Galena is a popular tourist destination for Chicagoans, especially to see the changing colors in the fall. The brewery has been around since 2009 and a perfect rest spot after a long hike.

Tighthead offers 16 brews on tap, but it’s strictly a taproom. Bring your own food or order takeout. Try to get your hands on the Bear’s Choice APA, made with “aromatic malts combined with the mango and tangerine citrus from copious amounts of Mosaic hops.”

Phase Three’s special release routinely vanish in seconds off retail shelves. The Lake Zurich brewery, about an hour northwest of Chicago, is an IPA lover’s delight with varieties like milkshake and hazy available. The food is from nearby Kooker’s.

A short hour-long drive to St. Charles, Riverlands aims to make the area a beer destination with choices like an imperial stout called “Secret Burrito.” The food is provided by trucks, and it’s close enough to water where the brewery on occasion will host events.

About an hour and 15 minutes west of Chicago in Geneva, Penrose Brewing is a great escape from the city. The Raspberry Dubbel is among the brewery’s favorites.

The folks behind SOB in Naperville pack a punch in a tiny taproom. Food trucks serve customers, and there’s eight beers on tap. It’s not a quiet spot as management likes their music loud, but the beer’s tasty. The Snaggletooth Bandana, an American IPA, is a crowd pleaser. A Chicago location will soon open in Logan Square.

Known for its barrel-aged series of beers, Metal Monkey is a simple spot in an industrial park where friends hang out. The music’s loud and the Asmodeus is high ABV. Try if if you’re lucky enough to find it.

Across the state line, about 30 minutes in Hammond, Indiana, lies 18th Street Brewery, a gem of a brewery south of Chicago. There are locations in Gary and Indianapolis, as well, but Hammond features a full food menu with sours and IPAs on the tap list.

About 40 minutes southeast of Chicago in Tinley Park, Hailstrom offers beers and live music. A full food menu is not available, but there are snacks. Hailstrom’s tap list offers an array of stouts and IPAs. Many, including the popular Vlad series, are available in cans and growlers to go.

The Beer Hall is a Central Illinois a destination. This facility features food, house-made sodas, and more. Find IPAs, sours, even the brewery’s own hard seltzer.

A five-hour drive to Southern Illinois in Ava, Scratch Brewing should be on the top of any Chicagoan beer lovers to-do list. Near Shawnee National Forest, the views are picturesque, but Scratch isn’t all flash without substance. In 2020, it earned a James Beard Award nomination — a rarity for breweries who compete against fine dining stereotypes and placed in the same category as wine and cocktail makers. That’s because the beer is produced with locally foraged and farmed ingredients. Find lovely farmhouse ales and lagers, the type of crisp offerings that city folks need in a sea of urban IPAs, sours, and stouts. Locally, the Beer Temple in Avondale taps the beer on a occasion if drinkers want a sample.