SOUTHPORT CORRIDOR — It's been a long wait for Corridor Brewery and Provisions, but with the tanks installed and the design coming together, the microbrewery should be opening within a month, if all goes as planned.
Corridor, 3446 N. Southport Ave., will serve as a sister brewery to DryHop Brewers, which opened just south of Belmont and Broadway in June 2013. It will seat 90 people and have a 10-barrel brewing system.
"The stakes are a little high" after two years of success in East Lakeview, said owner Greg Shuff, who previously said he wants the two spots to "stand on their own."
While DryHop has focused on American IPAs, Corridor will specialize in Belgian and farmhouse beer, which has a "very specific, unique flavor profile," he said. The eatery will also have menus expertly crafted to pair perfectly with the brews, he said.
Corridor Brewery and Provisions offered its Last Daze Here saison and Wizard Fight IPA during a preview event Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
On Tuesday, Southport neighbors got a sneak peek with tastings inspired by the menu: curry cauliflower and roasted eggplant, a bread and heirloom tomato salad and flatbreads topped with chorizo and brussel sprouts.
Ariel Cheung says there are still some finishing touches needed:
Stickers were given away during a "brewery warming" event at Corridor Brewery and Provisions. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Without working restrooms or finished surfaces, Corridor still has some work to do before opening, but Shuff hopes to be ready in about a month. Exposed brick walls and barnlike rafters give the large rectangular room an easygoing, Midwestern vibe. Touches like a yellow Tandem bicycle will complete the look.
Corridor Brewery and Provisions, 3446 N. Southport Ave., hosted a brewery warming and preview on Tuesday. The DryHop sister brewery is expected to open in September. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Bread salads with heirloom tomatoes, arugula, veggies and burrata were among tasting samples available at the brewery warming and preview for Corridor Brewery and Provisions. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Both of Shuff's breweries are "designed around brewery tasting rooms, much more than the '80s pubs. We try to be brewery-first with the techniques we're applying," he said.
The microbrewery is feeling the stiff competition for chefs and other trades people. Shuff said even a shortage in electricians threatened Corridor's opening timeline.
"There's still so much to do, but we've got a great team, and we're getting close to the finish line," Shuff said.
Kevin Carter [left] and Tom Obidowicz are bartenders at DryHop who will switch over to Corridor Brewery and Provisions when it opens later this year at 3446 N. Southport Ave. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Brewing equipment was installed earlier this summer at Corridor Brewery and Provisions, 3446 N. Southport Ave., which is expected to open in September. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Exposed woodwork, brick walls and pipes create an industrial, laid back vibe at Corridor Brewery and Provisions. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Greg Shuff [left] and Brant Dubovick pose in front of the DryHop Brewery storefront at 3511 North Broadway on Dec. 5, 2012. [DNAinfo/Serena Dai]
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