Thursday 27th of September 2012 02:52:26 PM

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Lake Bluff Brewing Co is a gem....Stumbled upon them by accident and found it surprisingly wonderful... We were entertained by the tormented exskateboard beer tender while he served us a great IPA .The service was knowledgeable and pleasant. I am a hop head and found their Indian pale ale very hoppy for a mid west beer.... I enjoy drinking hoppy beers with happy people.I was just passing through and glad I did.

Monday 29th of August 2011 10:48:58 AM

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Sharp little spot in Lake Bluff, an area i've never visited before today. Tiny little bar room, square layout with booth tables on either side, and a bar for 8-10 patrons in the back. Grey and slate blue walls, with modern framed photography on the walls. 9/10 taps pouring, 7 beers listed on the board above the bar, with a "brew schedule" board to the left, listing upcoming seasonals and their brew dates. Down the back hallway is the small kitchen, a small room with two brite tanks, and immaculate restrooms in the back. Out the back door, there was an ample parking lot, though there was plenty of street parking outside on a Sunday afternoon.

The thrust of the beers here is small batch, fresh and local, in a variety of styles. The Hard Tail DIPA was the highlight, and the Bohemian Blonde was 2nd. Beers were all of good quality, nothing was extract, everything was fresh and clean tasting. There were a few people stopping in, also seemingly trying the beer for the first time. They offer 4x4 oz. samplers for $9, which seemed a touch high. Growlers were $15-23, plus the cost of a new growler.

Food was limited to a few appetizers and sandwiches. We tried the hot pretzel and hummus, which were pretty good beer snacks, but not much hearty fare was available. They do work with Wisma and the local butcher for their sandwiches.

Service was pretty good, one guy was a definite beer geek, and the other bartender was prompt and chatty with us. Mike the brewmaster was leading a tour, and we also chatted with some of his relatives at the bar. Overall a welcome local brewer in this sleepy, upscale suburb.