USA, IL: Off Color Brewing to launch second brewery in Chicago

Off Color Brewing, which has developed one of Chicago’s strongest craft beer followings despite its remote West Side location, is about to become much more accessible, the Chicago Tribune reported on November 30.

The brewery plans to open a taproom and second brewing operation next year at 1460 N. Kingsbury St., co-founder John Laffler said on November 30. The goal is to have it open by summer, he said.

Laffler said the expansion comes much more quickly than he and partner Dave Bleitner anticipated. The current brewery, near Armitage Avenue and Pulaski Road, hit five-year sales and production goals in year two and quickly reached capacity, he said.

“We’re so far ahead of where we thought we’d be at this point, it’s crazy,” he said.

With a healthy following that includes long lines for bottle releases and tourists showing up looking for a taproom that doesn’t exist, plans were accelerated with a goal of being more centrally located.

“The outskirts of Logan Square is perfect for what that the current brewery is supposed to be — production, and not that convenient to the public,” Laffler said. “Now we want to fill in the second half and have a space where people can come and hang out.”

The new brewery will have a 20-barrel brewing system identical to that in the original brewery, and specialize in one-off experiments, beers featuring wild yeast and barrel aging.

The original brewery will continue to produce Off Color’s core beers: Troublesome gose, Apex Predator farmhouse ale and Tooth and Claw, a dry-hopped pilsner that has largely been available at the Field Museum, but is transitioning to broader distribution.

Seasonal beers will also be made at the West Side brewery, including Le Woof biere de garde, Yuzu Fierce Berliner weiss and Scurry, a kottbusser that was originally a year-round beer that is becoming a winter seasonal.

30 November, 2016