BOTTOMS UP

HOP AMONG EIGHT BREWERIES ALONG MALT ROW, CHICAGO'S CRAFT BEER HUB, WHERE EVERY TAPROOM OFFERS A NEW EXPERIENCE AND FLAVOR.

- AMY BIZZARRI

Pour yourself a pint: We’re going to start with a story. In 1841, one of Chicago’s original breweries, Lill and Diversy, introduced Lill’s Cream Ale, a beer so popular that by 1857, the brewery had grown into the largest west of the Atlantic Seaboard. By 1900, the Windy City was home to about 60 beer-makers. Today there are more than 160—and you'll find some of the best concentrated in and around the near north-side neighborhood of Ravenswood.

Collectively, eight diverse breweries comprise Malt Row. Less straight line and more loose diagonal with a couple of tipsy jigs, the “row” stretches about 2 miles between Balmoral Avenue and Irving Park Road. (Several stops are on Ravenswood Avenue.) You can pop into an experimental nano brewery with no idea what’s on tap or visit the mega home of one of Chicago’s most beloved IPAs. Or even better, do both, because the area’s compact scale is an easy invitation for a leisurely stroll or bike ride. While there’s no official Malt Row tour, the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce hosts recurring Hoppy Hours, an intimate tasting and learning series. And each summer, the Ravenswood on Tap festival spills into the streets (July 19–20 this year).

As you explore, search out Gnome Brew; they offer home-brewing classes and sell all the essential gear, including a popular kit to ferment a case of beer with less than a square foot of counter space. Another fun stop is Lightwriters Neon, a family-run, half-century-old neon fabricator that sells custom signs (for your home bar, perhaps?) and hosts classes too.