What an awesome time learning about wine and the opportunity to make my own. Great date night for the wife and the buzz was real!!! read more

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Brewed my first homebrew in Greg's brewing class, and it is delicious. Greg is an extremely talented brewer. You can hear the passion in his voice when speaking to him about the subject. 10/10 would recommend his brewing class. read more

Bev Art Brewer & Wine Maker Supply - Imperial IPA brewed at BevArt - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I purchased my boyfriend a brewing gift certificate so that we could brew and bottle our own beer. We are definitely into the craft beer scene so we were excited to learn how to make our own. The class is listed as taking 2 hours. Truthfully, the actually brewing takes approximately 45 minutes. Our instructor was sharing some basic brew knowledge with us for the first hour before we started brewing. We then scheduled to come back 2-3 weeks later to bottle our brew. Bottling took about 30 minutes for 48 bottles. We learned a lot about the process, sanitation, and it was very nice to not have to purchase/clean all of the equipment needed for brewing. The reason that I did not give Bev Art 4-5 stars is because the actual facility gives the vibe that you should not be there. Both the brew site and the store are unkept and in need of some updating. I am struggling with the idea of recommending this place to friends because I know that the facility is not a welcoming environment - though the people that we worked with were all kind. read more

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The first class was very fun great atmosphere and had a good teacher. There was an event going on so there was loud music but honestly it did not bother me during the class. It did make it hard to figure out where to go during the class. The kit we bought made it pretty easy and the instructor walked you through each step and explained how everything you were putting in would change your wine. I liked the first class it was a very basic introduction to wine making and explained the fermentation process. The teacher created a good atmosphere and the other couples in the class were fun. The bottling experience was a different story. Once again it was confusing on where to go when we got there. While there was seemly no one in their event space there was still a DJ blaring loud music. The person helping us bottle our wine did not seem like he did not want to be there. He was pretty short with us and I got the feeling maybe this wasn't his normal job. Maybe someone called off and he had to fill in? He seemed pretty busy. He let us taste our wine and then just stated we should add tannins. He added it for us. Honestly I felt a little awkward and wanted to bottle our wine quickly and get out of there. I kind of wish the wine making classes were held at a different location than the event space. In the end we have 26 bottles of good wine. read more

Ok...there is a place that offers wine making classes, cider making classes, and beer brewing classes (After class and material fees, each bottle of wine I made came to about $8 a bottle. Holy awesome!!)?!? Pinch me! I must be dreaming...! In December, my sister and I embarked on our first wine making classes. After a few hours of wine tasting, cracker eating, wine pouring and swirling, we made the equivalence of 2+ cases. i didn't realize it had to ferment (oops!) and we had to wait 8-10 weeks to bottle our concoction. We went on Monday to finish the wine fun and bottle and cork our "magic juice". Yes, it was supposed to take us about 1 hour, but we ended up being there 2+ hours! We had to taste our wines several times (and add a little of this and a little of that) to make sure that our palates were happy. Greg, the owner, was there every step of the way, and went up and beyond when it came to service. We had countless questions and could not stop giggling and often brought him into our giddiness. Bev-Art also makes various honey wines and some red wines. Many honey wines can be purchased at Binny's and In Fine Spirits (among other stores around the Chicagoland area). If I am not mistaken, there was a "wine making" event in either Lakeview or Lincoln Park and know that it has been closed down for awhile. I have never been there, but never drawn to the idea, seemed rather rushed. The place is the real deal!! A group of us are already planning our next field trip! read more

I've been here quite a few times, and everyone I've dealt with has been great. They really know their stuff. They have everything you need to make your own wine, beer, and mead. Ask for a free sample of their mead, they'll be more than happy to share the end result of their hard work with you. When you try their meads, it becomes very apparent that they know their stuff. They sell beginner kits with all the equipment you need. I made my first batch of mead with their help, and it turned out great! I wanted to bottle my mead in small servings, and they had these EZ cap bottles, that are basically a swing-top Grolsch style bottle, except in dark brown. Some of their prices are as low as or even lower than online stores, some of them are higher, it about evens out in the end. I couldn't believe there was a place so close to home I could go to for last-minute equipment. I also wanted to say that they are not as -- I guess the word would be snobby -- as other places I've been to. They asked what I was making, I told them since it was my first attempt, I was using honey from Costco to make an orange/cinnamon/clove mead, and they informed me that years ago they had tried honey and welch's grape juice to make mead! Great, down to Earth people, great selection. 5 Stars! read more

My visiting friend somehow found this place while preparing for her trip to visit me. She told me that had mead (honey wine) tastings and that they were a brewer and that the tasting was free. Free booze was pretty much all I needed to know in order to agree to this trip. So we walk into this storefront and I was very confused. It looks like a shop to buy brewing supplies. We kindly asked the guy behind the counter if they offered tastings and they do. For some reason while they brew and sell supplies to brew on site they are unable to actually sell the booze. Their side of the street is "dry" and you need to go across the street to buy the wine/beer/mead that you like. So we tried many times of mead: A regular dry mead, cranberry mead, blueberry, cherry, chocolate, and bourbon mead. Most were very good and it was interesting to try something new. Since mead is very sweet it's not for everyone but I find it a refreshing summer drink. The guy that helped us with the tasting was great. I think his name was Greg, and he was very informative about everything. It's interesting to hear where the fruit and honey come from and that everything is then fermented. He was also very friendly an accommodating to us. Their stuff is sold in most Binny's so should I want to buy anything I don't have to drive all the way down south. I would have to say that my friend did a good job at finding something to do in Chicago that I would never have thought to do. read more

Updated May 8, 2009 It appears that Bev-Art did a Vulcan Mind Meld and implemented the improvements envisioned in my original review. They expanded operations into a spacious facility across the street from their storefront for all in-house classes and events. The new space looks like a commercial lab environment--perfect for concocting delicious alcohol based elixirs. They are currently offering a wide range of hands-on wine and beer making classes and have satisfied my requirements to be promoted to a four-star rating. Bravo Bev-Art! read more

Surprised my girlfriend with a winemaking class and the take home wine kit about a week ago. She absolutely loved it! We drank all different kinds of wine while we learned about wine making, then we made our own batch of Cabernet and are really looking forward to the final product in a few months. This place was great, very friendly and educated staff. We'll be going back I'm sure, maybe for a brewing class next time! read more

Bev Art Brewer & Wine Maker Supply - Makin some wine! - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It would seem as though the first time I visited here, I just had the wrong guy behind the counter. And frankly, that is the reason the update review isn't higher. But after needing to journey here because my brew store of choice was out of bottles, I had a very good experience with a very friendly and helpful gentlemen. So much so, that I felt the need to say that they seem to have a good selection and, on occasion, very helpful and friendly staff. Sadly, this does not trump my first visit; though I will no longer be so reluctant to return whenever needed. read more

There aren't many good brewer supply stores in the city, and if there are, then they aren't as good as this place. This small little store seems to be a "mom and pop" type place. The owners are extremely knowledgeable in their field, and are very nice. You feel like you get more personal care while at this place as compared to some big company looking to throw some bull squabble at you just to get your bucks. Want to start brewing but don't know how? Take one of their classes. It's a great way to start, plus, you get your full fill of the 5 gallons of the beer of your choice you've decided to make. Then, when you're ready, pick up your Ale Pails and carboy needs. Excellent! I like my beer ingredients to come from here. read more

So I just started homebrewing and I have a lot of really dumb questions. The kind of questions where, if I write them down now and save them to look at a year later, I'll laugh at myself. Fortunately the folks at Bev-Art are extremely patient, kind and helpful. They take the time to answer ALL of your questions (which is why I've bumped them up a star from the original 3 star score I was going to give them). It doesn't matter how long the line is, or how many time the phone rings, they are going to make sure you are taken care of. I appreciate that. I do agree with some of the other reviews, they place ain't fancy. But I don't really care. It's also a bit disorganized and hard to spot things you need from afar (which is why I was originally going to give them 3 stars). But once you're able to get the attention of one of the guys who works there, they'll help you find anything you need. This is a great place to go when you're just starting out and probably a great place to go when you're more experienced. read more

I agree that the place does have a grungy-type feel, but the employees are so friendly and willing to help that the appearance doesn't bother me. I recently went to Bev Art to pick up some home brewing material and the staff was beyond helpful. They told me to call back if I had any problems, informed me about beer clubs in the area, and even invited me to several brewing events. Not to mention, they're the only brewing store on the South Side. read more

Bev Art has a really cool deal on Valentine's day. My boyfriend and I went, it was held at the Marriot in downtown Chicago in a ballroom type area. In the beginning, you mix and make your own wine (red) and get to do a tasting. After that, they let you bottle it, teach you to cork it, and even put the top plastic part on it by using a machine to melt it. It was pretty cool to learn the bottling process. They also had several other wines available (red and white) to drink, as well. So people were drinking and getting loosened up prior to the actual wine making. After that, we went inside to a classroom type area and learned how they made wine and about where they actually grow their grapes. It was cool, a little too informative, but that is only my opinion, several people enjoyed the process, however, a lot of people took advantage of the drinks in the beginning and didn't have the patience for it. So that could go either way. The concept, i will say was very cool. After the presentation, we started making our own wine (we got to pre-order whatever we wanted) we chose a pinot grigio. We used water and followed the instructions, pour in ingredients, stir etc. It was pretty cool. This lasted about 30 minutes. People were continuing to drink and the couple next to us was really fun so the experience was getting even better. Later, we moved back into the room at the Marriott and had a grape stomping contest. At this point, you could kind of separate the classier people vs. a few of trashier people that attended (it was mostly classy, young couples looking to have fun) but during the grape stomping, a few drunk girls were falling out of the bucket, being dramatic, crying. I mean, c'mon girls, keep it together. I felt bad for Bev Art's staff. I would have done this before we did the wine making, as people weren't as drunk yet and things wouldn't have been so out of control (not the companies fault, just the timing and the people not being able to control their liquor). This is my only critique of the night. They also gave us boxers that we could put on to stomp so we don't get dirty and boas and were able to take them home which was cute. As we moved on to dinner, there was extra wine that they actually let us take home. There was one wine of theirs that I loved and I was able to take it home which I thought was very cool! It was their We moved on from that and went to dinner, it was a private area in the Marriott dining room. We had a four course, very classy meal, oysters, steak, cake, bread, it was great. Drinks werent included but for the price of everything, this was okay and totally acceptable.This was over by around 10:30 pm so we were still able to meet up with another couple afterwards. The best part about all of this is that it cost us (for two people the entire night) a total of about $350-$375. This included the drinks, four course meal, wine tasting, wine educational portion, and the wine we made. The wine we made will make 25-30 bottles of wine that we will get to keep once it is ready and bottled! The wine alone, pays for itself, not to mention everything else we got to do! At the end of the day, I would definitely recommend this company and their activities. It was fun, enjoyable, memorable, and educational. I hear they also have a beer one they do and I would definitely check it out. read more

Really good place to learn more about making wine and getting all the supplies You need. I went for my birthday with my mom and we had a blast. Definitely would go again and learn to make beer next. they literally have everything you need! read more

Bev Art Brewer & Wine Maker Supply - Materials - Breweries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My wife and I took the brewing course in mid October, and I have nothing but good things to say about it, and the guys at Bev-Art. We were in the area one day, so we stopped in to talk with them, and to sign up for the course if we felt like it would be a worthwhile time. It was and we did. The shop itself is full of brewing paraphernalia (tools, ingredients, books, etc.) as one might expect, with a couple workers on staff milling about, answering questions. The guys we spoke with when we signed up were not beer snobs in any way; they just seemed genuinely interested in the topic, and were happy to share their knowledge with us. We showed up a little early for the class on a Saturday morning, and were taken across the street to another location, which has tables, chairs, and lots of brewing going on. Greg was already there, and welcomed us in and explained what was going on and what he was doing. As others started arriving, he repeated the process and we were all up to speed, ready to go. The brewing itself was informative and actually fun. We met a couple nice people from Naperville, and learned quite a bit about the elixir we have been drinking for several decades. The lecture/description of what we were doing was on-point and lighthearted, and I had no trouble listening and following along rather than looking at all the cool equipment around me. Two weeks later, I returned to siphon the 'beer' into a second fermenter, and two weeks after that, we returned to bottle our beer, which is now sitting in the second shower at home as it does a final carbonation in the bottle itself. A week from now, I expect to be drinking a decently hoppy IPA! I had hoped and expected that the class and experience would be great, and it was. The guys were great to work with, and I know I'll be driving back out there often as we get into this new hobby of ours! read more

These guys are awesome. Gregg is always busy but still takes the time to help you. Kaz (sp?) is great as well. You can tell him what kind of beer you want to make and he can work out a recipie with you. Everything I have made has been excellent. Do prepare to stay a while. I dont think I've ever come out in less than an hour. Oh and bring in a sample for them to try... they can also help give you ideas on improvements. read more

My fiancée got me a gift certificate for the beer brewing class for my birthday, so we took a trip down to the south side last Saturday. The class was great. Gregg was a great teacher. He was very funny and knowledgeable and made sure each group understood the process. After the class we went back across the street and bought our own brewing kit. I can't wait to return and bottle the beer we made and to brew up our batch soon. read more

Review specific to the beer making class- I took a weekend trip to attend this class from Minneapolis, and was quite disappointed. On the website, this is described as a 3 hour course including the entirety of the beer making process. Our class was hardly an hour long (started almost 30 minutes late), with generic slides I could have found myself on the Internet. Also, many steps in the beer making process I was hoping to learn in class were already done for us (mashing, boiling water with the grains, etc.). Basically I paid $175 to put ingredients in a bucket and stir it around for an hour. I am very disappointed that I spent such a high amount of money and drove 8 hours to put stuff in a bucket. Additionally, your location was hard to find, in a not so nice part of town, and unwelcoming. There were staff setting up tables and chairs, talking loudly, and playing music while we were in the same room for this "class." read more

Its snowing roads are bad, but I need one thing to make my brew day possible. I hop in the car after work and rush over to BevArt on Western. They close at 7pm, I wish they had better hours, but it is what it is. I rush to this homebrew shop, in less than ideal driving conditions from my work downtown, trying to make it there before 7pm. I arrive, look at my phone - 6:58. I think great, I'll be in and out...I made it. I try to open the door...locked. I see two men inside. I knock, ask through a locked door yelling "Can I make one quick purchase?" so they can hear me. I look at my phone again - 6:59. The guy comes to the door and motions no and walks away. I look at my phone again, still 6:59. I'm baffled as to why a small business like this wouldn't want one more sale for the day....and most of all to help a customer that frequents the establishment. If your already there, why not open the door, especially when your hours say 7pm and its 6:59. I'm tired of this place. They never have what I am looking for and their customer service is less than stellar. I'll send my money somewhere else from now on. read more

LOVE this place! My friend and I went to a wine making class here a few weeks ago that she found on Groupon. I never knew such a thing existed until she asked if I wanted to go. Everyone was so nice and friendly. Our instructor (sorry, I can't remember his name) was awesome. He was funny, yet knowledgeable. The wine making was so much fun. I'm looking forward to going back to bottle our wine in the near future. After the class we stayed for a bit and sampled a wine flight at the bar. They have a great variety. They also serve food. I only had the potato soup, which was the best potato soup I've ever had! read more

Meadery, what the what! Well it's delicious! This was my dust time ever hearing about wine made from honey! It was really good, I went with my cousins and did tasting. The mead was really good and a tad bit stronger than wine from grapes! I actually enjoyed this tasting better than the overly crowed Cooper's Hawk. read more

I'll give them props because they're one of my local homebrew shops. Definitely like the grain closet they have and the willingness that the owner has when you ask for advice. Not the best selection for parts and stuff, a bit overpriced in that regard. But overall, can't complain, I like the beer ingredients they have to offer. And they make killer mead (Wild Blossom Meadery is the same place). read more

Stopped by to grab some home brew supplies and was so happy we found this place. Had everything we needed to make cider at home, and it was tucked away with a beautiful yard filled with flowers. Staff was friendly and helpful. We will definitely come back to try some mead and take classes. Businesses like this are few and far between these days. read more

I am a struggling home beer brewer. Bev-Arts has a laid back style and always helpful. I have visited maybe a dozen times in the last few years and am always treated with respect. They do not have a lot of materials in stock but probably have what you need and offer a lot of information and experience. Several times they have explained issues to me that had me confused. Great people. read more

I took the winemaking class here in 2007 and was blown away by the knowledge and helpfulness of the owner. I have since bought all of the equipment and made 7 batches of wine...#8 goes into bottles next week! I've also taken the beer making and cheese making classes. This is THE place to go whether you are a novice or expert! read more

I bought a Groupon for a beer making course. I had been homebrewing for sometime when I went, so the course was a review for me. The instructors knew what they were talking about, and they gave us some samples of beer and the mead that they make. My buddy and I were the only pair there that weren't also a couple (whoops!). We made a triple belgian that they chose the ingredients for. The beer turned out pretty good even if it was a little on the sweet side. They have an excellent selection of malts, hops, extracts, equipment, etc. They have everything. It is a long drive for me to get to here, but the Groupon was a good value, and I hope to make it back some time for a partial or full grain brew course. read more

Well let's see Wife buys beer brewing kit last year and it was missing the thermometer. Went back to store and they gave me one. Today on brew day 20 degrees out and my pale ale kit does not contain the dry malt extract. It was cold so I substituted 12 oz of honey. The Muslin bag was put in the pot and little bugs came out of the bag. I dumped 5 gallons of good water down the drain and refilled my pot. The good thing here is they answer your questions. The bad thing is they answer everybody else's questions. I went in to buy additional hoops. I like my beer hoop forward. I grabbed what I wanted and had to wait for 15 minutes while some guy asked a bunch of questions about his wine brew. Some of these guys with beards will tell you 2 oz of hoops and your beer will be 'hoppy'. I fell for this only once. The place is set up like a hardware shop. Watch out on the sidewalk in front of this establishment. I almost stepped in dog feces on 2 separate occasions. Update: Greg, thanks for the offer. However I don't write reviews in order to get something free. I wouldn't consider it a bad experience. The 3 stars takes all aspects into consideration including price. I bought a 12 pack of empty bottles for $17 man! Each batch of beer that yields 2 cases is over $80. I enjoy the hobby but the price point is high. Furthermore, I'll definitely be back due to close proximity to my residence. Sometimes I wish business owners would look at the big picture and invest something back into the business. read more

It seems to be the best brewing supply store in the city. In addition to brewing supplies, they have wine making supplies, wine tastings and I don't even know what else. Very helpful staff, good prices. Well worth the trip down to the south side! read more

My bf loves beer, so for his bday we threw a brewing party at Bevart. I was so happy with the whole set-up! Greg (and his assistant who I'm totally forgetting the name of right now) was great! It was super laid-back, so the people who were actually interested in brewing could help make the beer and everyone else could relax and enjoy tasting different beers & mead. They also let us bring in food & cake. Our guests all had a great time and I think it was kind of a fun new thing that most people hadn't done before? We're going to bottle the beer we made in a couple weeks, and I can't wait to try it! read more

I received the beer making class as a gift. Overall the class and making beer portion turned out well. They were informative and kind and well spoken. They taught us about the science behind it while still keeping it pretty interesting. The major complaint is the end result beer. We chose to brew an IPA. The end result, more of a brown ale or amber beer. No hop presence and super malt forward. I emailed them multiple times asking to see if there was a mix up and we bottled the wrong beer. Also sent a picture of the beer in a glass to show them the result. No response. This place had so much upside, but in the end horribly disappointed. read more

Mad scientists...beer makers...wine snobs...nosy people. They will all love this place. I mainly buy my yeast here. No not bread yeast. Beer...They also have any material you would need for brewing or wine making. Knowledgeable staff and classes offered for the newbies. Enjoy. read more

We attended a wine making class that I bought for my fiance for her birthday. This was a great experience. The instructor was funny and very welcoming to everyone. Had some great conversations with people we met there. Can't wait to try the wine in a few months! On a different note...it is not in the greatest location and was difficult to find at first but they are renovating an old warehouse building. Don't judge a book by its cover...it is breathtaking inside! Almost finished with it and can't wait to go back to see the end result. SO much fun and learned a lot about wine too!!!! read more

This is such a fun place to host a birthday get together. I had a few of my friends get together for a wine making party and it was a blast. Greg one of the co-owners served plenty of wine for tasting. He gave us a great history lesson on wine and the art of how to properly enjoy it. The wines were delicious and making them was so much fun. Our group just went so we have not bottle yet, but we can't wait for the bottling process. We are going to order more wine for tasting while we bottle. I definitely recommend this place for all types of occasions. One of the other reviewers made a comment about the store and class room. Unfortunately they are right but the good news is they have purchased a new facility and it is scheduled to open in the spring of 2016. The owners of Bevart know their environment is not the most desirable that is why they are going all out at their new location. For my event I spent a little extra to decorate the venue. Because I was allowed to bring in outside food, I saved a ton on catering. With table cloths, flowers and balloons I transformed the room and no one complained. A good time was had by all. read more

Try the brewing class, we ended up with two cases of the best beer I've ever had. Well worth the money and if we ever decide to brew our own at home they have all the supplies and even more know how. read more

This place is fantastic! It takes an incredibly complex process and breaks it down in understandable terms. My dad and I took their class and made of batch of tempranillo which turned out amazing! Like...better wine than stuff you can get at most restaurants! Their staff is not only extremely knowledgeable but they are patient and extremely helpful. Go here..make wine..now. read more

Best brew supplies in Chicago. Cool staff and helpful. I want to take a class here.

I hate to write a negative review since I have never been there, but my wife purchased a gift certificate for me to attend the beer making class with a friend and due to new circumstances I am not able to use it. I called to get a refund and was told it is non-refundable since they have already purchased the supplies for the class. Now mind you - I have not scheduled a class time and the certificate is good for over a year, so how does that make sense? I hate lame ass excuses and people being inflexible. This is just a case of a small business not wanting to give up $170 even though they have not spent a cent against it yet. Be forewarned when purchasing as a gift and make sure that the receiver of the gift certificate will actually want and use it before making the purchase. read more

Me and my girlfriend took a wine making class here over the winter. While the staff was very friendly, knowlagable, and very accommodating, there were a few instances where I felt that we could of learned more, or it could of been more engaging at times. With that said, I would recommend this to my friends and we are talking about coming back. read more

Bev Art wine making classes are the best any place. I have yet to find anyone else who takes this from fermentation to bottling with your own wine with there tools. Yes they supply what you need so if it isn't something you want to pursue no harm no big expense. I just wish Bev Art and Groupon would run a deal on the class that would put it over the top. Thank you Greg and all your wonderful crew. read more