LOGAN SQUARE — Their group’s name may sound like something out of a Kinks song, but members of the Logan Square Draught Preservation Society are serious about protecting the neighborhood bar.
For nearly a decade they have been pushing their agenda, which essentially is to make sure that everyone has a place nearby to drink beer, and preferably, draft beer.
"No Logan Square residence shall be further than 175 meters from a public house tap," reads one line of the group's manifesto.
“We realized that draft beer was something that brings communities together, but it was really under assault,” said the group’s secretary, Keith Gambrinus, noting that today’s Chicago has far fewer corner bars than it once did. “So what we decided to do was organize pub strolls that we thought highlighted the best pubs in the neighborhood."
To that end, they have organized a pub crawl each year showcasing different small neighborhood bars, especially mainstays that have come to be known and loved by all those around them.
The four bars on this Tuesday's Ninth Annual Logan Square Pub Stumble, for example, differ in a number of ways — different beers on tap, some serve food — but all share a similar sort of homey, relaxed corner bar feel.
The group will return to an old standby, the Two Way Lounge, but will then stroll (or stumble) up Milwaukee Avenue to the newer Rocking Horse and then on into Avondale for Moe’s Tavern and the Edelweiss Tavern.
All four have pool tables, and plenty of the loungy public house atmosphere that members of the society so enjoy with their suds.
“It really is a diverse group, but we're all united by our love for the local bar and as a place to get to know one another and think about issues of the day," Gambrinus said.
For more information about Tuesday's stroll and the Logan Square Draught Preservation Society visit bringbackthedraught.org.
