On "Family Vacation," in Galena Illinois, took the gents out for a distillery tour to Blaum Bros. Distilling Company. Our tour guide David was a knowledgeable and entertaining host. He smoothly covered the history of the business, including location, and resources, while emphasizing the chemistry, mechanics and tools of the craft, as we walked through "where the magic happens." [[HIGHLIGHT]]I personally enjoyed the mid 80's movie memorabilia sprinkled throughout the facility from Ghost Busters, Goonies, and Back to the Future.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We culminated the tour with samples of whiskey, vodka, & gin, including the Fire Blaum Bloody Mary, made with Blaum's own Hellfyre vodka. I don't normally order a Bloody Mary, yet the habanero, roasted jalapeños & black peppercorn build up to an explosion of spice & heat tempered with pineapple & mango juice, hold the celery. I highly recommend scheduling a tour or stopping by when near the North West corner of Illinois or staying in Galena. read more

Blaum Bros Public House - Habanero Vodka - Distilleries Near Me - Galena, Illinois

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Service abhorrent. You have to order at the bar which is inconvenient to begin with. Did not even acknowledge people standing at the bar to order. Obviously had friends that were drinking because only paid attention to them, and gave them drinks despite others standing in line. They were rude and did not even apologize for the terrible service. When they brought the food, they did not bring any silverware or napkins. Again no apologies for their incompetence. It would be one thing if they were busy, but just lazy and bad service provider. Don't bother with this place as they obviously have no concept of customer service. Quality of food was acceptable, bit way too many other good places in Galena to waste your time here. If I did not mention it before, service was TERRIBLE! read more

Great Pisco Sour and the green beer for St. Patty's was a great touch! [[HIGHLIGHT]]We stopped in when we arrived in downtown Galena and had a blast.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very cool spot![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Blaum Bros Public House - View from the bar - Distilleries Near Me - Galena, Illinois

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Finally made it to the Brass Monkey! We just haven't been around to see the upstairs, and we were glad we got to this time! [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have a great view of Galena from upstairs while you're enjoying their cocktails and/or food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I love the consistency and all the fun drinks to try while you're hanging out. They definitely have drinks made by people you aren't going to find elsewhere. And when you want another one, it's going to taste the same. This is huge, and I'm not sure people appreciate the amount of credit it deserves. We sampled the pork belly and the duck fries, and they were both quite excellent; we would have tried more, but we didn't bring our appetites with us. The food came out faster than I expected and it was delicious. It's rich, packed with flavor, and goes great with the drinks they serve! [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a great venue to bring friends and family to enjoy the ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The Blaum Bros Public House is a place where you want to sit back and relax; enjoy your time here, and be sure to tour the place to appreciate the decor.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We always plan on spending a bit of time here since it's a great place to relax.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Why stay at your hotel while you're staying in Galena when you've got places like this to hang out!? read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Amazing cocktails and cozy atmosphere![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We stumbled upon this spot after walking around downtown Galena and were so happy that we did as it was the highlight of our trip! The cocktail menu is unique and it was fun to try a couple of different selections. The service was great as well! Loved the spicy tequila based drink- had quite a kick! read more

We have been so thrilled with the new downtown Public House location of Blaum Bros. No visit to Galena is complete without a stop at Blaum Bros for a drink. By opening the downtown location, that pit stop became so much easier and accessible. Thank you! [[HIGHLIGHT]]On top of the convenience, the ambience and service at the new downtown location are top tier.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]An upscale bar with homey and chic decor and ambience, you feel like you are walking into an old-timey bar for a classy drink.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff are very knowledge and super friendly. The perfect combo! Furthermore, the drinks are just as delicious and creative as the original location. With fresh ingredients (liquors made by Blaum Bros themselves) and a vast array of selection, the sky is the limit with what mixed drink you might want. Plus they have beer on tap, wine, and snacks for those not interested in hard liquor. During our last visit, I got both the barrel aged Vieux Carre and a dirty gin martini with local blue cheese stuffed olives. Perfect delicious! And my husband got the Schlibbidy Doo, his favorite! We are so thankful for this new top tier location in Galena and we look forward to our next visit in the future! read more

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Stopped in here at the end of our visit to Galena to have a cocktail, but once we saw the menu, we decided to go ahead and EAT. The Pinkerton was DELICIOUS and the Korean Tacos were DIVINE! Our one disappointment was the Tikka Masala Pinsa. Neither one of us thought it measured up flavor wise, to the description. Figured it was probably just an off night, which IS gonna happen. Other than that, everything went well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The service was really good, and the atmosphere was lovely.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Wouldn't mind coming back to try other things. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Very nice cocktail lounge.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The whiskey and rye both taste beautiful as they are both barrel aged. Adds a very bold and smooth flavor. Duck fat fries are outstanding and the house made dips pair perfectly. Who would've thought that fries work so well with curry! This is a must stop spot when visiting the Galena strip. read more

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We walked in and there were 3 people behind the bar working. One was making a drink and two were just talking to each other. My husband waited about 10-15 minutes before someone asked him what he'd like. To be honest, we should have left right then but we didn't. I didn't like my drink but that's just preference, other people might like it. The drinks were pretty though. The prices- RIDICULOUS. We spent over 100 dollars on 3 drinks and two appetizers. To compare, we went to another restaurant later with four people ordered two alcoholic drinks and 4 full meals and it was less than that. Crab dip was most likely canned tuna or crab and it was awful. They served it with overcooked pretzel bread that was stale and hard. The duck fat fries were phenomenal though. I would have preferred different dips but the honey mustard was the best. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great aesthetic, overpriced, poor customer service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Lovely every time! Seriously the best espresso martini I have ever had! The bartenders are always attentive and friendly! I make sure to stop every time I'm in town. read more

My wife and I stopped in here during a weekend trip to Galena. We enjoy Blaum Bros. liquors and were excited to see they opened a spot in downtown - drinks were really good and their cocktail menu was solid. Our bartenders were very friendly and quick to serve even on a busier night. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We sat at the bar and enjoyed the ambiance, there is seating in an upstairs section & near the bar that seems cozy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They don't serve food as of our visit but they did have a sign saying food will be served here eventually. Still worth a visit to drink some great drinks. read more

Rap music does not wash down drinks... easy listening does. The decor is impeccable and staff are excellent !!! read more

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Hit 4 rounds of golf in three days. Stopped into the Public House for a drink and ended creating great friendships! Hena our bartender was amazing! She mixed up fantastic drinks that had the entire bar infatuated with what we were drinking! The whiskeys were on point and fantastic that mad our drinks! Great time and can't wait to come back with more golfers!!!!! Thank you for the great memories, Hena. read more

Great food and outstanding service! We had the Korean tacos and the Galena hot chicken- both outstanding. Cocktails are on point as well!

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Rap music made me leave early.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Even though, I would have liked to stay longer to enjoy the nice leather couches and another prohibition-style Old Fashioned.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Amazing atmosphere and great drinks! Ask to have your drink smoked, it's a pretty cool show.

If I could give 100 I would! I keep finding myself levitating back to Both the Blaum Brothers Distillery & Blaum Brothers Public House, Which is understandable considering the Cocktails are exceptional and the energy is always buzzing! I love bringing my friends and family to see what the Brothers & Company have going on! Thank you to Nicole, Claire, Gema, Jenny, Emily, Morgan, Jordan, Kasey, Niki, Johanna, Mariah, Mia, Sarah, Tracy, Brittny, Gary, Pam, Connie, Miabella, Matt, Mike & last but not least, the cat with thumbs, Mark! For having such great service and creating a relaxing environment to enjoy amazing handmade cocktails! This is a place I believe I will continue to return too! P.S. The Bourbon is Pretty Great too. read more

It's OK. Good service, fairly unique drinks. Cocktails are $15 yet still mediocre. Atmosphere is dull. They bought a very fun bar with dancing, billiards, and darts and turned it into just a pricey bar. No TVs, no music, no games, no atmosphere. I watched many couples walk in, look at a menu, and walk out in my two visits. I didn't stay long either. I'm looking forward to giving it a third try if/when they make any improvements. read more