Haymarket Pub: The First Visit

It's been sometime since I have posted last, so I thought it'd be a great way to start the new year by hitting up one of Chicago's notable breweries: Haymarket Pub.

While there, I enjoyed the Allocution, Angrier Birds and Defender beers. That's why I'm conflicted about the place. Let's start at the beginning.

I was doing an assignment to write about an art gallery a few blocks away. It was a warm January day, even by Chicago standards. As I walked down Washington, I noticed that there was a sign for a brewpub and restaurant. I made a mental note of it and decided to stop by and check it out on my way back. As I made it down the street I discovered with great joy that it was the Haymarket. I was joyed at the prospect of going to a brewpub in Chicago I haven't been to. Plus, most brewpubs are chill places to relax, have some good conversation and a good beer. I couldn't have been more wrong about Haymarket.

Maybe it's the location, who knows, but the first thing I noticed were the TVs. There seemed to be hundreds of them. From every direction there was an assault of blue-tinted flashes of light. I also immediately noticed the front of store podium with obligatory "Please Wait to Be Seated" sign. Thoughts of entering an independent cool brewpub was suddenly dashed by the fact I was standing in some upscale Appleby's. I was disappointed.

The initial service wasn't much better. With all of the trixies, hipsters and scenester girls running around and the too-hard trying bartenders, you think it'd be faster to get served, but sadly that wasn't the case. I took a seat at the bar, and it wasn't until some younger kid started working that there was any real service. The place seemed more geared toward tourists and suburbanites. There was vague douche written all over everything.

OK, I think I'm being too harsh. The place had a nice look, a bit too overdesigned and the TVs were a distraction, but the beer was good. That's something, isn't it? Maybe being in the area necessitates catering to tourists. Who knows? I'll go back during lunch to try some beers maybe nibble on something, but it's hardly a destination. With luck, maybe we'll get Haymarket in bottles or cans to avoid the whole thing together.

Missing Beer, More Beer

I have a confession: I haven't been drinking as much craft beer as I'd like. It's mostly been due to a lack of funds. Even though craft beer provides a much better experience and supports local business, sometimes the price makes a six pack of craft beer out of reach. This is the classic dilemma: is it possible to create a well crafted beer that is also affordable? Living in Chicago, beers are subjected to a bunch of taxes and an inflated cost. This usually leaves the major macros in a position to undercut craft brewers by offering discounts on volume or by using some other dubious ethical strategies. As much as I love craft beer for what it represents, there is something very bourgeoisie about it. Most craft beer enthusiasts are in the financial place to enjoy the beer, which strikes against the more egalitarian, democratic nature of the movement. There are obvious factors living in Chicago that will always keep prices high. Even if the taxes were lowered, the nature of living in the city will cause a price inflation. Them's the breaks. There's also the issue of quality ingredients, lower volume and attention to detail. Right now, it costs to enjoy craft beer.

So what to do? Implement balance. If you can't afford to be drinking craft beer all the time, it is at least nice to strike a balance between cocktails, wine and craft beer. Drink craft beer when you can. The best time is this coming week. Chicago Craft Beer week is promising to be amazing.

The event at the Garfield Park Conservatory on May 19 looks phenomenal. Alas, tickets are $50, but there are 25 breweries represented and the location is unbeatable. For someone who enjoys sitting in Millennium park during a concert looking at the skyline, the location can pair just as well with a craft beer as cheese and a burger.

May 21 is the Beerfly Alleyfight at Haymarket. I'm still kicking myself for not making it down to this place. I also like the brewery's commitment to literature. In a great literary city like Chicago, it is only natural to combine beer and writing. There will be 10 home brewers combined with artists. Maybe the double IPA John Coltrane Ode or the imperial stout Nelson Red Line. Who knows? 

I've written about this before, but the Chicago History Museum is putting on the Voyage of the IPA on May 22. Learn about the IPA in America while tasting various styles. I love that Chicago likes to combine learning and drinking. Perhaps it's the romanticism or the European influence of the city's history.

An understated beer style is the sour beer. Most people can't stand this. I don't see why! It is so good. Anyway, the Bristol is having a sour tasting night with Goose Island. I'm conflicted about adding Goose Island as it isn't a craft beer but part of a large mutlitnational corporation, so it goes against everything about this blog; however, some of the beers are good and the style is seriously overlooked.

On May 27, the Map Room, the venerable Chicago stalwart, is debuting new beers from 5 Rabbit Brewery, which says it is the first ever Latin microbrewery in the U.S. Honestly, I don't know what that means, but trying new beers debuting in Chicago is always an event.

Two Big Beers Coming Out of Chicago

It's spring in the city and summer is around the corner, but two breweries are about to offer two heavy beers to sip while you watching the buds grow. Haymarket Pub & Brewery has an imperial stout fermenting away and will be going to bourbon barrels later. Depending on how long they lay this beer down, it could come out in the fall, which is a much better time for imperial stouts. Well, actually any time is good for imperial stouts. This time of year though I'm starting to look for lighter beers, perhaps a saison. Even though these were meant to be drunk during late summer, I find having a saison on a nice spring day does the trick. For a lighter beer, Haymarket is offering its Bridgeport IPA. I was a former Bridgeport resident, so I might go check this out, for research. A nicer tribute would have been a pilsner to reflect the area's historical Lithuanian and European roots. Today I guess, with all the hipsters, you could just pour a PBR into a fancy bottle.

The next big beer is a barleywine coming from Half Acre. This will be available April 8 and should be a pretty big beer. I associate this more with winter, but what the hell. Half Acre will also be putting out a one-off Kolsch beer. It's one of my least favorite styles, but it's a nice spring/summer beer. Cheers!

Haymarket Brewery to Open

Great news on the Chicago craft beer front: Haymarket Pub & Brewery is getting ready to open in the next week or so depending on inspections. Even though it is 9,000 square feet, I'm sure it is going to be quite crowded, as we have seen with Revolution Brewing in Logan Square. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get there before the new year, but I'm sure I will within the next month. There will be about 15 beers brewed on site from Pete Crowley, formerly of Rock Bottom brewery.

From Haymarket's Facebook page, it looks like there will be a theater also included (something called drinking and writing). The bar and space looks great, and there are numerous taps behind the bar. They say that they will have about 75 craft beers featured. It'll be a few weeks before you can get any in-house brewed stuff. The space boasts a 100-year-old building, mosaic tiled floors, space for 300 hundred, and house-made sausage.

I'm thinking that this is a place that is going to make its mark on the craft beer map not only in Chicago, but also in the Midwest and soon the nation. It can only add to the diversity that Chicago is enjoying in its craft beer scene.