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Ron Fleischer
7/29/2026 9:41 AM
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Good news - this week we prospectively ride to my favorite location of the year - Maplewood Brewery and Distillery. Bad news - the weather forecast as I draft this ride announcement is extremely pessimistic. After Monday's wondrous experience, I am loath to ride into heavy afternoon thunderstorms. I'm going to state for the record that based on current information, it is more likely than not that I am going to end up postponing this ride until August 7. I will post a go/no-go notice by 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning... stay tuned.
| | Maplewood Brewery and Distillery - July 31, 2026Maplewood Brewery and Distillery, 2717 N. Maplewood Ave. - 25.1 mi, +276 ft. Bike ride in Evanston, IL |
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This route is well traveled, and relatively pothole free. It is a city ride, but as long as you don't mind a stretch on Elston, it's pleasant.
Brewery and Distillery notes:
This is the only brewpub we visit this year that also has a full fledged distilling operation. And several of you may recall that during last year's visit, I opted for whiskey tasting, instead of beer. This explains in large part why Maplewood is my favorite destination.
In terms of changes since last year, you may be aware that Maplewood has merged with Half Acre. If you didn't understand the stresses on the craft brewing industry before, this merger is an example of how even the strongest craft brewers are having to respond to declining beer consumption. This merger has allowed Half Acre to utilize idle brewing capacity, and allowed Maplewood to cease contract brewing downstate, lowering the internal cost of their product, and getting price reliability for the intermediate term. It strengthens both, but essentially lowers the number of independent craft brewers in Chicago by one.
| | Visit ChicagoA neighborhood staple doubling as a taproom and cocktail bar. |
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Son of Juice is their most popular beer, an excellent example of a New England hazy IPA. I have a soft spot for Goby, a "session sour," but for me, the absolute highlight is Fat Pug, which is a milk stout, made with the same grain bill as their Fat Pug distillate! So yes, I am contemplating a boilermaker composed of a shot of Fat Pug and a glass of Fat Pug. And of course, if you fell in love with Daisy Cutter last week, you can get more at the bar here!
If you cannot decide, try the beer flight, and sample four!
If you are into barrel aged single malt whiskeys and bourbons, I highly recommend their distillates. I don't share the sherry cask aged bourbon I acquired during last year's visit... it's that good!
Dining notes:
I highly recommend the burger, and (in the entrees) the Lazy Dumplings, which speak to my Eastern European heritage, and the roast half chicken. There are gluten free and vegan options; the mushroom baguette pizza is quite good.
Finally - I am going to take advantage of the pilot program for online ride sheets! I am going to offer electronic signup, which can be located generally at https://signup.ebcrides.org/ebc-app/. You may use this link to create your own personal record, which can be used to then sign up for each specific ride that you join.
REMINDER: I will send a go / no-go message no later than 9:00 on Friday morning.
Ron
Ronald P. Fleischer.
rfleisch1@yahoo.com
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