Ravinia Brewing's Production Facility & Taproom in Chicago
Ravinia Brewing Company, which began distribution in 2017 and opened their Taproom + Taco Bar in October 2018, is pleased to announce today that they will be expanding their craft beer footprint with a dedicated production facility and soon-to-be taproom at 2601 W Diversey in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.
Ravinia Brewing has been sharing production space with another brewery in the Fulton Market District for the past 18 months, but the expansion to their own space is a step that has been in the planning stages for almost 2 years. Jeff Hoobler, one of Ravinia Brewing Company's owners, stated, "We are so excited to have full control over our supply chain. Our customers have been asking for more products and greater variety, which we can now deliver thanks to our brand new, 20 barrel, 4-vessel system and accompanying fermenters."
Since 2017, Ravinia Brewing’s portfolio of approachable, true-to-style beers has been the cornerstone of their success in the greater Chicago area. Favorites such as Steep Ravine IPA, Food Truck Pilsner, and Flight of the Rooster Saison consistently receive strong reviews and support from the broader beer community. A barrel-aged version of their saison, affectionately named “Drunken Rooster,” even made it to the medal contention round at last year’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
The theme of Ravinia Brewing's Taproom + Taco Bar will be carried through to their new Logan Square location, which will feature a constant rotation of innovative and classic craft beer styles. This will be complemented by Chef Eloin Amador's Mexican street food, which has received rave reviews at their Highland Park location. Chef Eloin (El) stated, "Having a much larger kitchen will allow us to bring some of the best flavors from Mexico City to our customers. Our homemade tortillas are just the beginning. Our taproom in Logan Square will allow us to expand with a variety of fresh and authentic offerings made right in front of you."
In conjunction with the opening of their new production facility, Ravinia Brewing is also pleased to announce it is signing a letter of intent with Southern Illinois University (SIU) to develop a collaborative relationship with SIU’s Fermentation Science Institute located in Carbondale. The Fermentation Science Institute, under the leadership of Dr. Matt McCarroll, Professor of Chemistry, offers students the ability to major in fermentation science; many of their graduates go on to become brewers. The letter of intent is a preliminary step towards implementing a proposal Ravinia Brewing Company submitted in response to a request for information SIU publicized in 2018. Ravinia Brewing Company plans to establish an on-site facility at SIU to provide fermentation science students the ability to gain real-world, practical brewing experience to accompany the fundamental theory and classroom work that is so critical to long-term success. In return, Ravinia Brewing will benefit from SIU's world-class laboratories featuring yeast management, sensory, quality control, and R&D offerings.
Said Kris Walker, one of Ravinia Brewing's owners, "We've been working on the collaboration with SIU for a couple of years now, and we're really excited to be kicking off the first stage with a working brewery that the students can learn from. In addition to the educational benefits, it opens up an amazing amount of opportunity for us to leverage their world-class resources. A recent example of this occurred where SIU was able to extract two strains of alcohol-producing yeast for us taken from a favorite spot in Asia - and this is just scratching the surface!"
Ravinia Brewing has been sharing production space with another brewery in the Fulton Market District for the past 18 months, but the expansion to their own space is a step that has been in the planning stages for almost 2 years. Jeff Hoobler, one of Ravinia Brewing Company's owners, stated, "We are so excited to have full control over our supply chain. Our customers have been asking for more products and greater variety, which we can now deliver thanks to our brand new, 20 barrel, 4-vessel system and accompanying fermenters."
Since 2017, Ravinia Brewing’s portfolio of approachable, true-to-style beers has been the cornerstone of their success in the greater Chicago area. Favorites such as Steep Ravine IPA, Food Truck Pilsner, and Flight of the Rooster Saison consistently receive strong reviews and support from the broader beer community. A barrel-aged version of their saison, affectionately named “Drunken Rooster,” even made it to the medal contention round at last year’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
The theme of Ravinia Brewing's Taproom + Taco Bar will be carried through to their new Logan Square location, which will feature a constant rotation of innovative and classic craft beer styles. This will be complemented by Chef Eloin Amador's Mexican street food, which has received rave reviews at their Highland Park location. Chef Eloin (El) stated, "Having a much larger kitchen will allow us to bring some of the best flavors from Mexico City to our customers. Our homemade tortillas are just the beginning. Our taproom in Logan Square will allow us to expand with a variety of fresh and authentic offerings made right in front of you."
In conjunction with the opening of their new production facility, Ravinia Brewing is also pleased to announce it is signing a letter of intent with Southern Illinois University (SIU) to develop a collaborative relationship with SIU’s Fermentation Science Institute located in Carbondale. The Fermentation Science Institute, under the leadership of Dr. Matt McCarroll, Professor of Chemistry, offers students the ability to major in fermentation science; many of their graduates go on to become brewers. The letter of intent is a preliminary step towards implementing a proposal Ravinia Brewing Company submitted in response to a request for information SIU publicized in 2018. Ravinia Brewing Company plans to establish an on-site facility at SIU to provide fermentation science students the ability to gain real-world, practical brewing experience to accompany the fundamental theory and classroom work that is so critical to long-term success. In return, Ravinia Brewing will benefit from SIU's world-class laboratories featuring yeast management, sensory, quality control, and R&D offerings.
Said Kris Walker, one of Ravinia Brewing's owners, "We've been working on the collaboration with SIU for a couple of years now, and we're really excited to be kicking off the first stage with a working brewery that the students can learn from. In addition to the educational benefits, it opens up an amazing amount of opportunity for us to leverage their world-class resources. A recent example of this occurred where SIU was able to extract two strains of alcohol-producing yeast for us taken from a favorite spot in Asia - and this is just scratching the surface!"
Said McCarroll, “We are thrilled with the opportunity to expand our relationship with Ravinia Brewing. A campus brewery will be an incredible asset in the training of students. We couldn't be more excited that Ravinia Brewing has stepped up to the challenge and sees the collective opportunities to learn, grow, and share many beers together. We look forward to an incredibly collaborative future!” John Dunn, Chancellor of SIU, offered, "The SIU connection to Chicago has always been strong with over 40,000 alumni residing in the greater Chicago area. This expanded connection to Chicago through our collaboration with Ravinia Brewing is something that we are thrilled to get behind, and we look forward to working with Ravinia Brewing on a range of new and exciting opportunities over the coming years both in Chicago and on our campus in Carbondale!"
Brewing operations at the 2601 W Diversey location are set to begin in September, with the taproom planned to open early 2020. Catherine Price, Ravinia Brewing's Director of Operations stated, "We are so excited to be entering the Chicago market with a dedicated presence, and we couldn't be happier about the location. We are walking distance from two exceptional breweries in Metropolitan and Maplewood, and about a mile away from some of our other favorites! We believe that our presence in the neighborhood will create another destination for craft beer seekers, similar to the Malt Row and Fulton Market Brewing Districts. We also have 20 parking spaces, and being right off the expressway, it's very easy to make a quick trip to come and see us!"
Ravinia Brewing's core pillars of "Community, Craft, and Creation" will continue to lay the foundation of their efforts at 2601 W Diversey. They will be bringing with them to Chicago such notable programs as their "Pay It Forward Board" and "Give Back Mondays," which have contributed more than $20k to local charitable organizations to date. "Community is the cornerstone of who we are," said Walker. "We are fortunate that the Ravinia, Highland Park, and North Shore communities have been so great to us over the past couple of years and have helped us build a special gathering place that we feel has really enhanced our neighborhood. We can't wait to share that same community spirit with our new friends and family in Chicago."
To celebrate their move to Logan Square, Ravinia Brewing will be hosting an outdoor "block party" with neighboring restaurant Arbor from 6:30-10:30pm on Thursday, Sept 5th in the parking lot between Ravinia Brewing and Green Exchange. Bears fans will also know this date as opening day for the NFL Season as the Bears take on the Packers at Soldier Field. The teams from Ravinia Brewing and Arbor will make sure you don't miss a play as the game will be projected on an oversized screen for all to see, while one of the best neighborhood DJs will be spinning tunes for those not as pre-disposed to the gridiron. Food from Arbor and beers from Ravinia Brewing will be available all night for purchase - with outdoor games, giveaways, brewery sneak-peeks, and general community until the last whistle blows.
For further information on Ravinia Brewing Company, contact Catherine Price at 773-362-5553
For further information on SIU’s Fermentation Sciences program, contact Matt McCarrol at 618-453-7508
Brewing operations at the 2601 W Diversey location are set to begin in September, with the taproom planned to open early 2020. Catherine Price, Ravinia Brewing's Director of Operations stated, "We are so excited to be entering the Chicago market with a dedicated presence, and we couldn't be happier about the location. We are walking distance from two exceptional breweries in Metropolitan and Maplewood, and about a mile away from some of our other favorites! We believe that our presence in the neighborhood will create another destination for craft beer seekers, similar to the Malt Row and Fulton Market Brewing Districts. We also have 20 parking spaces, and being right off the expressway, it's very easy to make a quick trip to come and see us!"
Ravinia Brewing's core pillars of "Community, Craft, and Creation" will continue to lay the foundation of their efforts at 2601 W Diversey. They will be bringing with them to Chicago such notable programs as their "Pay It Forward Board" and "Give Back Mondays," which have contributed more than $20k to local charitable organizations to date. "Community is the cornerstone of who we are," said Walker. "We are fortunate that the Ravinia, Highland Park, and North Shore communities have been so great to us over the past couple of years and have helped us build a special gathering place that we feel has really enhanced our neighborhood. We can't wait to share that same community spirit with our new friends and family in Chicago."
To celebrate their move to Logan Square, Ravinia Brewing will be hosting an outdoor "block party" with neighboring restaurant Arbor from 6:30-10:30pm on Thursday, Sept 5th in the parking lot between Ravinia Brewing and Green Exchange. Bears fans will also know this date as opening day for the NFL Season as the Bears take on the Packers at Soldier Field. The teams from Ravinia Brewing and Arbor will make sure you don't miss a play as the game will be projected on an oversized screen for all to see, while one of the best neighborhood DJs will be spinning tunes for those not as pre-disposed to the gridiron. Food from Arbor and beers from Ravinia Brewing will be available all night for purchase - with outdoor games, giveaways, brewery sneak-peeks, and general community until the last whistle blows.
For further information on Ravinia Brewing Company, contact Catherine Price at 773-362-5553
For further information on SIU’s Fermentation Sciences program, contact Matt McCarrol at 618-453-7508
