Mikerphone Brewing~Elk Grove Village, IL

What do off-the-wall ales, boozy soft serve, beer slushies, dessert stouts, bright blue and the love of music have in common? You can get it all at Mikerphone Brewing! Starting with basement home brews and working his way up to owning an incredibly successful brewery just outside of Chicago, Michael Pallen has made beer into a horse of many colors.

Mikey has taken the meaning of "adjunct" to a whole new level, incorporating unique ingredients like bubblegum, chicken 'n' waffles, Jolly Ranchers, Oreos, bananas, peanut butter 'n' jelly, fudge and so much more into his beers. Some creations he may brew for fun or experimentation, but he still makes these flavors work with whatever base style he's brewing. It's understandable that these beers may not be for everyone, so you can have confidence that the draft list will also include more classic styles like a pilsner, pale ale, hefeweizen, sour, oktoberfest, saison, fruity wheat, dry-hopped IPA and/or stout. (They also make hard seltzers and offer a guest cider or two. Fear not if you don't enjoy beer or can't consume gluten.)

Speaking of stouts, let's talk about the one that put Mikerphone on the map: Smells Like Bean Spirit. While there has since been many variations on a theme, the original has become a classic in the craft beer world, earning 93 points on Beer Advocate. Anytime a SLBS variant is available for sale, they're sold out within a couple of hours at most. And, if there's one thing Mikey and his brewers do extremely well–and there are way more than one–it's stouts, particularly the barrel-aged variants. I'm beer-blessed to have a few bombers in my "cellar," aka closet, that I look forward to sharing with friends as the summer slowly slips into fall.

The visual aesthetic at Mikerphone harmoniously blends musical themes, bold shades of blue, fine woodworking* and FUN. The main Tap Room with the stacked amp wall is the original which connects to the newer Blue Room, which was a recent expansion project over the last 2 years. Current restrictions limit seating to the patio at this time (dogs and kids welcome), but when indoor drinking is allowed again, be sure to check out both spaces. Oh, and merch! Mikerphone has a large catalog of fun wearables and fancy drinkware, so be sure to check that out when you visit or order online.

Mikerphone doesn't have a kitchen, but they often collab with local restaurants and food trucks for pop-ups. Most recents have featured Billy Bricks Wood-Fired Pizza, CTA (Chicago Taco Authority) and ACE: A Culinary Experience. You are always welcome to bring your own food or order from local restaurants in the area. A couple favorites include:

• Ramen Misoya: Japanese Cuisine

• Lou Malnati's: Deep Dish & Thin Crust Pizza

I should wrap things up, eh? I could write oh-so much more because I love Mikerphone as a company, and I consider Mikey a good personal friend. I always want the very best for my fellow brewery owners and employees, so please visit Mikerphone if you haven't, and if you have, visit again! There's always something new and exciting to try there. Cheers!

"Wait, those amps aren't real?!"

*I would also be remiss if I failed to mention the carpenter who is responsible for the 2 creative bars and all of the woodworking in Mikerphone's tap rooms. Yes, it is my husband, Nick of Proletariat Woodshop. Now, you could call me a wee-bit biased, but that's ok. His work speaks for itself regardless of my connection to this amazingly-talented man. Please, go sit in either the original Tap Room or Blue Bar. And, yes, he created the amp wall, too. Talk about a crafting project on steroids. I don't want to reveal all of his secrets, but I will tell you that there were many a trip to Joann Fabrics:-)

121 Garlisch Dr

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

(847) 264-8904

Website