. more ›

As if you needed another excuse for a beer, Revolution Brewing (2323 N. Milwaukee, 773-227-2739) opens officially in about twenty minutes. The brewpub from Handlebar owner Josh Deth will feature brews from Deth and brewmaster Jim Cibak. The food menu won't be as vegan-friendly as Handlebar's menu; no menu that starts off with bacon fat popcorn can. more ›

As The Stranger once told The Dude, "Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes, well, he eats you." We're still trying to process who ate whom at RB Grille and why someone thought it was a good idea to renovate a sizable part of perfectly functioning brewpub into a lukewarm bistro. more ›