Five breweries in six weeks: Chicago’s craft beer closures have brewers on guard
https://chicago.suntimes.com/food-drink/2026/03/11/chicago-brewery-closures-craft-beer-alarmist-illuminated-whiner-flapjack-casa-humildeOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
It is a bummer that so many are closing. In my area, I can think of several that I'm surprised haven't shut down already.
Yes, I'm a snob, but, there is some really lousy beer being made.
Haven't bought a craft beer in at least 8 years, they're all IPAs now. For awhile there, there was good local beer being made. Then I guess someone discovered how to turn corn syrup into IPA and now all they make is piss colored Tylenol flavored fizz water for $9 a pint.
I have 2 really good spots near me. And there are also 2 very Big name spots also near me.
Trillium & Treehouse certainly have a few good brews.
But, I'll take Widowmaker and Long Live over both of them for sure.
I remember 10 years ago saying how there's no way the market can sustain this many brewers that had popped up in the previous 10 years from that. It has definitely become a brutal landscape in the past 5 years now. Even my local stores downsized how many beers they sell in recent years and focus on a combination of good locals and the bigger brewers around the country. I miss the golden days of racing to try the next best thing back in the late 2000's.