Pollyanna Brewery Aims to Please, Spread the Love of Craft Beer

A long-awaited addition to Lemont’s business community will officially open its doors Friday, Sept. 26.

Pollyanna Brewery, located at 431 Talcott Ave., will debut its brand of beer—and seemingly infectious optimism—after months of dreaming, designing and waiting. Brewmaster Brian Pawola wants customers to stop in when they open Friday, but actually hopes they can’t pick a favorite of the beers available that day.

“I don’t want there to be one beer that’s more hyped than another,” Pawola said, tipping his hat to his inspiration, Revolution Brewing Co, and their diverse offering of beloved brews. ”You know it’s going to be good.”

The brewery will be open from noon to 11 p.m. Friday.

“Ecstatic. Euphoria,” said Ed Malner, one of the business partners, of the opening. “Finally doing what all this work has led up to.”

The space at 431 Talcott didn’t start out as ideal to house a brewery. Key changes had to be installed—like a service elevator for access to a loading dock, and a softener system to prepare Lemont’s well water used in the beers. But even with its drawbacks, the location had a few architectural perks that caught the eye of partners Pawola, Malner, Paul and Don Ciciora, and Ryan Weidner.

Tall windows and lofted ceilings keep the upstairs open, with a view of the brewing machinery below. Exposed brick walls and an archway accent the lower level, with a chalkboard wall for customers to leave their mark. The brewery seats 45 indoor, 55 on the patio outside overlooking the canal. The group visited other craft breweries, asking for guidance as they shaped their plans for Pollyanna.

And the craft brewing scene has been buzzing with news of Pollyanna in the months leading up to its opening. At newly opened 350 Brewing in Tinley Park, owners Erik Pizer and Todd Randall raved about the almost cathedral-like feel of the location—and of course, their beer. Malner and Pawola weren’t surprised to hear of the support from another suburban craft brewery—that’s just how this business community works, they said.

“We are a little bit of a lot of the breweries we visited,” Malner said. “We’re a compilation of all of that. We’re quite different than a lot of them—most of them. It’s very intimate. It’s how cooperative other breweries have been with us, trying to help us out. ”

Pawola’s inspiration stems from local breweries such as Revolution, Solemn Oath—”a lot of the guys who have paved the way.” The group derived the name from a blond-haired, blue-eyed, ever-chipper movie character “Pollyanna”—who was known to be “cheerfully and irrepressibly optimistic.”

While Pollyanna won’t offer food made on the premises, customers are welcome to order in or bring outside food, in. At opening, The Pizza Via will sell food, followed by OMango on Saturday, from 3 to 6 p.m.

The owners are hoping to bring customers together, into a world they’ve grown to deeply love.

“We enjoy craft beer, and it’s a very social thing,” Malner said. “Most of my current friends I know, I met through the craft beer industry.”

They’ll offer tasting flights, half pints, pints, and 64-ounce growlers to-go. A flight runs $8. Beers available at opening include:

• The Full Lemonty (Golden ale, 5.0% ABV)
• Mazzie (American Pale Ale, 5.4% ABV)
• Dr. Pangloss (Indian Black Ale, 6.6% ABV)
• Eleanor (Porter, 6.8% ABV)
• Behind Abbey Doors (Belgian Brown Ale, 6.5% ABV)
• Condemnation (Belgian Strong Ale, 8.0% ABV)
• Imperial Black Saison (Black Saison 10.1% ABV)

Hours are:

Opening Day Friday, Sept. 26: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: 3 to 10 p.m.
• Tuesdays: Closed
• Fridays: 3 to 11 p.m.
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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