There’s a new taproom taking up residence on “Malt Row,” the growing community of breweries (plus a distillery and a winery) situated in and around Ravenswood. Is/Was Brewing will celebrate the grand opening of its taproom at 5121 N Ravenswood Ave on Saturday, August 17, showcasing the saison-style beers that Is/Was founder Mike Schallau has developed over the past five years.
A former homebrewer who cut his teeth working in various roles at Pipeworks Brewing Company, Schallau founded Is/Was in 2019 and began brewing beers that reflected his own tastes. He immediately gravitated to saison ales, a highly carbonated, yeast-forward style of beer that was first brewed by 19th-century farmers in southern Belgium.
Schallau says that he was drawn to saison beers because of how distinct they are from the conventional IPAs and lagers that many craft beer drinkers have become accustomed to.
“You can coax these really interesting, delicate, complex flavors out of the yeast rather than just throwing a bunch of hops or malt into [a beer],” Schallau says.
After spending nearly five years renting space and brewing capacity from Marz Community Brewing and Begyle Brewing, Schallau came across a production facility and taproom that had been vacated by the defunct Urban Brew Labs. While overhauling the space, Schallau attempted to channel the rustic feel of taprooms he visited in France and Belgium as he was researching saisons—less stainless steel and barrel staves, more exposed brick and colorful murals painted by local artist Joe Kraft.
Naturally, saisons dominate the 18 drafts offered at Is/Was, though you’ll also find guest taps featuring non-saison beer from Chicago breweries like Begyle and Hop Butcher for the World (eventually, Is/Was will begin exploring other beer styles, too). The opening menu also features more than 130 different bottles that Schallau has set aside since founding Is/Was, allowing guests to taste a bit of the brewery’s history. And if you’re not drinking, Is/Was serves non-alcoholic shrubs that combine house-made malt vinegar and seasonal fruit.
After deciding on a beverage, guests can snag a seat at the bar, find a table or relax on a sofa. Contributing to the ambiance, Schallau personally installed 40 sound-damping panels throughout the taproom, making it possible to have a quiet conversation with your friends amid the din of a lively crowd. At some point, Is/Was will provide even more space to spread out by opening an auxiliary room, which may be outfitted with Skee-Ball machines or a pop-up bocce ball court. Plus, there’s enough space for a small patio that could open in time for the arrival of warmer weather next summer.
Even as he celebrates the opening of the Is/Was taproom, Schallau is cognizant of the string of recent brewery closures throughout Chicago, ranging from smaller spots like Ørkenoy in Logan Square and Lo Rez in Pilsen to Metropolitan Brewing’s beloved riverside taproom and the expansive Lagunitas facility near Douglass Park. He’s adamant that consumers are still drinking plenty of beer (according to Schallau, sales of Is/Was beer have increased by at least 10% annually), but notes that folks opening breweries in the current market need to possess “a specific vision for what they're doing and intentionality behind it.”
At Is/Was, Schallau’s vision for the taproom is a “neighborhood hub” where locals can set up their laptops and sip nitro cold brew during the day (Is/Was opens at noon Tuesday-Sunday) and guests can bring along their families (and dogs) for a round of drinks in the evening.
“We envision a space where all sorts of people feel comfortable, welcome and excited to, especially in our case, learn about something new,” Schallau says.
Is/Was has welcomed neighbors and passersby as part of its soft opening over the past few weeks, but the taproom’s grand opening on August 17 hopes to attract beer lovers from throughout Chicago. During the space’s official debut, the Harold’s Chicken food truck will serve dishes doused in mild sauce while local musicians perform live music. The event isn’t a one-off occurrence—Schallau plans to make outside food vendors (he’s already lined up an evening with local oyster experts Motor Shucker) and live music fixtures of the taproom’s programming moving forward.
Whether guests are coming to sample award-winning saisons or simply to spend time with friends and family, the Is/Was taproom aims to provide a meeting place that feels like a part of the larger Ravenswood community. As Schallau puts it, “We want to be like a neighborhood bar that happens to make world-class beer.”