Metropolitan Brewing was a brewery located in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 2008 by then-husband and wife team Doug and Tracy Hurst.[1] It was originally located in a converted warehouse in a historically industrial area of the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. [2] In 2017, they moved to a larger facility with a taproom at 3057 N Rockwell Street in Chicago.[3]
 | |
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | December 2008 |
| Founders | Doug Hurst and Tracy Hurst |
| Defunct | December 18, 2023 |
| Headquarters | , USA |
Number of locations | (1) Avondale neighborhood, Chicago, IL |
Area served | Illinois, Wisconsin |
| Products | Beer |
| Owners | Doug Hurst and Tracy Hurst |
Number of employees | 6 |
| Website | metrobrewing |
Metropolitan focused exclusively on brewing lagers in the traditional German style,[4] the only craft brewery in Chicago to do so.[5] Doug Hurst earned a brewing diploma at the Siebel Institute of Technology.[6]
In December 2019, Metropolitan became embroiled in a long-running dispute with their landlord over rent and the square-footage of their building, saying the lease they agreed to was 24,000 square feet but their landlord instead listed it as 33,000 square feet in the contact.[7] As a result, they ceased paying their full rent. In October 2023, the brewery filed for bankruptcy, noting slow sales and unsustainable debt. The brewery closed permanently on December 18th, 2023.[8]
Beers
edit| Name | Style | ABV % | IBU | Original gravity | Offering | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamo | Vienna Lager | 5.8 | 29 | 13.8° Plato | Year-Round | Uses Vienna malt and Vanguard and Liberty hops |
| Flywheel | Munich Pils | 5.2 | 45 | 13° Plato | Year-Round | |
| Krankshaft | Kölsch | 5.0 | 28 | 12° Plato | Year-Round | Recipe includes wheat and Santiam hops |
| Iron Works | Alt | 5.8 | 45 | 13° Plato | Year-Round | An update to the I-Beam recipe. Uses Mt. Hood and Vanguard hops. |
| Generator | Doppelbock | 8.2 | 25 | 18° Plato | Seasonal | Winter |
| Arc Welder | Dunkel Rye | 6.0 | 28 | 13.7° Plato | Seasonal | Spring |
| Afterburner | Märzen/Oktoberfest | 6.1 | 25 | 14.2° Plato | Seasonal | Fall |
| Name | Style | ABV % | IBU | Original gravity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I-Beam | Alt | 5.3 | 50 | 12.6° Plato |
References
edit- ^ Stambor, Zac. "New Suds in the Windy City". draftmag.com. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
- ^ Bendersky, Ari (2009-06-25). "Chicago's New Wave of Microbrews". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
- ^ Noel, Josh. "New Metropolitan taproom easily one of Chicago's prettiest". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
- ^ Nason, Adam (2009-01-15). "First new Chicago brewery in over six years set to launch". BeerPulse. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
- ^ "Thinking outside the barrel". Crain's Chicago Business. 2011-06-18. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
- ^ Kesmodel, David (2009-03-18). "In Lean Times, a Stout Dream". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
- ^ Channick, Robert (October 20, 2023). "Metropolitan Brewing, one of Chicago's oldest craft breweries, files for bankruptcy and may close this winter". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Hernandez, Alex V. (November 14, 2023). "Metropolitan Brewing Closing For Good After Nearly 15 Years". Blocl Club Chicago. Retrieved 10 July 2024.