Hopewell Brewing Company (2760 N. Milwaukee Ave., Logan Square) looks less like a brewery than it does a particular breed of third-wave coffee shop, the kind that prizes blond wood, bright lighting, and sparse Scandinavian design above all else. But pull up a backless stool to one of the communal tables and order a drink anyway. It's one of the most pleasant places in Logan Square to pop in for an easy drink.
As it's early days still, the menu of housemade brews is limited–just four excellent options on the night we visited, a few lagers plus an IPA and a saison available in full and (way-more-than) half-pints. Word is a red IPA will join the fleet soon.
You'll be sitting in a crowd of mostly neighborhooders in knit hats and thick-rimmed glasses, nodding along to a Miguel-heavy soundtrack, sharing sips and small bags of Mama's Nuts (there's no other food for now, but the hope is to attract some food trucks out front when things get settled). Word to the wise: If you're hoping to visit as part of an impromptu Logan bar crawl, plan to go early in the night, as the spot closes at 11 on weekends.
Here's what all we saw when we stopped in.