Inside Guinness's New Chicago Brewery

When you enter the main door of the new Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Chicago, you enter a narrow causeway that allows you to peek inside the brewhouse, pass some merch and a bakery and coffee bar before finally emerging in the main restaurant area. If you are an average human—I was, it turned out—you will stop dead in your tracks and goggle at the massive abstract harp sculpture that floats over the central bar, your hand involuntarily fishing phone from pocket, a picture snapped before you’re consciously aware of having done so.

Guinness has been my sponsor and partner at this blog for several years, and they literally make this site possible. They were kind enough to fly me to Chicago to see the Open Gate Brewery, and Ryan Wagner and Megan Schwarz were gracious with their time. Have a look at this piece for a discussion of Guinness's unusual pint-first American strategy.

That harp was created as a symbol, but it works as metaphor as well. In symbolic terms, it stands simultaneously for Guinness and Ireland. The harp is an ancient instrument and became a symbol of the country nearly a thousand years ago. Guinness “only” started using it a hundred years into its history (1862), but early enough that it predated Ireland’s independence by several decades.

It works as metaphor because it signals that Chicago’s new arrival isn’t a start-up brewery. This is a grand old company with the desire to wow its new city. Early reviews often compared the spectacle to a cathedral, and they’re not wrong. The sculpture weighs 7,700 pounds and actually hangs from the ceiling. Supportive beams rest on a wall the company reinforced twelve feet below the ground. It has churchy swoops and rises, recalling a pipe organ, and, like a cathedral, draws the eyes up. Although the 1907 building is a former train depot, its shape and size even hint at something roughly ecclesiastical. The harp, which crowns the central bar, is visible from every table in the main pub. Ryan Wagner, whose title is extremely long and convoluted, but acts a bit like the emcee of the show, told me, “We always knew this was going to be the centerpiece.”

If the Open Gate Brewery (OBG) is a cathedral, then, it’s a cathedral to beer. Parent company Diageo owns a number of spirits brands, but you won’t find them here. Nor wine or cider. They want to keep the focus squarely on Guinness beer, both the classic black stuff from Dublin and more American offerings from brewers Megan Schwarz and Nate Morton. (They do offer beer cocktails.)

While some of the beers currently on tap may have a longer life here, they’re also waiting to see what lands. I was quite impressed with their early offerings; the brewers have a deft touch and deliver beers that are really good examples of style. That’s not a trait much appreciated these days, but for a crowd who will tilt toward newbies, it’s going to be a nice educational component. Examples of the kind of beers they have on tap now:

Corn Maize Cream Ale. I mentioned this one in my previous post, but to repeat, it’s a delicate cream ale made with Illinois corn. The corn is evident in the palate, which is deepened by a hint of toastiness.
We Made Another Stout! A proper oatmeal stout worthy of the name, with a rich, silky mouthfeel, a sweet middle, and a dry, dark-chocolate finish.
Altbier. (It may have had another name, but it just came on tap and I didn’t see a title.) Megan’s altbier tasted as close to a Dusseldorf alt as I’ve had in the US, with soft, German malts and a layer of spicy noble hops.
Italian Pilsner. This may have been my favorite of the bunch. Another dead-on example of style, it had a saturated but not top-heavy dose of Hallertauer hops. Agostino Arioli would nod with approval.

The food is more ambitious than I would have guessed. They do offer a few Irish classics, but nodding to their international footprint, they have dishes that hail from beyond the Emerald Isle. We had some kind of spicy shrimp with our cream ale, and they have Nigerian skewers, Middle Eastern lamb, and duck udon. I am no food expert, so I’ll move right along except to observe this. As with everything else in OGB, the food is designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. If you want the classic beef stew, they have it (might I recommend an Extra Stout with that?), but this pure fan service. They’re aware they need to appeal to a whole city, and they’re up for the challenge.

Indeed that one-place-fits-all approach is evident throughout. They’ve built a beautiful outdoor deck that was still attracting the hardy in early November. The vibe of the place is open and welcoming, and I saw large, mixed groups all happily managing to find something for everyone. It’s got a ton of light, and feels bright and airy, which will continue to attract a diverse crowd. On the Saturday afternoon I visited, it was packed.

I will leave you with some photos below. For more information about the OGB, hours, menus, and so on, their website is here.