Chicago (West Lakeview), Illinois:
Corridor Brewery and Provisions

Visited on: Tuesday 19th June 2018

Bob Thompson

I must admit that this brew-pub was quite different to my expectations. I had envisioned a brewery with a shop that sold fresh produce. That was the picture my mind’s eye had created. The reality is similar as far as the brew-pub is concerned but the rest is very different as there is no rustic feel about this place.

Its story starts with Brewer Greg Shuff who opened the DryHop Brewery in East Lakeview in June 2013. He employed another brewer Brent Dubovick at that pub alongside Chef Joel Pillar. So when Corridor Brewery & Provisions opened in October 2015 the same team moved over to the new pub. Owner Greg has considerable form in the brewing industry.

He has been brewing since his college years. Firstly as an amateur then professionally after attending the Siebel Institute in Chicago and Doemen’s Academy in Munich, Germany. He has worked for a nano-brewery in Indianapolis and also the Schafly Brewery in St Louis. Head Brewer Brent Dubovick is also a man of much experience. A native of New York he has been in the trade for ten years or more. He has developed some notable beers and has been awarded a Gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival.

The third portion of the trinity is Executive Chef Ryan Henderson who early on made a switch from his degrees in Anthropology and Mathematics to cooking. He moved to New York where he continued his chef’s career whilst working his way up through the ranks. He then decided to return to Chicago and worked in some top restaurants in the city until he joined DryHop along with brewer Brent Dobovick.

I was with Linda as we entered the pub, noticing the small terrace for outside drinking and eating. Once inside we found it to be a long narrow room.

On the left side was the bar counter with the usual stools in front. Then along the left wall was most of the brewery with a number of fermentation vessels. In front of the brewery are a number of fitted large booths. Along the other wall are more booths. These extend the length of the right side and are smaller than the ones in front of the brewery.

This pub does not offer a vast selection of beer as some others yet what they have is more than adequate. When we visited the choice was: as follows.

#Allthefeels Blonde Ale (4.8%); Van Hazen OU 812 (7.0%), a double dry hopped IPA; Wizard Flight (6.2%), an American pale ale; Pulp Hogan (6.0%), a double dry hopped IPA; Enjoy every Sandwich (5.0%), a Kölsch; Mosiac Monsoon (7.2%), a double dry hopped IPA and Dryhop Brewers Batch 001 (5.0%), a cream ale.

We tried three of these and this was we thought of them: Pulp Hogan Double Dry-Hopped Pale Ale had a soft body with a slight grapefruit flavour. It was not assertive in any way with very little after taste. Wizard Flight IPA had reasonable bitterness and slight citrus notes and Van Hazen OU 812 was very bitter yet smooth, extremely good. All of these beers were hazy.

One thing was notable and that was the DJ, in the mid-afternoon, plying vinyl only. This is an interesting pub and some of the beers are quite reasonable, so you should pay it a visit.

Important Information:

Corridor Brewery & Provisions, 3446 North Southport, Chicago, Illinois 60657. Tel: 773 2704272
Web: corridorchicago.com

Hours: Monday-Tuesday 11.00-23.00; Wednesday-Friday 11.00-24.00;
Saturday 10.00-24.00; Sunday 10.00-23.00

From the Loop catch the CTA Brown Line northwards and alight at Southport station.
Go from the elevated platforms down to street level. This is North Southport Avenue.
Go north and you will find the pub on the left after about 200 metres.