Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/532497
Raise a glass to the gentleman with the coolest name in the Chicago beer scene: John Barley. Now the president of both the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild and Solemn Oath Brewery (1661 Quincy Ave., No. 179, Naperville; solemnoath brewery.com), Barley got interested in the culture of craft beer about 10 years ago during his frequent visits to pioneering Chicago beer bars Hopleaf and Map Room, along with trips to the US West Coast and to Belgium. "I've always had a natural inclination to build, but no direction ever really clicked until I became interested in beer about 10 years ago," he says. Today, most of his life revolves around suds. He spreads the word on the state's breweries and he oversees the Belgian-inspired and barrel-aged beers at his own operation. On being a newbie: "I didn't home-brew before we opened Solemn Oath. When we turned on our system in 2012, it was the first time I'd ever brewed beer." How much is too much? "We talk about that saturation point a lot. In my opinion, there is still a lot of room for new breweries. There is room for more innovative ideas and new beers. As crazy as it seems, we're certainly not saturated right now. In the end, high-quality beer wins." The place to be: "Craft beer-wise, there's nothing in the country right now like what's happening in Chicago. It is truly a renaissance." t h e d e vot e e John Barley clockwise from right: John Barley, president of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild and Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville; two Solemn Oath brewmasters compare notes; Ultra High Frequency is an American amber/red-style beer produced by Solemn Oath. illustration by istock