The Brews & Choos Project had a net shift of zero in the last two weeks. I am pretty bummed about the loss, but intrigued by the gain.
The loss: Long-time Evanston microbrewery Temperance closed up shop on October 27th. I am sad:
Evanston didn’t have a brewery before Temperance Beer Co. arrived at the end of 2013. The suburb’s first brewery was a historic moment, and the taproom quickly became one of the city’s finest with hits like Might Meets Right and Gatecrasher IPA. Temperance represented the rising popularity of the craft beer movement when home brewers crowded taprooms and stood in long lines for the latest release.
But times have changed. On Tuesday afternoon, Temperance founder Josh Gilbert announced the brewery would close on Sunday, October 27. All brewery tours had been canceled with refunds on their way. In a newsletter blast and Instagram post, Gilbert calls the craft beer world “barely recognizable” compared to a decade ago. “It’s difficult to even imagine that kind of excitement for a new brewery launch these days,” he writes.
The gain: Suncatcher Brewing opened by the Milwaukee District Western Avenue station yesterday. I am glad:
After a two-year building renovation, finalizing city licensing and hiring staff, Suncatcher Brewing is now open at 2849 W. Chicago Ave., making it Humboldt Park’s only brewery and taproom after Ørkenoy closed earlier this year.
On the Suncatcher menu are six draft beers with 4-to-7 percent alcohol: a stout, a brown and blonde ale, an IPA, a Michigan pale ale, a fall bier — each matched with a song to complement their pairing. At least three other beers are coming soon.
In addition to focusing on lower alcohol content, the Suncatcher beers are also made with hops, barley and malts grown a few hours away in Michigan and Indiana.
“We’re trying to highlight local materials while keeping the alcohol level low,” Matt Gallagher said.
The new brewery is on the map. I'm already planning a Brews & Choos dip into Pilsen once the choral calendar lightens up in December. Suncatcher would fit in with a visit to Fulton Market (Guinness, Cruz Blanca) and the new Goose Island location at the Salt Shed.