Walk into a nondescript brick building in Logan Square and you’ll find something weird. Most places pick a lane. They either make beer or they make spirits. Maplewood Brewery & Distillery decided that doing both at the same time was the only way to live. It’s cramped. It’s loud. It’s tucked away on a side street called Maplewood Avenue, obviously, which feels more like an alleyway than a craft beer Mecca. But since 2014, these guys have been quietly outshining the massive corporate breweries that dominate the Chicago skyline.
They aren't just another taproom. They’re a hybrid.
The magic isn't in the marketing; it’s in the physical copper. You’ve got stainless steel fermentation tanks for the beer sitting right next to a custom-built Kothe hybrid still. This isn't just for show. It means the brewers and the distillers are literally sharing the same air, swapping ideas, and sometimes swapping ingredients.
The Fat Pug Phenomenon
If you know Maplewood, you know the pug. Fat Pug Oatmeal Milk Stout is basically the flagship that built the house. It’s velvety. It’s got that hit of lactose that makes it creamy without being cloying. Most people think "stout" and think heavy, like drinking a loaf of bread, but this one is surprisingly approachable at 5.9% ABV. It’s won medals at the Great American Beer Festival, which is basically the Oscars for people who wear flannel and obsess over yeast strains.
But honestly? The beer is only half the story.
The transition from brewing to distilling wasn't an afterthought. Ari Megalis and the team wanted to make "Brewer’s Whiskey." This isn't the stuffy, dusty bourbon your grandad drinks while complaining about the neighborhood. It’s whiskey made from grain bills that look a lot like craft beer recipes. They take the wash—which is essentially unhopped beer—and run it through the still.
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Why the Malt Whiskey Actually Matters
Most American whiskey is corn-heavy bourbon. It's sweet and hits you with oak. Maplewood leans into the American Single Malt category. They use specialty malts, like chocolate malt or honey malt, which are staples in the brewing world but rare in distilling.
The result? Their Brewer’s Whiskey line tastes like roasted nuts and dark fruit rather than just burnt sugar and wood. It’s a nuance that most distilleries miss because they aren't thinking like brewers. They’re thinking like chemists. Maplewood thinks like chefs.
The Lounge: A Logan Square Staple
Forget the polished, corporate taprooms downtown with their $18 pretzels and industrial-chic lighting. The Maplewood Lounge feels like a basement hangout that happens to have world-class booze. It’s small. If you go on a Saturday afternoon, expect to stand. But there’s a grit there that feels authentic to Chicago’s Northwest side.
They do "Cocktail Beer" too.
Take Son of Juice. It’s their rotating hazy IPA. It’s tropical, low bitterness, and basically juice for adults. Now, imagine a bartender using their own distilled gin or rum to create a cocktail that mirrors those hop profiles. It’s a closed-loop system of flavor. You can get a "handshake"—a beer and a shot—where both were made ten feet from your stool. That’s rare. In fact, it’s almost unheard of in the city limits.
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How They Survived the Hazy IPA Gold Rush
The mid-2010s were a bloodbath for small breweries. Everyone was trying to make the "juiciest" IPA, and many failed because they couldn't keep the quality consistent. Maplewood stayed relevant by being obsessive. They didn't just dump hops into a tank and hope for the best. They played with water chemistry.
They understood that to make a beer like Cuppa, their massive imperial stout series, you need a backbone. You can’t just hide behind adjuncts like coffee or vanilla if the base liquid is thin.
- Consistency: They scaled up without losing the "small batch" soul.
- Variety: One week it’s a crisp pilsner like Pulaski Pils, the next it’s a high-proof rye.
- The Vibe: They never tried to be "cool." They just stayed local.
The Distilling Side Nobody Talks About
While everyone focuses on the IPAs, the spirits program is doing some heavy lifting. Their Spruce Gin is a polarizing masterpiece. It’s not just juniper; it’s like drinking a forest. They use Colorado blue spruce tips. It’s weird, it’s resinous, and it makes the best Negroni you’ve ever had in your life.
They also do a Rum. Not the cheap, clear stuff that smells like rubbing alcohol. It’s a dark, rich spirit that actually has character. They’re experimenting with cask finishes—putting their whiskey into beer barrels and vice versa. It’s a constant cycle of flavor exchange.
What Most People Get Wrong About Maplewood
People assume that because they have a "lounge," they are a bar first. Wrong. They are a production facility first. Every square inch of that building is optimized for yield and quality. When you’re sitting there sipping a Silver Thread sour, you’re literally feet away from the canning line.
There’s a misconception that "hybrid" places are jacks of all trades and masters of none.
Maplewood disproves this by winning awards in both categories. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a logistical nightmare that they’ve managed to turn into a business model. Managing the taxes and regulations for a brewery is hard enough. Adding a distillery license on top of that in the city of Chicago? That’s a bureaucratic marathon.
Real Talk on Distribution
You can find their cans all over the Midwest now. From Binny’s to the tiny corner liquor store, the bright, minimalist label design stands out. But the best way to experience it is still at the source. There is a specific freshness to a pint of Son of Juice that hasn't sat in a hot warehouse for three weeks.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
If you're planning to head over to the Logan Square area, don't just wing it. It's a popular spot and the space is tight.
- Check the Draft List: They rotate stuff constantly. What was there Tuesday might be gone by Friday. Use their website or Untappd to see what's currently tapping.
- Order the "Handshake": Don't be fancy. Get a Pulaski Pils and a shot of their flagship rye. It’s the quintessential Maplewood experience.
- Check the Cans: They often have "Lounge Only" releases. These are small-batch experiments that never make it to the big distributors. Grab a four-pack on your way out.
- Eat Beforehand or Grab a Snack: They have some food, but it’s not a full-service dinner spot. Think of it as a pre-game or a nightcap destination.
- Ride Share: The parking in that part of Logan Square is a nightmare of permit zones and narrow streets. Save yourself the headache.
The craft beverage world is crowded. It’s full of "me-too" brands and flashy labels with no substance. Maplewood Brewery & Distillery works because they actually care about the liquid in the glass. They took the hard path of doing two things at once and somehow ended up being better at both than the specialists. Whether you’re a hophead or a whiskey neat kind of person, this is the one spot in Chicago that actually lives up to the hype.
Keep an eye on their seasonal releases. Their Cuppa variants usually drop in the colder months and disappear within hours. If you see a bottle on the shelf, buy it. You won't regret the investment.