- Credibility:
NEAR WEST SIDE — A new brewery offering a cashless pour-as-you-drink tap system is joining Chicago’s growing “brewery district.”
District Brew Yards will open Friday at 417 N. Ashland Ave. on the Near West Side near West Town’s border.
The new spot, based on a collective business model, will be permanent production home to Burnt City Brewing, Around the Bend Beer Co. and Bold Dog Beer Co., with additional taps for guest brewers.
District Brew Yards will also feature a beer hall with a cashless pour-your-own tap system and a retail area selling merchandise and freshly packaged beer.
The Brew Yards idea is a “creative partnership” that embraces the “pioneering spirit upon which the craft beer industry was founded,” spokesperson Lacey Irby said in a press release.
John Saller, head brewer of Burnt City Brewing, said The Brew Yards will help him get his beers into the hands of more people.
“This comes from our mixed-fermentation room and designated bottle filler, our ability to brew a huge range of batch sizes—and then to put them all into cans and sell them in our package shop—and the self-serve taps in the beer hall that allow our guests to sample a little bit of everything,” Saller said.
The collective is opening in an area of Chicago that has become well-known for craft beer.
A smattering of breweries can be found near this stretch of Ashland Avenue, including Goose Island Beer Co., Finch Beer Co., Great Central Brewing Co., All Rise Brewing Co. and On Tour Brewing Co.
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