Absolutely amazing place. This was our first stop on many of the day. We ended up buying a tin…read moretracker and a couple of stickers. Great place! The manager was our bartender and she crushed it.

Love the drinks and love the staff even more. Our bartender, Ryan, went above and beyond. He gave…read moreus a few tastes and asked what we liked and didn't like to find abeer we loved. (They also have spirits, wine and seltzers.) The atmosphere was great with upbeat music and a game on the screen. Definitely recommend giving them a try!

Visiting friends and we decided to go out brewery hopping in the Aurora & Batavia areas. So glad…read morethat brought us to Sturdy Shelter Brewing. There was a good size crowd there which added to the experience because everyone was enjoying their delicious beers and it was great meeting people. It felt like a community gathering place. It's a big place so it can handle a lot of people without it feeling overly crowded. There was live music on the upstairs level that everyone was enjoying. The beers were fantastic. It's a challenge to decide what beer you want because there is a lot of delicious options. I went with the ESB because it's a great style of beer you can't often find. Others in our group recommend their Hazy IPA. Easily a 5 star rating. Make sure to visit this amazing brewery in Batavia. Russ & Jan Livonia, MI

Checked out this newer brewery in Batavia. It has a lot of room inside, but even that isn't enough…read morefor the large groups, and parties. Sturdy Shelter has a pretty good variety. A good amount of choices, whether it's light or a strong one that will kick ass. They also have a food menu, with basics such as pretzels and snacks. For the most part it's good. It's located in an old building downtown that has a couple levels. The upstairs is often used for private events like parties. If it's not available then it's hard to get a seat anywhere. The seats at the bar fill up, and there's only a few tables. It's about $7 a pint. There's a few of the more stronger ones that cost more though. Best one we had the last time was the 3 Amigos Imperial Stout. Full bodied and thick as a brick too. There's notes of ancho chilis, cacao nibs, cinnamon, and vanilla. Also got something to eat. It's $8 for the Bavarian Pretzel. Helps to absorb the alcohol. They also have chips and salsa among the food options. Got to add it to the list of breweries that seem to be everywhere in this city. It's located on Shumway Avenue in a historic old building full of history. This is a popular place to have private events or whatever.

Ambiance is nice, service is great and the food is very good. Nice place…read moreThey have hundreds of bourbon brands and they make there own beer. They have charcuterie boards of all kinds you can mix and match Fun place to drink and dine!

Went to Hardware in North Aurora and came away with mixed feelings…read more The good: ambiance is great and the drinks were on point. Had the Marilyn saison and a solid dark beer. Bar program is strong. The short rib pot pie was a straight up winner. Rich, comforting, and not trying to be anything other than good food done right. The bone marrow lost me. Cooked well, but buried under too many microgreens and then oddly topped with tortilla chip strips. No smokiness either. It felt more confused than cohesive. Where it really started to miss was the overall approach. A lot of "the chef intends this..." type explanations. It ends up feeling like the food insists upon itself instead of just letting you enjoy it. That's the bigger issue. This place exists in a space where I don't think most people want to meet it. Not casual enough to relax, not refined enough to justify the performance. Bottom line: good drinks, great pot pie, but the experience tries a little too hard.

To be honest, I hadn't heard of McCarty Mills before. We were looking for a new place to try, as…read morepart of Aurora's restaurant week, that had a good beer selection. The food offered, as part of restaurant week, the beer selection, and service were all fantastic. I'm very glad we stopped here and would definitely stop again!

It's a small place. Variety of beers in cans and on tap. The service was good. Place is cute…read more Definitely locals go there. Not a variety of food-pizza and like 2 appetizers.

Checked out this brewery in Yorkville and got some local beers. Fox Republic has been here awhile,…read moreand benefits from being the only such place around it. It pretty much only has beers, but it also has a distillery next to it where you can get that stuff too. Has more of these than expected. There's some pretty cool flavors. Breweries like this are known for their limited hours and selections, but here neither is the case. It's actually got quite a bit to choose from. There's a few pretty interesting and unique flavors, too. A lot of these rotate so it makes people come back. It's about $7 a pint. We had a few of these. Best we had was the Mist Walker, a hazy IPA. This is a pretty strong one. Has a window into Home Run Hot Dogs. It's got a few including veggie dogs that are made Chicago style. Also is known for their stuffed pretzels. They let you bring in stuff. Great place to get locally made beers. It's actually open daily if you can even believe it. They're open longer on weekends.

This place had been on my list to try for awhile and finally made it out to Yorkville. I saw their…read moresour weekend on Facebook so made the trek out. As they had many options I wanted try, I opted for flights. They offer 4 5oz pours for $10. My faves were foxy sour beer nerdz and the case eagle. The Carmel apple was a miss for me. They also offer tequila seltzers and sodas. Friendly service and plenty of seating.

I can't believe I have been missing out on this spot! I came here for bingo night and it was so…read moremuch fun! The atmosphere was really friendly. We were welcomed after we found a spot to sit with bingo cards! I like that they have nights where food trucks come and then you are also able to bring your own food. There are some small bites/snacks on the menu as well. The list of beer options are nice. I ordered the lil jug with mango and loved it! It was nice light fruit beer. There are other events that happen at this location & you can even schedule a tour of the brewery as well. I will definitely be coming back especially when it gets nicer out.

Best IPA maker in the Midwest. Love coming in to try something new but also love just drinking old…read morefavorites as well. Bartenders are great and the set up of the bar and tables is good for big groups or single patrons. Love the huge mural art next to the bar. Sets the tone for a good beer drinking experience. Love the beer here!

I don't even drink NA's, ever, but I had to check this place out since they're right by another…read morefamous full alcohol brewery. We couldn't bring our dog in due to local health codes (not their fault) so we had to drink on their patio, in 44 degree temps..ok. Not idea, but again, not their fault. The inside is very nice, and the NAs we had were surprisingly (to me) very good. We will check them out again when we're in the area!

Go Brewing Sunbeam Pills: Founded in 2022 by Joe and Heather Chura, Go Brewing is a non-alcoholic…read morebrewery that was conceived after the Chura's identified their alcoholic tendencies during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Go Brewing is located in Naperville, IL. I've got a confession; Sunbeam Pills is my first non-alcoholic beer. I came across it at a friend's house and thought I would give it a try. I'm no teetotaler, but I do enjoy a lot less drinks than your typical Wisconsinite (one or two drinks a week). Sunbeam Pills was inspired by Carl Sagan, a scientist partly responsible for NASA's Voyager 1's mission obtaining a picture of the Earth (showing just how small and insignificant Earth is to the entire universe). Let me start with the good. The artwork on the Sunbeam Pills can is out of this world, such a neat design! Hats off to the artist as it immediately made me want to try this beer. It poured a clear gold with a medium head. On the downside, I thought the flavor was too bitter/hoppy and a bit watery. I applaud the effort, but I wouldn't drink this again even if it did have enough alcohol for a nice buzz. Avoid Doughboy_Food_Reviews

Really liked the Chicago location a few years ago, so we decided to try their Naperville location…read more Even though they're advertised on several online sources as dog friendly, they're not. Not their fault, but the management should make it clearer that they only allow dogs on their patio. Finding the entrance was tricky, despite the solemn oath signs in the back. It didn't seem very obvious how to get in. Their beer selection is what was what really gives them the number of stars I'm giving. I'm going from memory here, but they mostly offered IPAs and some ales, and very few of any porters or stouts. It's February- you should have some more wintery type beers on tap this time of year. Maybe they're not the brewmaster's favorite styles, I dunno. Still, I'd definitely return, but I will read their menu before making the trip next time.

The bar area was small and only allowed six or seven patron sitting. There were a couple of stools…read morebut counters facing the wall. The bartender was mostly friendly and helpful unless he had a regular to help. The booth we sat in was large and was nice to sit in.

Came to get a few beers at this small brewery in Batavia. Energy City is tucked away along a side…read morestreet in a building that's confusing looking. It doesn't look like a brewery would be there. Actually it is. They specialize in fruity ones and sours, so not beers that are hoppy obviously. Beers are typically hoppy to some point, but these aren't. It's for sure a type not many are used to having. These all have a lot of fruit, but what's unique is the fruit is added after the brewing process. Adds a lot of fruit flavor. These often have the consistency of a smoothie. It's about $8 a can. They brew in pretty small batches at Church Street Brewery in Itasca, and serve these at this taproom. Best we had the last time was the Bistro Pineapple Strawberry Habanero. This is a Berliner style weisse. Consistency was thick like a smoothie would be. This had a lot of fruit flavor, but it also had a tartness. For sure we could try some of these beers again. It's located on First Street. They're closed Mondays to Thursdays, pretty limited hours, so it's a place to go on weekends.

The beer they brew and serve is tasty and unique! Be careful, it's so delicious you may not wanna…read morestop.

They seem closed. I hope they open again soon, since the outdoor spaces looked great! Their…read morewebsite implies they are trying to reopen but everything is shuttered. I had a chance to go more than a year ago and liked their beers. Now I wish I had gone more often.

Checked out this pretty cozy local brewery and distillery in Batavia. Grainology is a terrific use…read moreof an old building in the historic downtown. It adds a certain charm that newer shiny places can't match. Has a pretty good variety in the draft list. The prices are pretty good for being local and making smaller batches of stuff. A lot here to drink. It's both a brewery and distillery, which is an interesting process. This means you can get something with hops, or something less filling and smoother. Has plenty of room inside if there's not some party going on. It's about $6 a pint. A way to be charitable is to pay a few more bucks to get the Ability Amber. This is an amber ale, of which the proceeds benefits Project Mobility, which gives bicycles to disabled children. This has notes of plum and raisin. Has a kitchen but food is limited. There's often a food truck out front where you can get things like chips for $2, lobster rolls, and more. Good place to get locally made beers and liquors. It's closed Mondays. They often have food trucks.