With more than 160 breweries inside city limits, Chicago has quietly become one of the best beer cities in the country. Every neighborhood has its own taproom worth finding.
The full ranking
With more than 160 breweries inside city limits, Chicago has quietly become one of the best beer cities in the country. Every neighborhood has its own taproom worth finding.
Revolution Brewing (Avondale)
Illinois' largest independent craft brewery, now centered on its Kedzie Avenue taproom in Avondale after the original Logan Square brewpub closed in 2024. Anti-Hero IPA, first poured at that brewpub, became the top-selling IPA in the state.
Half Acre Beer Company (Andersonville)
One of Chicago's pioneering craft breweries, founded in 2007, with flagship beers like Daisy Cutter pale ale and Tuna IPA available across the city. The North Center brewery is the production hub, with a taproom pouring small-batch releases alongside the perennials.
Dovetail Brewery (Ravenswood)
A Malt Row brewery whose two founders earned Master Brewer certifications in Germany and brought that training home to brew Vienna-style lagers, Rauchbier, and Hefeweizen with old-world methods. Named one of Beer Advocate's 34 Best New Breweries in the US after opening in 2016.
Off Color Brewing (Lincoln Park)
Founded by two former craft brewery veterans, Off Color specializes in forgotten beer styles pre-dating the German Reinheitsgebot, including wild ales, farmhouse saisons, and mixed-fermentation experiments using unconventional ingredients. The Mousetrap taproom serves as a small-batch test kitchen.
Hop Butcher For The World (North Center)
Named after Carl Sandburg's famous description of Chicago, this North Center brewery ships a portfolio of 250-plus beers, distributing fresh cans often within hours of packaging. Hazy IPAs, bold stouts, and flavorful lagers are the core.
Goose Island Beer Co. (Fulton Market)
Chicago's most storied craft brewery, the birthplace of Bourbon County Brand Stout, one of the first bourbon barrel-aged beers in America. The Fulton Street production facility and taproom pours rare Bourbon County variants alongside the brewery's classic lineup.
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery (Bucktown)
A Bucktown operation that is both a brewery and a craft distillery, Maplewood is known for hop-forward beers like Son of Juice IPA and Pulaski Pilsner alongside its own bourbon and gin. The industrial taproom pairs the lineup with a barrel-aging program that spans beer and spirits.
Solemn Oath Brewery (Logan Square)
A Belgian-inspired Chicago brewery with a Logan Square Still Life taproom, best known for its foeder-aged lagers, barrel-aged saisons under the experimental Hidden Hand label, and the Oaked Val d'Or, which won Best in Show at FOBAB.
Begyle Brewing (Ravenswood)
A Ravenswood Malt Row original that pioneered Chicago's first Community Supported Brewing program, giving members monthly growler pickups modeled on a CSA. The taproom hosts weekly trivia, yoga, and food trucks, with a longstanding focus on neighborhood connection.
Pilot Project Brewing (Logan Square)
A brewery incubator modeled on the music industry, providing small-batch production, marketing, and distribution support to emerging brewers. Up to 24 rotating taps showcase everything from experimental IPAs to THC-infused beverages and traditional American lagers.
Ranked across 9 sources: The Infatuation Chicago 2025 (unordered roundup); Time Out Chicago Best Breweries 2025 (unordered roundup); Hop Culture · 11 Best Breweries in Chicago (unordered roundup); Yelp · Ranked by Rating (May 2026); Google Reviews · Ranked by Rating (June 2026); TripAdvisor · Ranked by Rating (June 2026); Top 10 Beers Avg Rating · BeerAdvocate per-beer data (June 2026); Untappd · Ranked by Rating (June 2026); BeerAdvocate · Ranked by Brewery Rating (June 2026). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
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