New Chicago Brewing Renames Itself Ale Syndicate, Finds New Home

By Lorna Juett in Food on Feb 26, 2013 9:40PM

Samuel Evans and Jesse Edwin Evans, co-founders of Ale Syndicate Brewers

Some of you may have wondered what happened to New Chicago Brewing Company, a small brewery who seemed to disappear before they even got started. After they bowed out of their deal to brew at the Back of the Yards neighborhood vertical farm, The Plant, we all lost track of them. While The Plant appears to still be looking to find a brewery to complete their sustainable, no-waste business plan, New Chicago Brewery has taken up a new residence, and a new name; setting up shop at Logan Square’s Green Exchange and re-branding themselves as Ale Syndicate.

Having tasted one of their seasonal beers at the Green Exchange holiday party and after chatting with Jesse and Samuel Evans, the two brothers behind Ale Syndicate, it’s clear that they know what they’re doing. An additional bonus? The fact that these brothers have already run and sold a brewery in California, Lucky Hand leads one to believe that they are more than just homebrewers with capital. Of course, the challenges of running a brewery in Chicago may prove quite different from those in California, but they have a positive attitude about what Chicago has to offer. "This is an amazing time to be a craft brewer. Chicago is the place to be brewing,” said Jesse Evans. “This community of brewers will put Chicago on the map, and we're honored and enthusiastic to be part of it."

Not only will Ale Syndicate open a tap room alongside the brewery later this year, they will also sell their beers to bars and restaurants, starting as soon as March, with retail to follow. Working with River North for distribution, they will have three brews available to consumers to start: Municipal India Pale Ale, Richie Imperial Porter, and Sunday Session. Municipal is an all-Cascade hop ale, Richie has roasted barley and chocolate malts, and Sunday Session is a mellow ale that uses wheat to complement a blend of Cascade, Crystal, and Centennial hops.

In preparation for their spring rollout, and until the building allotted to them on the Green Exchange campus, a former train station, is renovated, Ale Syndicate beers will be brewed at Big Chicago Brewing Company in Zion, Illinois and Galena Brewing Company in Galena, Illinois.