Few People Realize This Tiny Illinois Brewery Is Supplying Some Of The Area's Best Local And Historical Beers
By Linze Rice|Published June 27, 2023
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Linze Rice
Author
Ope! From the rural cornfields of DeKalb County, Linze is an Illinois native and true Midwestern gal who can make a mean bonfire and whip up a perfect marshmallow salad. Since 2014, her bylines and photography have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago/DNAinfo Chicago, Only in Your State, and more. She has interviewed Dolly Parton, written about beloved diners along historic Route 66, visited the last Rainforest Cafe in the Illinois, and reviewed luxurious English manor-inspired hotels. Whether it's writing about a local gem or world-renowned establishment, Linze brings a heartwarming and historical perspective to each story, using facts, wit, and personal experience to impress upon readers the importance of culture, food, travel, and all things local. Her favorite destinations in Illinois include Starved Rock State Park, Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the charming small town of Sycamore, and historic Rosehill Cemetery. When she's not writing or photographing, Linze enjoys gardening, spending time with her husband and pets, cooking, baking, and grilling, and relaxing with trashy TV.
When you’re in the Land of Lincoln, a great local brewery is usually only a stone’s throw away. But, you do have to know which direction to cast your stone, or you may end up beerless in the middle of a cornfield. Sometimes the best beer in town may be right in front of you without even realizing it — as is the case with this fantastic hidden local brewery in Oak Park, Illinois.
Kinslahger Brewing Company, 6806 Roosevelt Road, is a small-but-mighty local brewery that straddles the border of Oak Park and Berwyn about 20 minutes outside Chicago. Set within a strip of local businesses, you might easily pass by without even realizing the pint-sized brew house is supplying some of the best beers in town.
Appropriate for the Chicago area, Kinslahger is designed to feel almost like a speakeasy, with round, industrial barstools, a tiled ceiling, rich wood...
In back of house is where the true magic happens — aka where the beer comes alive. From its somewhat hidden storefront, it's hard to believe such a powerful operation is running here.
The brewery specializes in both flagship and seasonal, special, and rotating beers, some with a historical lean. Mainstays like the Chicago Common, Prohibition Pilsner, IPL lager, and Baltic Porter are must-tries, while the Babygold Pilsner and Babygold Juicy Ale are brewed exclusively for neighboring restaurant and music venue Babygold Barbecue/Fitzgerald's Night Club.
The Val's Helles variety was also brewed in celebration of the iconic record store's 50th anniversary.
Seasonal beers include Oktoberfest flavors, Altbeir, Czech Pils, OakWayn, the New World Lager, a hefeweizen, and my favorite, the bubbly champagne-meets-beer Sauvin Blac. The brewery also partners with organizations to create beers that amplify their messages, like the Black is Beautiful tropical stout, Things We Don't Say IPA, and Rising Hope IPA with fruit.
Those three beers benefit the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, suicide prevention nonprofit Hope for the Day, and the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, respectively.
Not a big beer person but like to enjoy an adult or non-alcoholic beverage with a snack? They've got you covered with cider, wine, cocktails, sodas, and more — great to pair with the taproom's cheese board.
So, would you take a seat at this hidden local brewery in Oak Park, Illinois? What are you getting poured? Have another go-to local brewery? Tell us in the comments! Start planning your trip by checking out the Kinslahger Brewing Company website and the Kinslahger Brewing Company Facebook page. And while you’re in the area, grab some of the best brisket in Illinois to-go from Babygold and bring it to the bar for a mouthwatering local combo!
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