Inside Lo Rez Brewing, the Newest Taproom Bringing Fresh Beer to Pilsen

Pilsen’s brewing scene continues to expand as Lo Rez Brewing’s taproom could open as early as next week. The 2,500 square-foot space, part of Lo Rez’s brewery inside a late-19th Century building, should start pouring either the last week of the month or in early May at 2101 S. Carpenter St. The space holds about 100 people with room for another 30 outside under a covered porch.

It won’t serve food, but staff will encourage take out and delivery while hoping trucks will dock nearby. Lo Rez partners Dave Dahl and Kevin Lily met in the late 1990s while working in the tech industry, frequenting spots like Bucktown’s legendary (and now shuttered) Artful Dodger. They opened the brewery last fall.

The beers come with tech-themed names from Dahl and Lily’s former industry. A Scottish ale is called “Memory Fault” and Daemon is a Belgian golden ale, for example. The debut tap list will feature seven beers, including “Local Logic,” a 4.2-percent ABV pilsner.

The duo rehabbed most of the industrial space by themselves, adding a 40-foot bar made of red oak while leaving the brick walls exposed. Seating comes in the form of picnic tables. Lo Rez joins Moody Tongue Brewing and Alulu as recent taproom openings in what’s suddenly a burgeoning brewery scene in Pilsen.

Take a sneak peek inside the space below and stay tuned for news on the opening date.