Enjoy Craft Beer And Drinks Inside A Former Newspaper Building In Illinois
By Melissa Mahoney|Published March 03, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
A building that was once home to the Collinsville Herald has been transformed into a popular brewery and distillery. The Old Herald Brewery and Distillery pays homage to the former newspaper, honoring the history of the building in many ways from its beer and spirit names right down to the labeling. Even the menu items are named after newspaper and printing terms. With its historic atmosphere, incredible drinks, and delicious fare, guests enjoy the experience so much they come back for more.
The Collinsville Herald was a newspaper that ran for over 100 years, occupying the building on Clay Street for many decades. It was then bought out in 1985 and moved to another location. The building then sat empty for many years.
In 2017, the Clay Street building was purchased by Derik and Whitney Reiser who had a dream to open a brewery and distillery all in the same building. Today, the Old Herald Brewery and Distillery calls this former newspaper building home and celebrates the history of the space in many ways.
The 15,000-square-foot building features both a craft brewery and craft distillery complete with a bar, restaurant, and event space. It's also quite family-friendly, so feel free to bring the kids.
You'll find several brews on draught, most of which are named after newspaper terms. Try a Sports Page (Lager), Bavarian Byline (Märzen), Printer's Ink (Dark Ale), and more, all of which were brewed on-site.
The beautifully-labeled Ardent Spirits are distilled right here at Old Herald. From gin, rum, agave, whiskey, and bourbon to spirits infused with botanicals, you may want to try them all. The creativity used in the distilling process along with the newspaper article labels makes these spirits quite unique. The rum and agave have even won awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The cleverly-named dishes, inspired by newspaper terms, use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Order a Breaking News Appetizer, an Off the Press Burger, and a Deadline Dessert for a memorable meal paired with your craft beer or artisan cocktail. Certain menu items, like the fish and chips, are even served in paper reminiscent of pages ripped right out of a newspaper.
Do you remember when the Collinsville Herald occupied the Clay Street building? Have you visited since it’s been transformed into a brewery and distillery? If so, please tell us about your experience in the comment section.
For more information, visit the Old Herald Brewery and Distillery website or Facebook page.
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