It won’t violate the three-tier system, technically. But it drives a giant hole through the concept that suppliers aren’t in the retail business. The new Guinness Chicago Taproom will have a 10-barrel brewing system to produce small-batch and one-off brews sold only in the taproom.
Of course, Guinness isn’t the only player to play this game. Wineries have been opening their own tasting rooms away from their production facilities for several years. At least Guinness is putting a symbolic brewing system on site.
Located at 375 N. Morgan Street, the 15,000-square-foot space where Guinness has signed a multi-year lease, will be situated within a revitalized historic railroad depot, and embrace the spirit of the Windy City. The taproom team will begin renovations this fall.
“As a native Chicagoan, I already know there are so many reasons to love Chicago – its people, culture, diverse and distinctive network of neighborhoods, and of course its food and beer scene. The city was a natural choice to bring our first neighborhood hub to life,” said Jay Sethi, Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo Beer Company, USA. “We are building this taproom for the people of Chicago and, as with everything that Guinness does, it’s not just about the beer. We aim to celebrate Chicago and make a positive impact on the local community from the day our doors open.”
More than 75 new jobs will be created to support taproom operations. While the new site will produce a variety of experimental brews, the iconic Guinness Draught Stout and other Guinness beers will continue to be imported from our legendary brewery at St James’s Gate in Dublin, Ireland.
This is the second brewing facility and taproom on U.S. soil for Guinness, the first of which is the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore, Maryland. Since opening in 2018, the Baltimore taproom has welcomed more than 900,000 visitors and produced 250 experimental brews, including Baltimore Blonde, which is available nationwide.