Haymarket Pub and Brewery

A few weeks ago, we met at Haymarket in the West Loop after work, to try some new beers.  A bar/restaurant/brewery, it was a great spot to meet a friend for a drink.  There is plenty of seating, and some of the brewing equipment is visible from the dining room and bar area.  It was pretty crowded around 5:30 on a Monday evening (impressive considering the frigid winter that Chicago has been experiencing!), but this won't seem surprising once you've tasted their beer.

Caitlin and I each ordered a flight.  I had Last Chance Belgian IPA (award winning!), Angry Birds, Lizzie's Simcoe Double IPA and Aleister.  They were all very good and I'd order any of them again.  Their beers seemed to skew more toward the lighter end of the beer spectrum; this is fine with me as I just have never developed the taste for stouts and porters.  Haymarket's specialty lies in double IPAs and Belgian style beer.

I'd definitely like to go back with a bigger group for a late lunch sometime and try more of their beers or maybe go on a tour ($15 + 4 samples + 1 pint!).  They also offers beers from other breweries by the bottle if you want to mix it up.

Sadly Haymarket does not sell their beer outside of the brewery, but if you bring a growler you can get it filled for just 3 times the price of a pint of the brew.

I'd recommend this place as a great meetup spot before a Bulls or a Blackhawks game.  Since it is on Randolph it would be easy to walk over here from the Loop after work and then drive/bus/taxi to the United Center after enjoying some beer and food (for MUCH cheaper than the $8-10 beers at the game!).

This would also be a great bar to meet up at before dining out at any of the other great and famous restaurants on West Randolph (most within a 2-3 block radius of Haymarket!).  Au Cheval, Girl and the Goat, Nia's, Nellcote, Maude's Liquor Bar and Graham Elliott Bistro are all walking distance.

Good for: happy hour, dinner, date