List of breweries in Illinois
in Illinois produce a wide range of beers in different styles that are marketed locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Brewing companies vary widely in the volume and variety of beer produced, from small nanobreweries and microbreweries to massive multinational conglomerate macrobreweries. Illinois is the 25th most extensive and the fifth most populous of the 50 states, and is often noted as a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities, great agricultural productivity, and natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a broad economic base.
In 2012 Illinois' 83 breweries and brewpubs employed 1,300 people directly, and more than 45,000 others in related jobs such as wholesaling and retailing. Including people directly employed in brewing, as well as those who supply Illinois' breweries with everything from ingredients to machinery, the total business and personal tax revenue generated by Illinois' breweries and related industries was more than $1.4 billion. Consumer purchases of Illinois' brewery products generated almost $450 million extra in tax revenue. In 2012, according to the Brewers Association, Illinois ranked 36th in the number of craft breweries per capita with 68.
For context, at the end of 2013 there were 2,822 breweries in the United States, including 2,768 craft breweries subdivided into 1,237 brewpubs, 1,412 microbreweries and 119 regional craft breweries. In that same year, according to the Beer Institute, the brewing industry employed around 43,000 Americans in brewing and distribution and had a combined economic impact of more than $246 billion.
An analysis done in 2015 reported that Chicago craft brewers occupied more square feet of commercial real estate than those of any other U.S. city. According to the same study, Chicago had 144 craft breweries, second only to Portland, Oregon which had 196. In 2017, the Chicago Tribune reported that "the Chicago area has the most breweries in the nation, with 202 – topping Denver's 198 and Seattle's 168. The Chicago area includes small portions of Indiana and Wisconsin."
Breweries
| Name | Bottling or canning | Brewpub | Taproom | Location and other information |
| 2 Fools Cider | Apple cider brewery and taproom in Naperville, opened in 2016. | |||
| 25 O'Clock Brewing Company | Urbana, opened in 2017, added a taprooom in 2018. | |||
| 350 Brewing Company | Tinley Park, opened in 2014. | |||
| 4204 Main Street Brewing Company | Opened in 2014. They now have three locations – two in Belleville and one in Alton. | |||
| 5 Rabbit Cervecería | Founded in Chicago in 2011. Originally the beer was contract brewed. They opened their own brewery in Bedford Park in 2012, and added a taproom in 2014. | |||
| 57 70 Brewery | Teutopolis, opened in 2018. | |||
| 718 Brew Cafe | Metropolis, opened in 2016. | |||
| 93 Octane Brewery | St. Charles, opened in 2019. | |||
| Adams Street Brewery | Opened in 2019 in the Berghoff restaurant in Chicago. | |||
| Afterthought Brewing Company | Nanobrewery in Lombard, opened in 2017. | |||
| Alarmist Brewing | Chicago, opened in 2015. Added a taproom in 2017. | |||
| Aleman Brewing Company | Chicago, founded in 2013. Initially the beer was contract brewed. Opened their own brewery in 2016. | |||
| All Rise Brewing Company | The brewery began operations in 2014, inside the existing Cobra Lounge in Chicago. | |||
| Alter Brewing Company | Downers Grove, opened in 2015. Added a canning line in 2017. | |||
| Alulu | Chicago, opened in 2017. | |||
| Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling | Springfield, opened in 2018. | |||
| Apple Knocker Hard Cider | Cider brewery in Cobden, opened in 2012. | |||
| Arrowhead Ales Brewing Company | New Lenox, opened in 2016. | |||
| Art History Brewing | Geneva, opened in 2020. | |||
| Ballast Point Tasting Room and Kitchen | Ballast Point Brewing Company was founded in San Diego in 1996. It was acquired by Constellation Brands in 2015. The brewpub in Chicago opened in 2018. Most of the beer there comes from Ballast Point breweries in California and Virginia, but some is brewed onsite. | |||
| Band of Bohemia | Chicago, opened in 2015. | |||
| Bearded Owl Brewing | Peoria, opened in 2018. | |||
| Begyle Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2012. The taproom opened in 2015. | |||
| Belly Up Beer Company | Western Springs, opened in 2016. | |||
| Bent River Brewing Company | Brewpub in Moline, bottling line and taproom in Rock Island. Founded in 1997. | |||
| Big Muddy Brewing | Murphysboro, founded in 2009. | |||
| Big Thorn Brewery | Georgetown, opened in 2016. | |||
| Birreria Chicago | Chicago, opened in 2013 inside Eataly Chicago. | |||
| Bixi Beer | Chicago, opened in 2018. | |||
| Black & Gray Brewing Company | East Dundee, opened in 2019. | |||
| Black Horizon Brewing Company | Willowbrook, opened in 2017. | |||
| Black Lung Brewing Company | Waukegan, opened in 2019, an alternating proprietorship brewing and distributing out of ZümBier. | |||
| Blind Pig Brewery | Champaign. The beer bar opened in 2004. The separate microbrewery and taproom opened in 2009. | |||
| Blue Island Beer Company | Blue Island, opened in 2015. | |||
| Blue Nose Brewery | Opened in Justice in 2012, moved to Hodgkins in 2015. | |||
| Bosacki's Home Brew | Mundelein, opened in 2016. | |||
| BrickStone Restaurant & Brewery | Bourbonnais, opened in 2006. | |||
| Brother Chimp Brewing | North Aurora, opened in 2020. | |||
| Brothership Brewing | Mokena, opened in 2020. | |||
| BuckleDown Brewing | Lyons, opened in 2013. | |||
| Buffalo Creek Brewing | Long Grove, opened in 2017. | |||
| Burning Bush Brewery | Chicago, opened in 2020. | |||
| Buzz Bomb Brewing Company | Springfield, opened in 2018. Added a second brewery, in Illiopolis, later that year. | |||
| Carbondale Craft Beer | Ava, makers of Little Egypt beer, founded in 2012. | |||
| Carlyle Brewing Company | Rockford, opened in 2003. | |||
| Cary Ale House & Brewing Company | Cary. The restaurant opened in 2015. They added an in-house brewery in 2018. | |||
| Church Street Brewing Company | Itasca, opened in 2012. | |||
| Corridor Brewery & Provisions | Chicago, opened in 2015. Added a canning line in 2017. | |||
| Crushed by Giants | Chicago, opened in 2020. | |||
| Cruz Blanca | Founded by chef Rick Bayless in 2015, the beer was originally contract brewed. The brewpub in Chicago opened in 2016. | |||
| Crystal Lake Brewing | Crystal Lake, opened in 2014. | |||
| D and G Brewing Company | St. Charles, opened in 2018. | |||
| Decatur Brew Works | Decatur, opened in 2016. | |||
| Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works | The brewpub in Normal opened in 2007 and the one in Champaign opened in 2011. The production brewery in Bloomington opened in 2013. It was replaced by a new brewery and taproom in Normal in 2017. | |||
| District Brew Yards | Chicago, opened in 2019 as a brewery run cooperatively by three brewing companies – Burnt City Brewing, Around the Bend Beer Company, and Bold Dog Beer Company. Added a fourth company, Casa Humilde Cervecería Artesanal, later that year. | |||
| Door 4 Brewing Company | Decatur, opened in 2017. | |||
| Dovetail Brewery | Chicago, opened in 2016. | |||
| Dry City Brew Works | Wheaton, opened in 2014. | |||
| DryHop Brewers | Chicago, opened in 2013. | |||
| Effing Brew Company | Effingham, opened in 2018. | |||
| Elder Brewing Company | Joliet, opened in 2017. | |||
| Elmhurst Brewing Company | Elmhurst, opened in 2018. | |||
| Emancipation Brewing Company | Fairbury, opened in 2019. | |||
| Emmett's Brewing Company | West Dundee, Palatine, Downers Grove, Wheaton; founded in 1998. | |||
| Empirical Brewery | Chicago, opened in 2014. In 2015 they added a taproom. | |||
| Energy City Brewing | Batavia, opened in 2017. | |||
| Engrained Brewing Company | Springfield, opened in 2013. | |||
| Eris Brewery and Cider House | Cider and beer brewery and restaurant in Chicago, opened in 2018. | |||
| Evil Horse Brewing Company | Crete, opened in 2016. | |||
| Excel Brewing Company | Breese. Founded as a soft drink company in 1936, Excel Bottling Company started brewing beer in 2012. | |||
| Exit Strategy Brewing Company | Forest Park, opened in 2015. | |||
| Fibs Brewing Company | Des Plaines, opened in 2019. | |||
| Finch Beer Company | Chicago. Opened in 2011 as Finch's Beer Company. In 2016 they changed their name to Finch Beer Company and opened a brewpub at a second location, which closed later that year. In 2017 they bought the Like Minds brewery and moved their operations there. | |||
| Flapjack Brewery | Berwyn, opened in 2017. | |||
| Flesk Brewing | Opened in Lombard in 2013. Moved to Barrington and added a taproom in 2017. | |||
| Flossmoor Station Brewing Company | Flossmoor. Brewpub opened in 1996, bottling operation started in 2008. | |||
| Forbidden Root | Founded in Chicago in 2013, the beer was initially brewed at various locations. The brewpub opened in 2016. | |||
| Forge Brewhouse | Opened as a brewpub in Sycamore in 2015. Moved to a production brewery and taproom in DeKalb in 2018. | |||
| Forgottonia Brewing | Macomb, opened in 2019. | |||
| Galena Brewing Company | The brewpub in Galena opened in 2010. The taproom in Moline opened in 2019. | |||
| Garage Band Brewing | Plainfield, opened in 2019. | |||
| Generations Brewing Company | Freeport, opened in 2014. | |||
| Geneseo Brewing Company | Geneseo, opened in 2015. | |||
| Gino's Brewing Company | Gino's East added a brewery at its River North restaurant in Chicago in 2015. | |||
| Golden Fox Brewing | Decatur, opened in 2018. | |||
| Goldfinger Brewing Company | Downers Grove, opened in 2020. | |||
| Goose Island Beer Company | Founded in Chicago in 1988 as a brewpub on Clybourn Avenue, Goose Island opened a bottling plant on Fulton Street in 1995, and a second brewpub, in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, in 1999. The production brewery and its beers, but not the brewpubs, were purchased by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2011. Goose Island now has national distribution, and some of the beer is produced at other breweries. A brewery taproom opened in 2015. The Wrigleyville brewpub closed in 2015. The Clybourn Avenue brewpub was bought by AB InBev in 2016. | |||
| Granite City Food & Brewery | With its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Granite City operates several dozen brewpubs in the Midwest, including three in Illinois, in Naperville, Rockford, and Schaumburg. | |||
| Great Central Brewing Company | Contract brewery in Chicago, opened in 2016. The taproom opened in 2017. | |||
| Greenstar Brewing | Located at the Uncommon Ground restaurant in Chicago, Greenstar began production in 2014 as the first organic brewery in Illinois. | |||
| Hailstorm Brewing | Tinley Park, opened in 2014. | |||
| Hairy Cow Brewing Company | Byron, opened in 2018. | |||
| Half Acre Beer Company | Half Acre was founded in 2007, with the beer initially contract brewed in Wisconsin. The brewery on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago started production in 2009, and the tap room opened in 2012. In 2015, a second, larger brewery started production on Balmoral Avenue, a mile and a half from the first location. The Lincoln Avenue tap room added a kitchen in 2016. The Balmoral Avenue brewery added a brewpub in 2017. | |||
| Half Day Brewing Company | Lincolnshire, opened in 2016. | |||
| Hand of Fate Brewing Company | Petersburg, opened in 2016. | |||
| Harbor Brewing Company | Winthrop Harbor, opened in 2018. | |||
| Hardware | Brewpub in North Aurora, opened in 2016. | |||
| Haymarket Pub & Brewery | The brewpub in Chicago opened in 2010. The second brewpub and production brewery in Bridgman, Michigan opened in 2017. | |||
| Hickory Creek Brewing Company | New Lenox, opened in 2018. | |||
| Hofbräuhaus | Hofbräuhaus Chicago opened in Rosemont in 2013. Hofbräuhaus St. Louis opened in Belleville in 2018. The brewpubs are part of an international chain licensed by the original Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany. | |||
| Holzlager Brewing Company | Woodstock, opened in 2019. | |||
| The Hop Brewery | Christopher, opened in 2017. | |||
| Hopewell Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2016. | |||
| Hopskeller Brewing Company | Waterloo, opened in 2016. | |||
| Hopvine Brewing Company | Aurora, opened in 2013. | |||
| Horse Thief Hollow | Chicago, opened in 2013. | |||
| Ike & Oak Brewing Company | Woodridge, opened in 2019. | |||
| Illuminated Brew Works | Chicago, opened in 2014. | |||
| Imperial Oak Brewing | Willow Springs, opened in 2014. | |||
| Industry Brewing Company | Peoria, opened in 2017. | |||
| Iron Spike Brewing Company | Galesburg, opened in 2014, added a canning line in 2016. | |||
| Itasca Brewing Company | Itasca, opened in 2017. | |||
| Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales | Jolly Pumpkin was founded in Dexter, Michigan in 2004, and now has several locations. The Chicago brewpub opened in 2017. Most of the beer there comes from the Dexter brewery, but some is brewed onsite. | |||
| JT Walker's Brewery | Mahomet, opened in 2013. | |||
| Keg Grove Brewing Company | Bloomington, opened in 2018. | |||
| Kings & Convicts Brewing Company | Highwood, opened in 2017. In 2019 they acquired Ballast Point Brewing Company. | |||
| Kinslahger Brewing Company | Oak Park, opened in 2016. | |||
| Knox County Brewing Company | Galesburg, opened in 2018. | |||
| Lagunitas Brewing Company | Founded in 1993, and based in Petaluma, California since 1994, Lagunitas built a second brewery in Chicago in 2014, the largest in the city. The brewpub opened a few months later. In 2015 Heineken International purchased a 50% stake in the company, and in 2017 it purchased the other 50%. | |||
| Lake Bluff Brewing Company | Lake Bluff, opened in 2011. | |||
| Lake Effect Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2012. | |||
| Lake Zurich Brewing Company | Lake Zurich, opened in 2018. | |||
| Lena Brewing Company | Lena, opened in 2015. | |||
| Lieferbräu Brewery | Red Bud, opened in 2018. | |||
| Light the Lamp Brewery | Grayslake, opened in 2012. | |||
| Lil Beaver Brewery | Bloomington, opened in 2018. | |||
| Limerick Brewing Company | Lincoln. The Spirited Republic tavern opened in 2015. They added a brewery in 2018. | |||
| Lionstone Brewing | Geneseo, opened in 2015. | |||
| Lo-Rez Brewing | Chicago, opened in 2016. Added a taproom in 2017. | |||
| Lot 50 Brewing | Paris, opened in 2018. | |||
| The Lucky Monk | South Barrington, opened in 2009. | |||
| Lunar Brewing Company | Villa Park, opened in 1998. | |||
| Macushla Brewing Company | Glenview, opened in 2017. | |||
| Mad Hatchet Brewing | Shorewood, opened in 2019. | |||
| Maplewood Brewery & Distillery | Founded in Chicago as Mercenary in 2014, renamed to Maplewood in 2015. The brewpub opened in 2017. | |||
| Marz Community Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2014. Moved to a new location in 2017, and added a brewpub in 2018. | |||
| McHenry Brewing Company | McHenry, opened in 2018. | |||
| Metal Monkey Brewing | Romeoville, opened in 2016. | |||
| Metropolitan Brewing | Chicago, founded in 2008. Moved to a new location and added a taproom in 2017. | |||
| Mickey Finn's Brewery | Libertyville, opened in 1994; moved to a new location in 2014. | |||
| Middle Brow Beer Company | Chicago, began production in 2014. The beer has been contract brewed at various breweries in the Chicago area. In 2019 they opened their own brewpub, called Bungalow. Some of their packaged beer is still produced under contract. | |||
| Midwest Coast Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2019. | |||
| Mikerphone Brewing | Founded in Chicago in 2015. At first the beer was brewed at SlapShot, then at Une Année. They opened their own brewery in Elk Grove Village in 2017. | |||
| Miskatonic Brewing Company | Darien, opened in 2015. | |||
| Molly's Pint Brewpub | Murphysboro, opened in 2017. | |||
| Monarch Brewing Company | Monticello, opened in 2017. | |||
| Moody Tongue Brewing Company | Chicago, founded in 2014. Added a tap room in 2016. In 2019 they moved to the larger, vacant Baderbrau Brewing Company building and expaneded the food menu, closing the old location in June of that year and opening the new one in November. | |||
| More Brewing Company | The brewpub in Villa Park opened in 2017. The one in Huntley opened in 2020. | |||
| Motor Row Brewing | Chicago, opened in 2015. | |||
| MyGrain Brewing Company | Joliet, opened in 2017. | |||
| Nightshade and Dark's Pandemonium Brewing | Waukegan, opened in 2019. | |||
| Noon Whistle Brewing | The brewery and taproom in Lombard opened in 2014. The production brewery in Naperville opened in 2020. | |||
| North Shore Cider Company | Cider brewery in Evanston, opened in 2017. | |||
| Oak Park Brewing Company | Oak Park, co-located with Hamburger Mary's Show Lounge; opened in 2016. | |||
| Obed & Isaac's | The brewpub in Springfield opened in 2012. The brewpub in Peoria opened in 2016. | |||
| Obscurity Brewing & Craft Mead | Beer and mead brewery and restaurant in Elburn, opened in 2020. | |||
| Off Color Brewing | Chicago, opened in 2013. A second brewery, with a taproom called the Mousetrap, opened in 2017. | |||
| O'Griff's Grill & Brewhouse | Quincy, opened in 1994. | |||
| Old Bakery Beer Company | Alton, opened in 2015. | |||
| Old Herald Brewery and Distillery | Collinsville, opened in 2019. | |||
| Old Irving Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2016; brewpub inspired by the cuisine of Homaro Cantu. | |||
| On Tour Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2017. | |||
| One Allegiance Brewing | Chicago Ridge, opened in 2020. | |||
| One Lake Brewing | Oak Park, opened in 2019. | |||
| One Trick Pony | Lansing, opened in 2012. | |||
| Only Child Brewing | Opened in Northbrook in 2013, moved to Gurnee in 2015. | |||
| Open Outcry Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2017. | |||
| Opera House Brewing Company | Hillsboro, opened in 2018. | |||
| Oswego Brewing Company | Oswego, opened in 2018. | |||
| Peckish Pig | Evanston, opened in 2014. | |||
| Peel Brewing Company | O'Fallon, opened in 2014. | |||
| Penrose Brewing Company | Geneva, opened in 2014. | |||
| Piece Brewery and Pizzeria | Chicago, opened in 2001. | |||
| Pig Minds Brewing Company | Vegan brewpub in Machesney Park, opened in 2012. | |||
| Pilot Project | Chicago, opened in 2019. | |||
| Pipeworks Brewing Company | Chicago, opened in 2012, moved to a larger space in 2015. | |||
| Pollyanna Brewing Company | Lemont, opened in 2014. A second brewery, with a taproom called Roselare, opened in Roselle in 2017. A third location, in St. Charles, opened in 2019. | |||
| Prairie Krafts Brewing Company | Buffalo Grove, opened in 2016. | |||
| Prairie Street Brewing Company | Rockford. Opened as Rockford Brewing Company in 2013, in the old Peacock Brewery. Renamed to Prairie Street in 2016. | |||
| Rabid Brewing | Homewood, opened in 2017. | |||
| Radicle Effect Brewerks | Rock Island, opened in 2012 as Against the Grain Brewery & Alehouse, changed their name in 2014 to Radicle Effect Brewerks. | |||
| Radium City Brewing | Ottawa, opened in 2015. | |||
| Ravinia Brewing Company | Founded in 2017. Initially the beer was contract brewed at Finch Brewery. The pub in Highland Park opened in 2018, with the beer brought in from offsite. The production brewery in Chicago opened in 2019. | |||
| Rebellion Brew Haus | Moline, opened in 2016. | |||
| Recess Brewing | Edwardsville, opened in 2014. | |||
| Revolution Brewing | Chicago. The brewpub opened in 2010. The separate production brewery and taproom opened in 2012. | |||
| Rhodell Brewery | Peoria, opened in 1998. Moved to a larger location in 2015. | |||
| Riggs Beer Company | Urbana, opened in 2016. | |||
| Right Bee Cider | Apple cider brewery in Chicago, opened in 2014. The taproom opened in 2019. | |||
| River Hawk Brewing | Channahon, opened in 2017. | |||
| Riverlands Brewing Company | St. Charles, opened in 2019. | |||
| Roaring Table Brewing Company | Lake Zurich, opened in 2017. | |||
| Roebuck Pizza | Chicago, opened in 2019. | |||
| Rolling Meadows Brewery | Cantrall, opened in 2011. | |||
| Route 51 Brewing Company | Elkville, opened in 2017. | |||
| Scorched Earth Brewing Company | Algonquin, opened in 2014. | |||
| Scratch Brewing Company | Ava, opened in 2013. | |||
| Sew Hop'd Brewery & Tap Room | Huntley, opened in 2019. | |||
| ShadowView Brewing | Woodstock, restaurant opened in 2018, commenced brewing in 2019. | |||
| Short Fuse Brewing Company | Schiller Park, opened in 2017. | |||
| Side Lot Brewery | Wauconda, opened in 2016. | |||
| Skeleton Key Brewery | Woodridge, opened in 2016. | |||
| Sketchbook Brewing Company | The brewery in Evanston opened in 2014, and added a taproom in 2016. The brewery and taproom in Skokie opened in 2020. | |||
| Smylie Brothers Brewing Company | Evanston brewpub, opened in 2014. In 2018 they started brewing some of their beer in Chicago at the former Aquanaut brewery. | |||
| Solemn Oath Brewery | Naperville, founded in 2012. | |||
| Soundgrowler Brewing | Tinley Park, opened in 2017. | |||
| Spirit Water | Cary, opened in 2020. | |||
| Spiteful Brewing | Chicago, opened in 2012. Moved to a new location and added a taproom in 2017. | |||
| Springfield Beer Company | Springfield, opened in 2019. | |||
| Steam Hollow Brewing Company | Manteno, opened in 2019. | |||
| St. Nicholas Brewing Company | Du Quoin, opened in 2014. | |||
| Stockholm's | Geneva, opened in 2002. | |||
| Stubborn German Brewing Company | Waterloo, opened in 2016. | |||
| Tangled Roots Brewing Company | Ottawa, opened in 2016, co-located with the Lone Buffalo restaurant. | |||
| Temperance Beer Company | Evanston, opened in 2013. | |||
| Ten Ninety Brewing Company | Founded in 2013. Initially the beer was contract brewed at Big Chicago Brewing Company in Zion, which Ten Ninety then acquired in 2014. The brewery moved to a new location with a taproom in Glenview in 2016. They added a kitchen in 2019. | |||
| Three Angels Brewing | Yorkville, opened in 2012. | |||
| Tighthead Brewing Company | Mundelein, opened in 2011. | |||
| Trail's Edge Brewing Company | Frankfort, opened in 2018 at the Smokey Barque restaurant. | |||
| Tribes Beer Company | Started as the Tribes Alehouse bar and restaurant in Mokena and Tinley Park, then added a brewery at the Mokena location in 2015. Opened a larger brewery and taproom in Mokena in 2018. The first Mokena location closed in 2019. | |||
| Triptych Brewing | Savoy, opened in 2013. | |||
| Twisted Hippo | Founded in Chicago as Rude Hippo in 2014 and later renamed to Twisted Hippo. The beer was contract brewed at 18th Street Brewery in Gary, Indiana, SlapShot Brewing in Chicago, and Aleman Brewing in Chicago. They opened their own brewpub in 2019. | |||
| Two Brothers Brewing | Two Brothers opened in 1997, and started bottling their beer in 1998. They have three brewpubs — one at the main brewery in Warrenville, one at the Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, and one in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2017 they also started distilling hard liquor at the Aurora location. | |||
| Two Doors Down Brewery | Clinton, opened in 2018. | |||
| Two Hound Red | Glen Ellyn brewpub, opened in 2019. | |||
| Une Année Brewery | Opened in Chicago in 2013. Moved to Niles and added a taproom in 2017. Moved to a different location in Niles and added a kitchen in 2020. | |||
| Unpossible Mead | Meadery in Dwight, taproom opened in 2018 | |||
| Urban Forest Craft Brewing | Rockford, opened in 2020. | |||
| Urban Renewal Brewery | Chicago, opened in 2018. | |||
| Village Vintner Winery & Brewery | Algonquin, opened in 2012. | |||
| Von Jakob Vineyard & Brewery | Alto Pass. The vineyard was founded in 1996. The brewery opened in 2011. | |||
| Wake Brewing | Rock Island, opened in 2017. | |||
| Werk Force Brewing Company | Plainfield, opened in 2014. | |||
| Whiner Beer Company | Chicago, opened in 2016. | |||
| Whiskey Hill Brewing Company | Westmont, opened in 2018. | |||
| White Oak Brewing | Normal, opened in 2015; added a taproom in 2017. | |||
| White Rooster Farmhouse Brewery | Sparta, opened in 2017. | |||
| Wild Blossom Meadery | Chicago; opened in 2001; moved to a new location and added a taproom in 2017. Wild Blossom brews mead, using their own honey, and also makes wine and beer. | |||
| Wild Onion Brewery | Lake Barrington. The brewery opened in 1996 and the Onion Pub brewpub opened in 2003. The Wild Onion Tied House restaurant opened in Oak Park in 2017; the beer there is brought in from the Lake Barrington brewery. | |||
| Will County Brewing Company | Shorewood, opened in 2018. | |||
| Wishful Acres Farm & Brewery | Lena, opened in 2016. | |||
| Wolfden Brewing Company | Bloomingdale, opened in 2018. | |||
| ZümBier | Waukegan, opened in 2014. |
Other beer companies
- Around the Bend Beer Company was founded in Chicago in 2015. Their beer has been brewed at Ale Syndicate, Excel, and Burnt City. It is now brewed at District Brew Yards.
- Banging Gavel Brews, Chicago, founded in 2014. The beer is contract brewed at Church Street Brewing.
- Bold Dog Beer Company, founded in Chicago in 2016. Their beer was brewed at Lake Effect and is now brewed at District Brew Yards.
- Burnt City Brewing, Chicago. Originally named Atlas Brewing Company. The brewpub on Lincoln Avenue opened in 2012. The production brewery on 99th Street opened in 2015. Renamed to Burnt City Brewing in 2016. The two locations were merged into a new brewery called District Brew Yards in 2019.
- Cahoots Brewing was founded in Oak Park in 2013, and is currently based in Forest Park. The beer is contract brewed at Church Street Brewing Company and Ten Ninety Brewing Company.
- Casa Humilde Cervecería Artesanal, Chicago, began operations in 2019 in the District Brew Yards brewery.
- Golden Prairie Fermentations, Chicago. Golden Prairie had its own brewery in the 1990s. The brand was re-launched by Argus Brewery in 2018.
- Gun Craft Beer, Lake Barrington, started in 2017. The beer is contract brewed at Church Street Brewing in Itasca, Illinois.
- Hop Butcher for the World. Opened in 2015 as South Loop Brewing Company, renamed to Hop Butcher in 2016. They are using their own brewing equipment at the Miskatonic Brewing Company.
- Hopothesis Beer Company was founded in Chicago in 2013. The beer was contract brewed at Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin. Hopothesis was acquired by Finch Beer Company in 2016.
- Hubbard's Cave is a second brand of beer produced by the Une Année Brewery.
- Karetas Brewing Company was founded in Chicago in 2016. The beer has been brewed at Ale Syndicate in Chicago and at Church Street Brewing in Itasca.
- Keeping Together, founded in 2019. Brewing at Half Acre Beer Company on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago.
- LaGrow Organic Beer Company. They are using their own brewing equipment at the Aquanaut brewery in Chicago.
- Local Option Bierwerker is based in Chicago. The beer is contract brewed at different breweries.
- MillerCoors, the second-largest beer company in the United States, has its national headquarters in Chicago, but does not operate any breweries in Illinois.
- Phase Three Brewing Company, opened in 2019. The beer is contract brewed at Lake Zurich Brewing Company.
- Saint Errant Brewing was founded in Chicago in 2016. The beer is brewed at Mikerphone in Elk Grove Village and at Begyle in Chicago.
- Tocayo Brewing Company was founded in 2015 as a joint venture between chef Rick Bayless and Constellation Brands. The beer is contract brewed at Two Brothers in Warrenville.
- Veteran Beer Company, founded in 2013, is based Chicago. Their brewery is located in Cold Spring, Minnesota.
- WarPigs Brewing Company, founded in Chicago in 2017, is a joint venture of Three Floyds and Mikkeller. The beer is contract brewed by Great Central Brewing in Chicago and Wisconsin Brewing in Verona, Wisconsin. The WarPigs brewpub in Copenhagen opened in 2015.
- Woggly Square Brewing Company, Tinley Park, founded in 2018. The beer is brewed at 350 Brewing Company.
Closed breweries
Historical breweries: before 1980
- Blattner & Seidenschwanz Brewery, Chicago, opened ca. 1850, closed in 1857.
- Bluff Brewery, Quincy, opened in 1857, closed ca. 1910.
- Bluff City Brewery, Alton.
- Bohemian Brewing Company, Chicago, opened in 1891, closed in 1896.
- William Bohn Brewery, Chicago, opened and closed in 1893.
- Charles Brand & Ernest Hummel Brewing Company, Chicago, opened in 1880, closed in 1997.
- Michael Brand Brewery, Chicago, opened in 1878, closed in 1879.
- Brewer & Hofmann Brewing Company, Chicago, opened in 1886, closed in 1902.
- Brisach & Hessemer Brewery, Chicago, opened in 1858, closed in 1859.
- Broadway Brewing Company, Chicago, opened and closed in 1934.
- Bucher & Hiller Brewery, Chicago, opened in 1858, closed in 1866.
- Dick Brothers Brewery, Quincy, founded in 1856, closed in 1951.
- Eber Brothers Brewery, Quincy, opened ca. 1868, closed in 1906.
- Gipps Brewing Co., Peoria, Opened in 1881, closed in 1954. Its flagship Amberlin Beer sold to Canadian Ace Brewing Company of Chicago and brewed until 1963.
- Griesedieck Western Brewery, Belleville, makers of Stag beer.
- Peter Hand Brewery, Chicago, the original makers of Meister Brau beer; ceased brewing in Chicago in 1977. They were the last brewery in the city until 1987.
- Hofmann Brothers Brewery, Chicago, closed in 1925. The related Hofmann Pub in Lyons, located near Hofmann Tower, is also thought to have been a brewery, and was later owned by the Peter Fox Brewing Company; the building was destroyed in a fire in 2013.
- Lill and Diversey Brewery, Chicago, founded 1833.
- Manhattan Brewing Company of Chicago. Opened in 1893; later renamed to Canadian Ace Brewing Company; closed in 1968. Notorious for its connections to Al Capone.
- McAvoy Brewing Company, Chicago, opened in 1865, closed in 1920.
- McHenry Brewery, McHenry, opened in 1868.
- Meyer Brewing Company, Bloomington
- Pabst Brewing Company was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1844. They operated a brewery in Peoria Heights, Illinois from 1934 to 1982.
- Peacock Brewery is located in Rockford. The original brewhouse was built in 1857. It was successively owned by the Peacock Brewing Company, the Rockford Brewing Company, and the Rock River Brewing Company, the last of which closed in 1939.
- Peru Beer Company, Peru, opened in 1868, closed in 1943.
- Reisch Brewery, Springfield, founded in 1849, closed 1966.
- Ruff Brewing Company, Quincy, founded in 1855, closed 1948.
- Schoenhofen Brewery, Chicago, makers of Edelweiss beer.
- Seipp Brewing Company, Chicago, founded in 1854.
- Sieben's Brewery of Chicago, noted as a point of dispute between Dean O'Banion and Al Capone during Prohibition. See North Side Gang.
- Star Union Brewery, Peru, closed in 1966.
- Stenger Brewery, also known as J and N Stenger Brewery, Naperville, founded in 1848, closed in 1893.
- Warsaw Brewery, Warsaw, founded in 1861, ceased production in 1971. Reopened as a bar and restaurant in 2006.
- White Eagle Brewery, Chicago, opened in 1904, closed in 1950.
Modern breweries: after 1980
- 25 West Brewing Company, brewpub in Bloomingdale, opened in 2018, closed in 2020.
- 4 Paws Brewing, Chicago microbrewery, opened in 2013, closed in 2014, sold to Aquanaut Brewing.
- Abbey Ridge Brewery and Tap Room, brewpub in Pomona, opened in 2014, destroyed by a fire in 2017.
- Ale Syndicate was founded in Chicago in 2013. The beer was originally contract brewed at several locations, including Big Chicago Brewing Company, Galena Brewing Company, and Excel Brewing Company. The brewery opened in 2014. It closed in 2016.
- America's Brewpub in the Walter Payton Roundhouse, Aurora, opened in 1996, closed in 2011.
- Andersonville Brewing. The Hamburger Mary's restaurant chain opened a location in Chicago in 2006. A brewery and taproom called Mary's Rec Room was added in 2009. The brewery was renamed to Andersonville Brewing in 2014. It closed in 2019.
- Aquanaut Brewing Company, Chicago, opened in 2014, closed in 2017.
- Arcade Brewery opened in Chicago in 2014, and operated as an alternating proprietorship at the Ale Syndicate brewery. It closed in 2016.
- Argus Brewery, Chicago. Opened in 2009, in a building built in 1906 as a Schlitz beer distribution facility. Closed in 2020.
- Baderbräu Brewing Company. In 2012 they revived Baderbräu beer, which initially was contract brewed at the Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The Chicago brewery and tap room opened in 2016, and added a kitchen in 2017. It closed in 2018.
- Berghoff beer was first brewed in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1887, and has been served at the Bergoff restaurant in downtown Chicago since 1898, except during Prohibition. From 1954 to 2018, the beer was produced under contract — first by the Falstaff Brewing Company in St. Louis, Missouri, then by the Joseph Huber Brewing Company in Monroe, Wisconsin, and then by Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Berghoff also had a separate brewpub in Chicago from 1990 to 1993.
- Big Chicago Brewing Company, Zion, contract brewer for beers such as Ten Ninety, Cahoots, and Middle Brow. Founded in 2012, they were bought out by Ten Ninety in 2014.
- Big Hurt Beer was owned by former baseball player Frank Thomas. The Big Hurt Brewhouse restaurant in Berwyn opened in 2014 and closed in 2016. It reopened in 2017 under the name 35 Sports Bar & Grill, and closed again in 2018. The beer, which was also available in cans, was contract brewed by Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin.
- Black Belt Brewery, Lake Zurich, production brewery with a canning line, opened in 2016, closed in 2017.
- Blue Cat Brew Pub, Rock Island, opened in 1994, closed in 2018.
- Border Town Pub, Momence. Bar opened in 2002. In-house brewery began operations in 2014. Closed in 2018.
- Box Office Brewery and Restaurant, DeKalb, opened in 1994, closed in 1998.
- Brass Restaurant & Brewery, South Barrington, opened in 2003, closed in 2009.
- BreakRoom Brewery, Chicago brewpub, opened in 2015, closed in 2016.
- Cademon Brewing Company, brewery and taproom in Genoa, opened in 2014, closed in 2016.
- Capitol City Brewing, Springfield.
- Chain O' Lakes Brewing Company, McHenry taproom, opened in 2013 in the old McHenry Brewery building, closed in 2018.
- Chicago Brewing Company, Chicago, opened in 1989.
- Chief's Brewing Company, Champaign, became Joe's Brewery.
- Copper Dragon Brewing Company, Carbondale. Opened in 1996, ceased brewing in 2005; still open as a live music venue.
- Crooked Waters, Peoria brewpub, closed in 2000.
- Flatlander's Restaurant and Brewery, Lincolnshire, opened in 1996, closed in 2012.
- Glen Ellyn Sports Brew, Glen Ellyn.
- Golden Prairie Brewing, Chicago, opened in 1992, closed in 1999.
- Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants originated in Palo Alto, California in 1988 and became a multi-state chain. The location in Bolingbrook opened in 2007. It was rebranded as a Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery in 2018.
- Govnor's Public House, Lake in the Hills, opened in 2001, closed in 2008.
- Granite City is an interstate chain of brewpubs. The locations in Orland Park, East Peoria, and Northbrook closed in 2019. Several other Illinois locations are still open.
- Harrison's Restaurant and Brewery, Orland Park, opened in 1998, closed in 2013.
- Hopcats Brewing Company, Chicago brewpub, opened in 1998.
- Hopper's Garage Brewing Company, Antioch brewery, opened in 2015.
- Illinois Brewing Company, Bloomington, opened in 1999, brewery became operational in 2000, closed in 2014.
- Joe's Brewery, Champaign, ceased brewing, bar still open.
- J.W. Platek's Restaurant & Brewery, Richmond, closed in 2010.
- Like Minds Brewing Company, founded in 2014. The beer was originally contract brewed by Hinterland in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 2015 Like Minds moved to Chicago and opened their own brewery. In 2016 they opened a second location, a brewpub in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2017 they sold their Chicago brewery to Finch Beer Company. In 2018 the Milwaukee location closed.
- Limestone Brewing Company, Plainfield brewpub, opened in 2009, closed in 2012.
- Mad Mouse Brewing Company, Chicago, opened in 2014 in the Moxee restaurant, closed in 2017.
- Moonshine, Chicago bar and restaurant that opened in 2001, added an in-house brewery in 2008, and closed in 2014.
- M.T. Barrels Restaurant & Brewery, West Dundee.
- Myths and Legends Brewing Company, brewery and taproom in Westmont. Opened in 2013 as Urban Legend Brewing Company. Renamed to Myths and Legends in 2016. Bought out by Whiskey Hill in 2018.
- Nevin's Brewing Company, Plainfield brewpub, opened in 2012. The brewery was renamed to Midnight Pig Beer in 2017. Closed in 2019.
- O'Grady's Brewery and Pub, Arlington Heights, opened in 1996.
- Pavichevich Brewing Company, Elmhurst, original makers of Baderbräu beer, opened in 1988, closed in 1997.
- Peoria Brewing Company, Peoria, production brewery and brewpub, opened in 2014, closed in 2017.
- Prairie Rock Brewing Company. The Elgin brewpub opened in 1995 and closed in 2009; the Schaumburg brewpub opened in 1999 and closed in 2007.
- The Ram Restaurant & Brewery originated in Lakewood, Washington in 1971. It became national chain with about 20 locations. The brewpub in Schaumburg opened in 2000 and closed in 2018. The brewpub in Wheeling opened in 2001 and closed in 2019. The Rosemont location, which opened in 2003, does not brew beer on site.
- Reinstone Brewery, Illiopolis, opened in 2016.
- Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery was a chain of brewpubs founded in Denver, Colorado in 1991. It had several dozen locations, with those in Illinois including Chicago, Lombard, Orland Park, and Warrenville, plus one in Bolingbrook that was formerly a Gordon Biersch. All the locations closed in 2020.
- Ryan Brewing Company, microbrewery and taproom in Roscoe, opened in 2018, closed in 2018.
- Scallywag Brewing Company, brewery and taproom in Westmont, opened in 2019, closed in 2020.
- Seery Athlone Brewing Company, brewery and taproom in Addison, opened in 2018, closed in 2019.
- Sieben's River North, Chicago brewpub, opened in 1987, closed in 1990. The first modern-era craft brewery in Chicago.
- SlapShot Brewing Company, Chicago, opened in 2013.
- Slow City Makgeolli was the country's largest and highest-profile maker of makgeolli, a fermented rice beverage native to Korea with an alcohol content similar to that of beer. A subsidiary of Baesangmyun Brewery, it opened in Niles in 2013. It closed ca. 2016.
- Small Town Brewery, Wauconda, opened in 2011, tap room opened in 2015, closed in 2019.
- The Tap & Growler, Chicago, opened in 1987, closed in 1992.
- Taylor Brewing Company, Lombard brewpub, closed in 2011.
- Timotheus Brothers Brewery, Springfield, opened in 2015, closed in 2018.
- Vice District Brewing Company. The brewery and taproom in Chicago opened in 2014. A larger brewery and taproom in Homewood opened in 2018. The Chicago location closed in 2019. The Homewood location closed later that year.
- Weeghman Park Restaurant Brewery, Chicago brewpub, opened in 1997, closed in 1999.
- The Weinkeller, Berwyn, opened in 1988, closed in 2000.