Chicago is one of the biggest craft brewing hubs in the nation, home to industry pioneers like Goose Island (now a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch) and fledgling operations sharing space in brewery incubators. For brew aficionados who want to spend a day getting a taste of the city’s beer scene, there’s no better place to go than Malt Row, the name given by the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce to the stretch of breweries and taprooms along the Metra tracks in the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor. Running about a mile and a half through a residential North Side neighborhood, the zone from Irving Park Road to Balmoral Avenue is home to seven taprooms plus a distillery, all close enough together for one long, boozy stroll. Try a wide variety of beers ranging from traditional German-style lagers to funky saisons made with Midwestern fruit. Check out these eight Malt Row spots and then take home a six-pack or growler of a new favorite.
For updated information on coronavirus cases, please visit the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 dashboard. Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may still pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.
Read More