Worthy Chicago Breweries

[edisonst]

My wonderful wife will be in chicago area and milwaulkee(sp) area next week. Any beers that are distributed to that area that she should pick up? We live in Northern va in the dc area. I was supposed to be there doing a class at siebel but work got in the way. Damn! The wife says i can use a rain check for a 3 day class anytime I want....she really is the best. Any suggestions on bottled beer to bring back? Any reccomendations for a bottle shop? She is really good at beer shopping.

[PseudoChef]

For a bottle shop, you want to go to Binny's South Loop location. Perhaps the most "complete" selection in the city.

1132 S. Jefferson Street
Chicago, IL 60607

Another little gem is West Lakeview Liquors. This is more of a "bottle shop" with a great Belgian and other specialty selection.

2156 West Addison Street
Chicago, Illinois

As for Chicago breweries, there's the ubiquitous Goose Island (go for their Belgian line-up, or some Bourbon County Stout). Also around is Half-Acre (Daisy Cutter), Metropolitan (Kolsch and Copper Lager), and Two Brothers (Domaine DuPage, Cane & Ebel) all with solid offerings (the ones I've had and liked in parentheses). There are more breweries choose from, but I haven't had them yet, as most seem to be brew-pub type places that currently only offer draft.

When you personally come up, I wouldn't hesitate to grab a beer and a pizza at Piece as well as hit up Revolution Brewing.

[SeeFish]

+1 to the breweries already named, I would also add Flossmoor Station to the list.

A couple other semi-local favorites of mine are Three Floyds (Munster, Indiana) and New Glarus (New Glarus, WI just south of Madison).

Haven't been to the aforementioned Binny's, but they are a local chain and the couple I've been to have had a really good selection.