The latest addition to Chicago's growing list of taprooms and brewpubs is here and, like Lagunitas before it, it's being run by a brewery that got its start on the West Coast. San Diego-based Ballast Point Brewing Company (makers of Sculpin IPA) will open its Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen in the West Loop on May 15, with more than 45 beers on tap and a menu of seasonal dishes designed to pair with them. The 12,000-square-foot brewpub is located at 212 N Green Street and also boasts a rooftop bar (a rarity in West Loop) that is slated to open later this summer.
While the the brewpub's tap list is produced off-site, the new space does have a three-barrel brewing system that will be used to create limited-edition R&D beers unique to Chicago. With more than 100 tap lines throughout the space, there's going to be no shortage of new brews for guests to try every time they visit.
The brewpub's location in Fulton Market puts it within walking distance of Chicago's best restaurants, but Ballast Point's menu of American dishes looks like it will be able to hold its own. The kitchen will serve mussels, nachos, fish tacos and Chicago-exclusive creations like a Habanero Sculpin IPA bratwurst.
Check out photos of the space below, which showcase the tap-handle–covered walls and industrial touches of the Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen.
Photograph: Marcin Cymmer
Photograph: Marcin Cymmer
Photograph: Marcin Cymmer
Photograph: Marcin Cymmer
Photograph: Marcin Cymmer
Photograph: Marcin Cymmer