2016: New Tap Room

The New Tap Room

rending by our architects Valerio Dewalt and Train

Rendering of our plans for the new facade

Cesar and Shawn in front of new storefront

We turned 1 in 11/15!

Shawn, Alice, Amy and Cesar at the birthday party

Our members showed up to celebrate 1st birthday

Cesar fills our first bottles (9/15)

Our tasting room

Here's where we brew...

the girls representing at 4th of July parade 2015

Sketchbook's first 4th of July parade--2015!

Custer Fair 2015: this year--2 tents and a great time

Amy and Cesar kegging in the brewery

our snazzy growler carrier...made of neoprene

Our current retail entrance is located in the ALLEY behind 821 Chicago Avenue, accessible from the Purple Line CTA (Main St) or Main Street Metra

A fan modeling our new sunglasses @ Custer Street Fair 2015

Amy decked out in new SB workshirt and hat

Ted Perez lovingly preparing basil for our Honey Bird ale

Summer 2015: representing at Chicago Craft Beer Week events

Shawn Decker and Tara Kosloski at Beer Under Glass 2015

Sprucing up the alley entrance: signage and flower boxes

Shawn leading tour in the brewery

Introducing Orange Door IPA

Growlers for Growlers: beer and pooches!

Winter 2015: Cesar delivering beer to Firehouse

Loyal fans skiing to SB: winter 2015

Our first full month of biz: 1,000 growlers sold!

Barrel-aging our Strong Scotch Ale in Few Barrels

Sean and Katherine Curry

Kickstarter celebration

Balloons & flowing taps @ our Kickstarter Thank-you party

The gang at the Kickstarter Thank-you party in August 2014

Cesar Marron, Sean Curry & Ted Perez

Amy Wilkinson, Cesar's partner, pouring samples

Sean Curry's chickens feeding on spent grain

Cesar & Amy @ Custer's Street Fair 2014

T-shirt spotting @ Custer's 2014

Matt Kosloski pouring @ Custer's 2014

Cesar Marron & Shawn Decker

Cesar and his prize-winning Sam Adams beer

Folks lining up for Sketchbook tasting

Our first public tasting at Custer's Fair 2014 went great!

Mark Bowers' sketch of the future

Claiming our space during the winter of the polar vortex

Shawn & Ces in the empty room...

The empty room

Cesar working hard

The walk-in fridge becomes a work space

Kids on dollie

Lots of guys measuring

The brew system arrives!

Group effort

Yes, this is a nanobrewery where we tilt things on the side to get them through doors

Success!

2014-2016: Beginning Small, growing quickly.

We moved into our space (825 Chicago Ave, Suite E, alley location) in January of 2014. The rest of that winter and spring, we built out that space, then installed the brew system that summer, and then started filling growlers for our CSB members in September 2014. By the middle of 2015, our customer base was growing quickly, more than 15 restaurants and bars were stocking our beer, and we started thinking about establishing a Tap Room, allowing our brewery capacity to expand to meet demand. Fall and winter of 2015-2016 focused on planning, and we are building out our new Tap Room, hoping for a Marching 2016 opening.