Guinness is to open its second US brewpub in Chicago in summer, the company announced today. The Guinness Open Gate Brewery (OGB) Chicago will be housed inside a former railroad depot, which the company is currently renovating. The OGB is located in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, a former industrial zone and now a dining and nightlife hotspot.
Guinness' first brewing facility and taproom in the United States, the Guinness Open Gate Brewery (OGB) Baltimore was opened on Aug 3, 2018 in Relay, Maryland, on the outskirts of Baltimore. (inside.beer, 30.06.2018)
"Chicago and Guinness have been part of each other's stories for more than a century, and OGB Chicago has been a dream throughout – we are thrilled to open our doors to the West Loop community this summer," said Ryan Wagner, national ambassador of Guinness.
Twelve to 16 rotating beers will be offered at any given time, like the iconic Guinness Draught Stout and other beers imported from the Guinness brewery in Dublin. Experimental brews unique to Chicago will also be on tap, too.
But it won’t just be about beer. The brewery will include a full-service restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating and classic Irish dishes, including brown bread as well as Beef and Guinness stew.
There will also be a morning bakery, Guinness’s first, where customers can order breakfast sandwiches. The OGB Chicago also plans to work with Chicago-based coffee company Intelligentsia on developing and implementing its coffee program and will continue its partnership with Baltimore's Cane Collective on the development of both beer cocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails.
"Guinness has a long history of hospitality, communion and bringing people together from all walks of life, and that fits so well with the spirit of Chicago," said Rodney Williams, president, Diageo Beer Company. "This is a great moment in time for Guinness in America, and we can't wait to tap into all the different flavors and variety of heritages represented in this great city."
The brewery's name takes inspiration from the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Dublin – the brand's original location, where it has innovated and experimented in beer for more than a century.
