By Amalie Drury
 

Bars

The Map Room

THE ARCHETYPE
Hopleaf Bar
This Andersonville tavern has stayed busy since opening in 1992, but its booming past decade demonstrates Chicago’s exponential thirst for craft beer. So many pilgrims trek here that, come late summer, Michael Roper and Louise Molnar will launch an expansion next door (bigger kitchen, more seating, 20 new taps). Michael, the keeper of the beer menu (325 bottles, 45 drafts), tends toward Belgians (Van Honsebrouck’s Gueuze Fond Tradition, $7) and Belgian-style ales brewed in the United States (Goose Island’s Matilda, $6). Whether a beer makes the cut often depends on its backstory: Take the father-and-son farmers who grow their own barley (Hof Ten Dormaal’s Wit Goud, $8.50). As for his role in shaping generations of palates, Michael says: “When I try to take a popular beer off the menu, people freak out. We’ve created a bunch of beer Frankensteins.” 5148 N. Clark St.; 773-334-9851, hopleaf.com

THE HOPS HOSTEL
Map Room
The ceiling hung with flags and the bookshelves lined with back issues of National Geographic say it all: Patrons should prepare to try something off the grid at this self-dubbed travelers’ tavern. The manager and certified cicerone, Jay Jankowski, is happy to surprise indecisive drinkers with Bockor’s Bellegems Bruin or ’T Gaverhopke’s Extra ($7 each) from the globetrotting beer list (26 drafts, plus one on cask and some 150 varieties by bottle), which delves deepest into German-style and domestic craft brews. At night, Beer School classes bring beer geeks by the dozens, while daytime hours are ideal for quiet sipping at this 18-year-old Bucktown standby (coffee service starts at 6:30 a.m. weekdays; taps flow at 11). 1949 N. Hoyne Ave.; 773-252-7636, maproom.com (cash only)

THE OLD NEWBIE
Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar
When Ed Marszewski revamped his mom’s 25-year-old Bridgeport institution in 2010, he kept its tried-and-true format—liquor store up front, bar in the rear—but introduced a chic new décor, a DJ schedule, and a shockingly long beer menu. After touring a friend’s microbrewery in Amsterdam, Marszewski decided Maria’s should carry “every craft beer distributed in our neck of the woods,” including hard-to-get seasonals such as Founders’ Cerise ($5), bringing the total count to 18 drafts and roughly 400 bottles and cans. The beauty of having a liquor store on the premises? About 75 percent of the beer list is available to go. 960 W. 31st St.; 773-890-0588, community-bar.com

THE DECEPTIVE DIVE
Quenchers Saloon
It was Quenchers’ second owners, Earle and Nisa Johnson, who skewed the now-32-year-old Bucktown bar toward beer in the early 1980s, when six or seven taps were considered a lot. The international thing came later, Earle says. Today, Bob Ehrlich, a certified cicerone, oversees a list of 275 bottles and 24 drafts, with finds including Bockor’s Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge from Belgium ($8) and Stiegl’s Pils from Austria ($5). That doesn’t mean this lovably scruffy corner tap, home of the free popcorn basket and Earle’s Famous Chili ($3.50), has forgotten its blue-collar roots: “There’s still the guy who only has $10 in his pocket, so you can still get a Bud Light or a PBR,” Earle says. 2401 N. Western Ave.; 773-276-9730, quenchers.com (cash only)

THE DRAFT PICK
Sheffield’s
Although a tavern has stood on this Lake View corner since the 1940s, we can thank Rocky Albazi and the late Ric Hess, who purchased the bar in 1992, for really bringing the beer. With April’s addition of 12 new draft lines, Sheffield’s now pours from 50 taps (Left Hand’s Milk Stout, $5; Stone’s Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, $7), including one cask option and six devoted to the beer garden—an Edenic haven in the midst of riotous Wrigleyville. Hess, who died last year, was a fierce champion of regional brewing and a perfectionist when it came to the bar’s other specialty, barbecue. 3258 N. Sheffield Ave.; 773-281-4989, sheffieldschicago.com

Photograph: Anna Knott

By Cassie Walker
 

Gastropubs

The Publican

THE SPECIALTY CELLAR
The Bluebird
The Bluebird made its reputation as a cozy Bucktown wine bar, but somewhere along the way word got out that sommelier Jill Mott was indulging her own cravings for piquant ales and farmhouse saisons. After steadily building a 120-bottle menu, she recently introduced a reserve list of limited-supply vintage beers (The Lost Abbey’s 2008 Angel’s Share Ale, $40/750 mL; J. W. Lees’s 2007 Harvest, $19/9.3 oz.), as well as a surprisingly affordable monthly beer tasting ($25–$30) paired with plates. The regular menu beckons now, too, with beer-driven fare such as mussels steamed in Blanche de Bruxelles’s Bière Blanche ($15). 1749 N. Damen Ave.; 773-486-2473, bluebirdchicago.com

THE NEIGHBORHOOD STANDOUT
Fountainhead
Any weeknight is a reason to pull up a stool at this Ravenswood corner bar, where the beer director, Phil Kuhl, curates such smart-aleck themes as “It Might Get Hoppy,” devoted to imperial IPAs. But the place shines brightest when Robyn Marfurt gets in the game: For a recent Weihenstephaner night, the beer-loving executive chef paired $5 steins of the mild German brew with sausages braised in dark beer ($7) and porter-infused German chocolate cake ($6). Fortunately for neighborhood hopheads, Kuhl rotates in a few new or rare beers each month, and Marfurt whips up a beer-infused tasting menu to match. 1970 W. Montrose Ave.; 773-697-8204, fountainheadchicago.com

THE LOUNGE ACT
Gilt Bar
With more than two dozen varieties in the cooler and 12 drafts on offer, Gilt Bar can’t claim the largest selection around. But this sleek River North gastrolounge succeeds with a smart assortment of American craft ales and full-bodied Belgians, not to mention a wait staff of bons vivants. The beverage director, Jean Tomaro, who does double duty at sibling Maude’s Liquor Bar, regularly subs in new pours, each time introducing her staffers to the beers both by taste and how they pair with food. We tested our server’s mettle with an order for ham and cheese fondue ($12), beet salad ($10), and ricotta gnocchi ($14). Her winning pick? A complex, malty IPA (Southern Tier’s 2X, $6) that balanced the rich flavors in our meal and distracted us, perhaps permanently, from the first-rate cocktail list. 230 W. Kinzie St.; 312-464-9544, giltbarchicago.com

THE ANGLOPHILE’S RETREAT
Owen & Engine
There are a few secrets for hitting and not missing at this British-inspired pub in Logan Square—a considerably more stylish destination than the fluorescent-lit movie theatre across the street. Visit on a weeknight (shorter waits), sit upstairs (it’s quieter), and ask to chat with Elliott Beier, the mustachioed cicerone, who will handily recommend a cask-conditioned beer from the daily selection. Some ubiquitous dishes (fish and chips, $17) may cost more than you want to pay, so choose from the less common options, including an assortment of house-made sausages and charcuterie ($19). When we visited, the sticky toffee pudding ($9) paired with a Fuller’s ESB ($6) erased any anxiety over who was picking up the tab. 2700 N. Western Ave.; 773-235-2930, owenengine.com

THE EXEMPLAR
The Publican
Before opening his pork-and-beer hall in the West Loop, chef/co-owner Paul Kahan quaffed his way through England and Belgium—an odyssey reflected in The Publican’s meticulous selection of Trappist ales and Flemish reds, which pair superbly with the farm-driven plates (roasted chicken, $24; suckling pig, $23). On a recent visit, our order of boudin blanc sausage ($17) prompted a decisive recommendation for a German weiss (Weihenste-phaner’s Vitus, $8); the server went on to explain how the clove-accented beer balances the dish’s savory-sweet elements. No other Chicago establishment requires its wait staff to pass the first level of a cicerone certification program, and as a result, no one else speaks the language of beer with such expertise. 837 W. Fulton Market; 312-733-9555, thepublicanrestaurant.com

Photograph: Anna Knott

By Lena Singer
 

Liquor Stores

THE SUBURBAN GEM
Armanetti Wines & Spirits (Shorewood)
It only looks like any other strip-mall liquor store. This outpost, one of 15 independently owned shops in the Armanetti buying group, is worth the drive for its 300-strong selection of craft beers, including a cooler brimming with at least 100 varieties of domestic four-packs, six-packs (Wild Onion’s Paddy Pale Ale, $9), 12-packs, and artisanal bottles (look for special releases from The Lost Abbey). When he opened this shop about a year ago, Mario Dukovac tapped more than three decades of experience in the beverage industry, most recently with a distributor, to build his list (single-malt Scotches are also a specialty) and admits to being “an alcohol fanatic.” You said it, Dukovac. 345 Vertin Blvd., Shorewood; 815-609-1690, armanetti.com

THE BEHEMOTH
Binny’s Beverage Depot (Lincoln Park)
There’s often an urge to take the big guy down a few notches, but quantity and quality coexist in skillful balance at Binny’s sprawling flagship, one of 25 area locations. The beer list peaks at about 1,600, with nearly 800 imported and 300 domestic crafts, plus 50 craft kegs, including half barrels from Brooklyn Brewery ($173.99). Beyond frequent tastings and generous discounts (call for details on July’s annual keg sale), the store just began a cellaring program: Select bottles from brewers such as Arcadia, Firestone Walker, and Lagunitas will be stored, aged, and then released in 2012 for the benefit of beer geeks citywide. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. 1720 N. Marcey St.; 312-664-4394, binnys.com

THE BY-THE-BOTTLE SPECIALIST
Lush Wine and Spirits (West Town)
Yes, it’s a wine store. But for beer fans who prefer to taste a new brew before committing to a six-pack, Lush’s West Town location carries close to 300 different craft bottles priced for individual purchase—primarily small-batch varieties, such as Founders’ Kentucky Breakfast Stout ($6/12 oz.) and Meinklang’s Ancient Grains Ale ($3.75/12 oz.). Recent larger-format offerings have included Goose Island’s 2006 Imperial Brown Goose ($30/750 mL) and Cantillon’s Kriek ($42/750 mL). 1412 W. Chicago Ave.; 312-666-6900, lushwineandspirits.com

An honorable mention in the à la carte category goes to Armanetti’s Lake View shop (3530 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-529-0288), which recently freed up nearly 200 domestic crafts for build-your-own six-packs.

THE LOCAL STANDBY
Vas Foremost Liquors (Logan Square)
Vas Foremost feels like your go-to beer shop—even if you live miles from Logan Square, where the Vaselopulos brothers have run this store, one of three owned by the family, since the 1950s. Every brew in the stock of about 1,000 varieties is kept cold, and 26 of the 31 refrigerator doors open onto large-format bottles (Dogfish Head’s Squall IPA, $9.99/750 mL) or six-packs (Three Floyds’ Gumballhead, $12.49). The cooler-only approach saves storage space but also puts an enticing rainbow of labels on display: “It’s attractive, just like when you go window-shopping,” Bill Vaselopulos says. Buyer, beware frequent impulse purchases. 2300 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-278-9420, vasforemost.com

THE IMPORT SOURCE
West Lakeview Liquors
You’ll find a smart selection of American craft beers at this snug 23-year-old shop in North Center, but real beer fiends flock for the rotating lineup of rare, and sometimes exclusive, imported bottles lining the shelves like a parade of nations (Brasserie de la Senne’s Zinnebir from Belgium, $4.49/330 mL; Almond ’22’s Torbata from Italy, $19.99/750 mL; Mikkeller’s Black Hole from Denmark, $9.99/ 375 mL). Later this summer, West Lakeview’s supply of wine and spirits will move next door to the space that formerly held its sister shop, a grocery, making way for an all-beer expansion that will bring the total inventory to 30-plus countries, represented by more than 1,000 different beers. Prepare for global takeover. 2156 W. Addison St.; 773-525-1916, wlvliquors.com