Lake Bluff Brewing Closes Downtown Location After More Than 15 Years: Report

LAKE BLUFF, IL — Lake Bluff Brewing Company has closed its downtown Lake Bluff brewery after more than 15 years and is looking for a new home in the village, according to a report from the Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

The brewery's last day was its annual Oktoberfest Block Party on Sept. 12, according to the report. Owners Mike and Megan Dorneker are now searching for a new space in Lake Bluff after the landlord declined to renew the lease, according to the Scanner.

The Dornekers told the Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the brewery's 15-year lease expired earlier this year and the landlord rented the space to someone else. The business had operated at 16 East Scranton Avenue since opening its doors in March 2011.

Over the years, the brewery became a gathering spot for a range of milestones and community events, hosting weddings, graduations, baby showers, after-work gatherings and new home celebrations.

The owners thanked the Lake Bluff Public Library, the Lake Bluff History Museum, Abbott, AbbVie, fellow local small businesses and charitable organizations they worked with on events, according to the report. They also thanked local musicians who performed in the taproom and at the brewery's summer block parties.

Read more from the Lake and McHenry County Scanner: ‘Completely blindsided’: Lake Bluff Brewing Company loses downtown home of 15 years after landlord declines to renew lease