USA, IL: Oak Park Brewing Company hoping to open around St. Patrick's Day

When Jim Cozzens began attending the Oak Park Micro Brew Review nine years ago, he and his business partners, twin brothers Brandon and Ashley Wright, got an idea, Chicago Tribune reported on March 4.

"We were kind of amazed there was no brewery or brewpub here, so we thought it would be a good idea," Cozzens said. "It's been a long journey of us trying to get open, but we're [almost] there."

Various delays have pushed back the grand opening of Oak Park Brewing Company/Hamburger Mary's, but Cozzens knows years of hard work are almost ready to pay off.

The brewery, located at 155 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park, IL, brewed its first batch of beer in mid-February. The kitchen is nearing completion, as are the seating areas and bar, which connect the brewpub and Hamburger Mary's. Cozzens said the establishment will also be family-friendly.

"When we started this project, we wanted to more emphasize the brewery side," Cozzens said. "In Chicago, the Hamburger Mary's is the main emphasis over the Andersonville Brewing [side]."

Located inside a former veteran's clinic, Oak Park Brewing Co. and Hamburger Mary's are separated by one wall, but joined by a large bar servicing both sides. Both establishments will feature the same beers and menu items, while Hamburger Mary's features a stage for karaoke and entertainment.

Inside the brewpub, guests can view the brewery's operations, which include the brewing of a Frank Lloyd Rye IPA, a Saison, the Mary Hoppins American pale ale, an Irish red ale and an Irish stout, the last of which Cozzens said will remind patrons of Guinness.

"A lot of them are based on recipes I've brewed at home as pilot batches," Cozzens said. "Sometimes we just decide to brew something and we'll formulate a recipe and see how it goes. The thing about brewing is that recipe formulation is not as important as a lot of people may think it is. It's way more important how you control your process. Anybody can make a recipe, but making good beer is another story altogether."

The brewpub features lots of reclaimed wood and bricks, many of which came from the building itself. Inside the pub sits an Ernest Hemingway room, which features a reclaimed wooden mantle and several nods to the famous Oak Park resident.

With 14 draft lines behind the bar, Cozzens said Oak Park Brewing Company will feature many different Illinois beers, including beers from Kinslahger, Oak Park's other brewery, located on Roosevelt Road.

Though packaged sales are unlikely, Cozzens said he will have growlers available for guests to take beer home, and he may bottle some special brews.

"I brew a specific beer for my friends that serves as my Christmas present to them," Cozzens said. "It's a ginger bread-spiced Belgian dubbel. What I want to do is something similar, maybe package that off into a limited number of 22-ounce bombers and selling them as gifts. We haven't worked out the details on that."

Though plenty of construction and brewing remains to be done, Cozzens said he is hoping to open around St. Patrick's Day, but has yet to commit to a date.

"We have our preview for the [Illinois Craft] Brewer's Guild on March 9," Cozzens said. "We're shooting for St. Patrick's Day, but it may be later. The project has taken much longer than we ever thought, but it's better done right than done quickly."

09 March, 2016