Wednesday 26th of December 2012 11:25:26 AM

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Sunday 7th of August 2011 11:59:31 AM

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Stopped in here today after missing the opening by a couple weeks last year... overall first impressions were good.

This was formerly a funeral home? Wow, it's huge. Vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, wood floors and a rustic bar towards the back with the brewing equipment front and center under a skylight. Seating for 15 at the bar, with about 20 or so tables around. Space was set up for a dj, karaoke, and their weekly "brew-olympics" event.

We were just in for lunch, and it was pretty chill, with heavy reggae vibes flowing. Karin was the bartender, and a big reggae fan from San Diego, which was fun to chat about. They recently held an outdoor reggae fest, and brewed a tasty seasonal apricot beer for it, Jah-pricot. Service at the bar was really great in general.

Beer selection seemed to be pretty standard style wise, with one rotating seasonal. They do about 5 flagship beers, and also had Millstream craft sodas on tap. Standouts were the Hefe (far better than the old Sand Creek contract-brew), Annabelle's IPA, and Ulys Dark (Irish Dry Stout). Also good but not too wild were the Farmer's Cream Ale and Miner's Treasure Late Amber. Growler fills were $18 so we passed, no outside glass either. They were actually brewing that day (behind the bar) so that was fun to see.

Food was actually really good, we ordered a few things of the tapas menu, which were easy-to-share small plates, great "beer food". First was a small loaf of beer bread, baked in house using their amber ale, with a side of honey butter. The beef empanada with rosemary and demiglace was very tasty, also the caprese flatbread and mini charcuterie plate. The menu seemed contemporary with a broad range of styles. Even marrow bones, which may be off putting to some, though on the menu at some of the best restaurants in Chicago. There's more to Galena than wine and steaks now, the beer revolution has finally arrived...

Great potential with GBC, they put alot of work into the building rehab, and it's a nice space with a broad appeal in this tourist town. Hope they expand the seasonal selection, and do some occasional small-batch stuff, maybe allow their brewer to get more creative. I'll be stopping in whenever passing through the area.