Hailstorm the First of Three New Craft Breweries for the Southland

This spring is for beer. Of course, any season is a good season for beer, but craft beer in particular is coming into season for the Southland.

Hailstorm Brewing opened last month in Tinley Park, the first in a trio of new microbreweries anticipated for the Southland. An official grand opening celebration will take place the microbrewery on Saturday, May 24, noon to 8 p.m., the owners announced this week on their Facebook page.

Hailstorm's co-owner and head brewer, Brandon Banbury, recently spoke with the SouthtownStar for a story about Chicago Craft Beer Week.

Banbury, of Frankfort, and his business partner, Chris Schiller, of Orland Park, saw the Chicago Southland as a wide-open territory for breweries.

"That’s part of the reason we chose this location," Banbury said.

The desire to make his own drink is in Banbury's bloodlines. His grandfather made his own wine. His dad home-brewed beer.

A mechanical engineer by trade, Banbury quit his job to throw himself fully into the microbrewery, housed in a 10,000-square-foot building at 8060 W. 186th St.

As for his preferred taste in beer, Banbury told the Tribune this: "I lived in Germany for a couple of years and developed a liking for wheat beers and for big hoppy beers."

You'll find his brews at a dozen area establishments, including Ariel’s Bar & Restaurant in Tinley Park, Creative Cakes’ new cafe in Tinley Park and Mama Maria’s Taco and Tequila Bar in Orland Park.

Two more microbrews will make the scene soon in the Southland. 350 Brewing — voted Best Beer at this year's Brew & Vine Fest in Tinley Park — will open very soon in the village, too. And Pollyanna Brewing in Lemont, originally planning a spring debut, likely will open for business in late July.

» via Sun-Times Media

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