Earlier this summer, I had the chance to attend my second Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, WI. A few weeks before the festival, Lisa Frame posted on her hilarious Blog #SoYeahDuh about a new Chicagoland brewery called Solemn Oath (Turns out they had just opened in May). After the festival, I was out with some friends and got introduced to Paul from Solemn Oath who invited me to drop by on my next trip through Chicago.
I took advantage of the fact Caleb and I were heading to Surly Darkness Day (Read about that trip here) and we stopped for a couple of beers. After looping around the industrial complex a couple of times, we found the brewery nestled all the way in the back amongst various repair and fabrication shops. As you can see from the picture below and their website, these guys really pay attention to the design detail and knock it out of the park. Plus, they are all around good dudes.
Caleb and I each got a four pour sampler of a different combination. The tasting room and the brew deck are only separated by a four foot wall and about 10 feet of floor, so you can watch the guys working on the next batch while you drink what is currently on tap. Although there are some beers that make repeat appearances on the draft list, the guys are putting out a lot of fun concept beers right now. Definitely keep an eye out the next time you are in Chicago for them on the menu. I have seen them at most of the craft beer centric places I have been to in the last two months.
They were also recently featured on CBS Chicago's "Your Chicago" Segment.
Quick Hitters:
- They do not take cash. Period. Everything is paid through an iPad.
- You cannot leave tips. They have a "Buy a beer" program for friends and for the tap room workers, but no tips.
- New Growlers run $20-25.
- Although they opened in May, they already have some barrel aged releases hitting the tap room and won two medals at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FOBAB) on November 17, 2012. (Big Deal)
- They are already planning growth, but started small and succeeded. It is all about quality and not quantity friends.
How to get there:
Solemn Oath is located in Naperville, IL which is more west than most of us Hoosiers make it when we head to Chicago. However, you should make the time to get out there. When you go:
- Follow your GPS directions to the corner of Ogden and Quincy
- Turn West on Quincy (Usually taking a Right from Ogden)
- Pass the car dealership and that THE FIRST RIGHT
- You will go behind the building on Quincy and go all the way to the back where you will see the logo on a Garage door.
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