The decision for a second brewing facility hit Lagunitas founder and Chicago native Tony Magee while driving to work one morning … thinking about all the trucks that carry his beer east he realized that in each 22-ounce bottle of beer there was about 4 ounces of diesel invested. Tony figured he could remove all that wasted fuel, and purchase a new brewery with the savings on freight. He was right!
Tony chose Chicago because, “It’s the crossroads of the country from a transportation standpoint, Lake Michigan just might have the best brewing water in the country, this is where I was born and raised and it’s Chifrikncago!“
The Douglas Park location is in a warehouse complex formerly part of the Ryerson Steel Plant; chosen the day after they snuck in and checked out the space.
Most of the warehouse units were utilized by Cinespace (essentially the Hollywood of Chicago).
This particular 300,000 sq ft warehouse was rarely used by CineSpace due to the proximity of the railroad tracks and the vibrations disrupting high-def close ups. Instead, they used the space to blow things up and do large-scale effects. The Lagunitas crew found all sorts of charred building fronts and blasted furniture inside.
First ground was broke (actually, it was concrete) Spring of 2013 … with first brewing happening just 11 months later.
Since the beginning, Tony wanted to have the TapRoom raised in the center of the entire operation, so people can look down at how the brew they’re drinkin’ was made.
Originally only half of the building was needed, but as demand increased, it was clear that not only was the whole building a necessity—a second BrewHouse would need to be ordered, even before the first was completed. Whoa.
Beer from Chicago is being shipped to all markets East of the Rockies and London & Sweden. The Lagunitas Brewing Company crew cuts the ribbon on its new Chicago Brewery on June 17th.
