Former 350 Brewing Owner Brews New Life Into Old, Familiar Space

TINLEY PARK, IL — A familiar face in brewing is back on the scene in Tinley Park, and in a spot he knows like the back of his hand. Erik Pizer, a co-founder of the now-defunct 350 Brewing, has circled back behind the bar in the same location, 7144 183rd St. in Tinley Park.

Pizer returns with his very own Flipside Brewing, a turning point in his brewing journey set to open later this month.

It's been a long road, with some detours before this last stop. After leaving 350 in 2016 following two years there, he went on to become head brewer at Rock Bottom for three years, followed by Milk Money Brewing in LaGrange.

The first and last didn't work out for various reasons, Pizer said, and now years after first swinging open the 350 door in Cornerstone Centre Shopping Center, here he is, right back where he started. Pizer signed the lease in April 2022.

"I didn't announce it to anyone at the time because everyone would have thought it's an April Fool's joke," he said, laughing.

Since then, it's been a whirlwind to ready for opening—a deliberate, educated whirlwind. Pizer knew exactly what he had to work with in the facility, and all that he needed to do.

"I had to put lipstick on the pig," he said. "I just had to make it look different.

"A lot of cleaning, a lot of painting. It was just making it look different, because it's not 350."

350 Brewing was an important piece of his past, he said, but he's ready to take this next step forward on his own, leaving what was behind him and seeing what's to come.

"350 was what it set out to be," he said. "350 was our address in college, it was a college party place. It kinda turned into a punk rock dive bar. It fit the vibe, and it was fine.

"But I don't want that anymore. I'm 6, 7, years older now, more mature as far as being around beer for longer. I know what I'm doing a little bit more, so I want to make it look a little different."

Everything is more polished. Cleaner colors, neater, crisp edges with pops of color. Out with the deep, bold red paint and stickers covering the walls. In with cool-toned gray paint, a bold logo on the back wall, and more subdued use of color.

The look might be different, but he's keeping with his tradition of clean, crisp beers that pair well with food. The menu will include burgers, wings, chicken sandwiches, and salads, a little something for everyone, Pizer said. As for beer, he knows what he does well.

"I'm going to stick with the things that have worked for me," he said.

He'll open with American lager Flipside Lager, and Last Stop IPA, akin to his Crook County IPA of 350 days. He'll also offer Filbert's sodas, cocktails, wine, ciders, and non-alcoholic beers.

"My beers were never the problem why I moved on to the next place, it was always other things, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Pizer said.

Think along the lines of an English mild ale, Witbier, hazy IPAs, and a milk stout. He'll also feature a collaboration with Werk Force Brewing, a West Coast IPA dubbed Howdily Doodily Neighborino.

More collaborations are on deck, as he hopes to tap into the network he's built over years in the business.

Pizer is ready for this. By the sounds of it, he's been ready for a while. The Palos Heights resident and dad to daughters Alice (8), Evelyn (11), and Clare (13) knows he's testing his wife Katie's patience with the opening of his third brewery. But it seemed this is where he's supposed to be.

"It's fun to be back in Tinley," Pizer said. "I always thought this was a great spot. It's exciting to be back and do it again, this time with a little more control.

"I'm not a super religious person, or spiritual or anything like that, but the universe was giving signs the whole way that this was the right thing to do. The fact that it was available, the fact that Milk Money didn't work out ... just that everything has worked out to get me here, must be for a reason. So we'll see what's on the flip side."

Pizer is hoping to open the last weekend in July, but eager customers can follow Flipside on Facebook for the latest updates.