SOUTH LOOP — Vice District Brewing Co., a microbrewery and tap room that's been in the works at 1454 S. Michigan Ave. for almost a year, will open Aug. 22, management announced Wednesday.
"It's taken a bit longer than we originally planned," said co-owner Curtis Tarver II. The opening was initially planned for July.
"We would really like to thank everyone for their patience and support along the way."
One unlikely source of support has been the owner of the kids' play place above the microbrewery.
"We're pretty loud upstairs, so we may be rowdier than they would be," said Cynthia Valenciana, who operates the Sod Room upstairs.
Tarver and his co-owner Quintin Cole said the timing of the opening had been fortuitous, because the Midwest Brewer’s Fest is Aug. 23 in Chicago, and the bus stop is right in front of Vice District.
"Festival patrons aren’t just welcomed, but encouraged, to stop in for a beer before hopping on the bus," the team said in a release.
The South Loop tap room will include a microbrewery and have 14 house-made beers on tap.
The opening lineup includes a black IPA, Extra Special Bitter, IPA, Blonde, and Molasses Porter, plus a surprise collaboration that will be announced on opening day.
“I have a lot of recipes that I’m pretty excited about," said brewmaster Charlie Davis, formerly of Finch's Brewing Co. "But I’m most excited about being able to dial in the quality on a procedurally sound system. Having such acute control over the process at Vice District means we can focus on putting out the best beer possible."
Tarver said he and his longtime Kenwood neighbor Cole decided to open a tap room to indulge their homebrewing hobby after their wives gave them an ultimatum.
"Pretty much both of our entire basements are taken up with something related to beer," Tarver said jokingly earlier this year. "Basically, our wives said it was time to put up or shut up, so that was the impetus for us to open a microbrewery."
The 2,200-square-foot location will house huge tanks that brew 1,724 pints of beer at a time, leaving seating room for 100 to 115 people in the front half, Tarver said. They don't plan to operate a kitchen, but instead encourage visitors to order delivery or bring carryout to eat at the tap room's long, communal tables.
