USA, IL: More Brewing Co. gets license to operate production brewery in Huntley Village

A new restaurant and brewery being built in a former auto dealership should have a clear path to open later this year now that Huntley Village Board members have approved a new liquor license, the Northwest Herald reported on October 12.

Village trustees on October 10 approved the creation of a new type of liquor license for More Brewing Co. Inc. to operate a production brewery, restaurant and taproom at the former Chevrolet dealership at 13980 Automall Drive.

In January, the board approved a special use permit to allow More, a Villa Park-based craft brewery, to open a second facility at the dealership. However, because of the unique aspects of the proposal, the creation and adoption of a new liquor license class was expected.

More Brewing is converting about 14,000 square feet of the 25,302-square-foot dealership into a brewpub restaurant, which would have a full kitchen and would be open for lunch and dinner six to seven days a week.

The other 11,000 square feet of the building would be used for production, including a brewhouse, fermentation and conditioning vessels, a packaging line and a barrel room, where beer will be aged in whiskey barrels. Plans also call for outdoor patios and a special events area.

Construction has progressed throughout the year, and More Brewing is expected to open its doors by the end of the year.

The new Class “L” liquor license the board approved authorizes the operation of a microbrewery, which is defined as a retail establishment with the subordinate manufacture of malt beverage, including the retail sale of beer for on- and off-premises consumption, tastings on premises or otherwise, and the sale of beers and other liquors for on-premises consumption.

The annual fee for the new license is $1,500.

The village also approved text amendments for microbreweries based on production in January that also applied to Sew Hop’d, which opened its doors earlier this year.

Village code states that a microbrewery or winery that produces more than 120,000 barrels a year shall not use more floor area for manufacturing than it would for retail.

Breweries producing 30,000 to 120,000 barrels a year also must have a restaurant. Breweries making less than 30,000 barrels a year only are required to have a tasting room or taproom.

13 October, 2019