Finch’s Brewery

Great beer. Excellent cocktails. Tiny but good wine list. Decent service. AWFUL food. Like food I will never eat again. DO NOT get the mussels. Crispy chicken and burger were nasty. Better booze than Breakroom but the food is not even close to as good.

No longer open. Building has sold sign on it and doors were locked during posted open hours. Update your website!

I miss Beau.
He annoyed me, but he was at least funny with his cornball jokes that I refused to laugh at. We’ve done this tour 3 times now as our friends who backed out the 2^nd time had us come with this last time. Never again.
«You’ve done one tour, you’ve done them all.»
For the most part, this is true. Unless you have some awesome history (like Argus) or have some insanely huge brewery (like Lagunitas), you know what to expect going on these tours. The first time we came, they filled up our glasses from their tap and we actually got to walk around on the «tour». The second time, they poured from cans and you could walk around a little, though the amount of people had greatly increased. The guide the second time was knowledgeable, but quiet and therefore pretty boring if you were in the back and couldn’t hear.
This last time, they poured about a half inch of beer and we walked down one side for the entire «tour». You couldn’t hear the guide as this group was even bigger than the last time, he didn’t seem to actually have answers to a fair amount of questions being asked and as people started to walk back for more beer, he said something like «yeah, go ahead and drink the rest of the time, whatever.»
Is being on Groupon consistently actually working out? They mentioned that the northeast accounts for a large part of their sales and I believe it, since they have a fondness for mediocre beer out that way.
If you want people to buy your beer (and enjoy the «tour») you need to have entertaining people talking about your product and to give out more than a half inch pour, because it really isn’t indicative of the quality. I don’t need to get drunk, but at least give a decent pour to make me want to go out and buy your beer. The only guide who did that was Beau.

I need to lay the lumber to these clowns once and for all, because they’re now on my local brewery sh*t list along with Two Brothers.
Beer snobs rag on this place constantly, and I actually found myself irrationally making excuses for them by trying to hone in on their positives (I.e. making maybe two above average beers). But after my latest experience at their facility, I’ve realized they deserve all the ridicule.
This is a company that always made mediocre beer, and in a surging and highly competitive market, have stubbornly remained stagnant. That’s their prerogative. What irks me is that all they have to offer people, besides weak-​ass beer, is a boring and highly regulated tour. If their cheap asses continue lessening their pours, they’ll have to serve beer to people with a medicine dropper.
This comes off as me being mad for not getting more free beer, but I’m mostly mad I couldn’t get buzzed enough to forget how boring the tour, and the guy conducting it was.
They need to accept the fact that the only incentive to coming here is for people to get their day drink on. Not to listen to them drone on about boring beer making blather you hear at every other brewerys’ tour, or their uninspiring backstory. Much of that is their own fault for being too stubborn to change. Look, Finch’s, there’s a reason you’re never NOT on Groupon. You can’t lure people in otherwise. So the least you could do is not be incredulous to the people that do come in, and accommodate them.
I know they’re «too craft beer» to listen to suggestions and not do whatever they want to do, but it would behoove them to visit Argus’ brewery, take the tour and take notes. If you’re not going to make stellar beer, or have a taproom for people to hang, at least make your tour fun.
I’ve endured way too much bitchassness from the people at this company, and the beer isn’t worthwhile. There’s no reason to come here unless you enjoy punishment.

Read several of the other reviews. I really don’t understand them. We had a group of 4 who went on a tour yesterday. Our tour guide, Frank, was great. He was fun, witty, and made the entire tour and process of brewing understandable to people who don’t normally brew beer on a daily basis. I’ve been on many brewery tours and this one was my favorite.
1) The advertise unlimited samples. They really do give you unlimited samples. I believe the expression they used was: «We aren’t in school.» If you wanted to stand at the table the whole time and drink, they really wouldn’t care.
2) They specifically tell you why they don’t have signage. They can’t sell beer from that location. I read a few reviews that were all jazzed up about that point. Look up the address and go to that address. Not that hard.
3) I will say that our tour guide, specifically, was awesome and extremely knowledgeable. I understand that this can vary, so for those who didn’t have Frank, I’m so so sorry for you.
4) Some of the other complaints I saw were that of «there’s no seating» or «the tour is too short», etc etc. I mean, you’re paying $ 10 for unlimited beer, (generous samples too), a free pint glass, and a little info. I think if you’re paying more, you can complain about things, but this is clearly not going to be anything more than a $ 10 operation, and it was an awesome one! Have some more beer and chill out.
5) Hopefully they open up a tap room where you can just hang out and actually buy merch, because while it wasn’t a huge deal not to be able to buy their product after the tour, that certainly is a fun part of many brewery tours.
Overall — the tour and tour guide were great. For $ 10/​person it was a great way to spend part of a Saturday afternoon. Don’t have too high of expectations, this is not a huge brewery. It is a smaller, awesome place.

I used to live not too far from this place and had no idea this place even existed!!! You wouldn’t even know as this building has ZERO signage outside, thankfully it was easy to find the address!
I came here with some friends for a brewery tour… I have PLENTY of winery and brewery tour reviews on my page. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again… if you’ve been through one, you’ve been through them all! But, it’s always a different experience of course, along with different beer. The staff were super friendly the day we visited with our groupon. We booked the tour in advance online with no problem. Upon arriving we got our pint glasses and got to sample some beer … they had them light to dark which was super helpful. I’m not a fan of dark beer but I seemed to like one of them the best.
They do not sell beer here, and their warehouse is located in the area of North Ave & Cicero.
The space isn’t huge but the tour takes you through the entire process with some information about what they do there and how they make beer and concludes with the bottling process. At the end of the tour we were able to hang out and drink more beer. It’s something to pass the time on an afternoon during the chilly months. It’s worth checking out… just look for the address to the place, you won’t see a «Finch’s Brewery» sign out front :)

We decided this year that instead of getting my uncle a weird gift related to beer, that we would start a new tradition: Christmas brewery tours. a $ 10 tour that includes all you care to drink and a cup to bring home = Christmas tradition hit. The space is cool, the beer is great, the only bummer was that the «tour» guide did not project loud enough to reach over people that were way more interested in the beer drinking than the beer making process — at times we were standing right in front of him and could barely make out what he was saying because it was so loud but I think that is more the fault of the other people that came than of his.

I’ve been on a few brew tours before and this one was just really disappointing.
The staff is very nice and warm upon checking in and registering for your scheduled tour group. After checking in, we could immediately begin bending the elbow, which is pretty sweet; however, all the beer was served from cans. I would only expect that the brewery would have their beer on a tap of some kind. Despite that down fall, you can drink all you want (or can?) during your scheduled tour time. So while on the very, very brief tour, you can pop by the little table and get a refill. The tour itself was the most disappointing part. Our tour guide wasn’t that knowledgeable about to the brew process or the types of ingredients the company uses. For example, I asked where their grains come from, and they said they will find out and let me know. I can only imagine this is more common question and they should already know. Perhaps they should think about assigning two guides per tour group to ensure all «basic» questions can answered. I gave our tour guide a benefit of the doubt and thought maybe their newer, so I asked the individual refilling our beers, but they didn’t know either. He instructed me to look at the bags of grain in the brew room to see the origins printed on those bags. Overall, it was just a poor quality brew tour. For a smaller company that has been around since 2011, I would have hoped they hold higher standards for their company and their brew tour experience.

Came here with a Groupon for a brewery tour. It was simple to sign up, I just had to email them what days and times I was interested in visiting and they emailed me back a confirmation.
One of the best parts of the whole experience was that we got unlimited tastings throughout the tour. When we first arrived we got to sample beers, and got to sip as we went through the process of how the beer is made and manufactured. After the tour ended we got to continue to drink until our hour was over.
At the end we also got to take home our Finch pint glass!
I enjoyed all of their beer, but would say I was partial to their ales. If you are a beer lover, check it out! Worth the money!
For more pics and details check out:

I got a groupon for a beer tour here. I came with a friend and had a good time. they allowed us to try all of the beer and learned about their process. The staff was all very friendly and the beers were great! We also got to keep the beer glass we had for our tasting. One thing they could do to make the beer tour better, is to offer the beer for sale so you take it home right away. I’m just a business minded person, and since is hard to find their beers in all stores, I think that is one place they can easily make money.

Got the groupon for the tour and tasting. Chill place.
We got to sample 6 different beers, an unlimited quantity. After sampling for a bit we did a tour and the brew master went over the process and how their operation works. After the tour we had til the end of the hour to continue sampling and ask any questions and mingle.
Everyone gets a Finch’s brew glass. For the money i paid, it was most definitely worth it.
As far as their beer is concerned, I am a fan of their Blonde ale the most. I also enjoyed the pale ale and it was interesting to try the black ipa which i have never heard of.
I say check it out and Unilocal it. Support your local businesses!

Mike bought a brewery tour on Groupon, of course.
We decided, why should our lives stop just because we had a baby? So we packed up our little and headed on over. We had signed up for the 1:00 tour and showed up at about 12:40. When we checked in they told us we couldn’t get in until 12:45…and asked us to come back. Hmmmm… weird? I thought so. That is until I got in there. There’s nowhere to sit, or even a waiting area. It’s literally the factory that they make the beer in, with two tables set up with the cans of beer waiting to be poured into your glass, the glass was the best part. It was a little warm and humid out so the beer was only cold if you got it right when they brought it out and were lucky enough to notice them opening a new can… so there was a lot of staring at the pourers haha.
Growing up in WI, I’ve been to lot’s of brewery tours, this was definitely different. Chicago, stick to pizza. Let WI handle the beer.

Went on a brewery tour here a couple of months ago thanks to the bestie. We had an awesome day!!! We learned a Lil about beer brewing. We drank A LOT. We ate some hops. In case your wondering it tasted like garlic. I personally think the best part was the unlimited amount of beer we got to drink. I was not planning on getting drunk it just happened :/​not that I’m complaining.
These beers aren’t what I usually lean towards bc they’re IPA’s. They mostly have that skunky bitter taste to them. They had this one in a blue can I think it was a wheat beer it was definitely my fave. I also got adventurous and mixed two of the lighter beers. It was a winning combination in my book! Even if one of the employees looked at me a Lil funny.
If you’re looking for a chill activity to partake in on a Saturday with your friends hitting up a brewery is definitely a good idea!
One of the employees was super cute n cool too. He was even telling us about another brewery that offered a gluten free beer.

Super small brewery tour… They have a lot crammed into a little space, but it’s legit! They give ya a rundown of how beer is made and that’s about it. But, it’s essentially an all you can drink event! Sign. Me. Up!
We got half pours from cans, six choices… Threadless was my favorite!
Get the groupon! Have a good time!

Let’s be upfront. This is not a brewery tour. Yeah, they say it’s a tour. Yeah, the Groupon you may or may not purchase says it’s a tour. But it’s not a tour. It’s a marketing event.
Finch has sort of a weird reputation in the craft brew scene, and this «tour» all but confirms the rumors. Now, it’s not a bad facility. And I bet a lot of the folks that work here love what they do. But calling what they let you come in for a tour is a bit misleading. You come in, you check in and get your wristband and glass. Then you’re directed to go drink. Cool! Unlimited half pours! Who cares that they’re opening room temperature cans, and the ladies pouring the beers aren’t affiliated with them in any way and are expecting tips (don’t forget to bring singles!), the beer is FREE.
So you’re kinda left to freely roam as you drink your beer until the beginning of the so-​called tour. Eventually their tour guide rustles you and the rest of the ridiculously large group up for what quickly becomes obvious to be anything but a tour. It’s five minutes of talking about how beer is made (I guess a little more specifically how they make beer, but it’s just barely personalized), although I mostly just head the conversations about all things not-​beer happening around you. At this point, you realize it’s not really the tour that this brewery is interested in sharing with you. Especially when the tour guide specifically asks you to please buy their beer. Then it’s back to the drinking!
If you’re cool with paying $ 6 a person (Groupon prices, who knows what they charge for a regular tour) to drink a bunch of mediocre beer they wrote off as a marketing expense, then this is the tour for you!

I purchased a groupon and a group of 4 headed here for a tour and tasting.
Making a reservation for the tour was easy. There’s a statement on their website that tells you if you have a groupon, you have to email them for your reservation. I emailed in my name, my preferred tour date/​time, and groupon code and got a response back within a couple hours that we were all set for the tour.
A couple days before the tour, I got an email reminding me of the upcoming tour date and giving instructions on how to find the place. There’s no sign, but it’s a black brick building with a red door. It wasn’t too difficult to find, but there was no address.
Cut forward to the day of the tour. We arrived, and were told we were not listed on the tour list. Strange. I had printed out my confirmation emails and showed the employee, and they admit they made a mistake — they had us down for the next Saturday’s tour. No worries though, they gave us our choice of souvenir glasses (mason jars, traditional logo style glasses, or a more rounded beer glass) and we got to tasting.
The tour starts with about 20 – 30 minutes of mingling and drinking. For this reason, I recommend going with a friend or two. There are bartenders giving out sample size tastes of their beer on tap and from cans. I truly liked each beer, but my favorite was the Secret Stache Stout. Chocolate-​y, coffee-​y, and just plain delicious.
The tour itself was informative, but it was a bit startling to see how small their operation was. It honestly reminded me of a large-​sized home brewer set up. Our tour guide was really nice and quite knowledgeable, and he made the experience fun.
After the tour, there’s a bit more time for tasting before the next tour starts. Don’t look to linger too long though — there’s no tap room to sit with a pint, nor is there food to purchase. Also, they can only sell to distributors, so you can’t take any home with you that day.
We got there around 2:50 and concluded around 4:30.
Oh yeah, and parking was a breeze. There’s pay to park spots a bit south of the brewery on Elston, but if you head north, parking is free on Elston as well as on the side streets (no permit needed).
I would recommend this tour.

So like many other I picked up a Groupon to this place and was super excited to check it out.
To start lets chat prices shall we? I’ve done Goose Island and MANY of MI wine/​beer tours and I must say so far, Finch’s you have taken the cake as far as price to amount of alcohol! They have some beers on tap and the rest are served from cans. Its nothing like the Goose Island one where you sit around after the tour and get your little samples of beer that are about 2 sips worth. Here you mingle in the production area and can try all the beers and go back for a seconds of some. You get about a good 30 mins or so to mingle and try the beers.
Tour time. So The tour is about 20 minutes or so. Finches can not sell you any alcohol nor can they offer you some chips and a bar stool. They are just a production facility so its like if you or I decide, «HEY I want to make BEER in my garage!» but on a much larger scale of course. The tour guide was a super nice and funny guy.
All in all, I would highly recommend the tour/​tastings. Because of the tour my group of four fell in love with the stout beer they had our to taste and I even fell more in love with the Wheat beer. So thank you Finch’s and the staff for growing my vice problems.
Helpful Tips:
–Bring singles! No no there is no stripper… but there is two different tasting stations and the people pouring your beers are serving you, so drop a couple singles in!
–Bring cash as well if your like to pick up a hat or shirt. They will take credit card but they prefer cash they said.
–Most of all: BE OPEN! I usually wont go for an IPA but Finch’s was really good and I would actually pick it up for a night of pizza and beer.

Delivered as expected! Its very local to me so I went for the tour with a few friends. We arrived early and enjoyed Unlimited Pours of their beers. Nothing that knocks me out, but I dig their Stout (I am a bit snobby)
Small place but they really packed the tanks in there.
Fairly short tour with the usual run-​down of the process. Pretty cool if you haven’t seen a brewery before or didn’t know how beer was made.
Well worth the money! Free Pint Glass and about 45min of beer! :-)
Give the tour a try! Support Local Brews!

I was wondering when this would start happening. I’ve been on so many beer tours now, the information is of course repetitive and unless a tour does something exciting to spice it up (a la Argus Brewery), it gets monotonous.
Prior to the tour starting, you can immediately start getting samples of their brews. Generous samples. I’m talking they basically fill up your entire pint glass sample. If you haven’t been on a brewery tour before, you will find it very informative. They take you around their brewery while going through the brew process. I picked up some bits and pieces as I do with each brewery tour but I didn’t find anything overly unique about the Finch tour.
Once the tour finishes, they give you a completely reasonable time limit to hang out and have more ‘samples’ (ie their really full pint pours). They had all their signature brews on tap (Threadless IPA, Facist Pig & Cut Throat Pale Ale) + one cool new one (Wet Hot American Wheat) + some bottled brews to try. If your goal is to drink on a tour, they will go above & beyond your goal. The downside is there isn’t a single chair in sight so you have to stand the entire time you’re drinking. Personally I’m not a fan of standing & drinking and could have stayed longer to sip more drinks, but jetted after the tour due to this. Maybe that’s their goal though!
The guys working at the brewery are all great — really friendly, knowledgeable about Finch & the whole brewing process plus seem to have that passion I love seeing in beer guys.
They said perhaps one day they will open a tap room, talons crossed!

In the summer, I worked at Andersonville’s City Made Fest and met a lot of local brewers, which is how I discovered Finch’s. We initially had plans to tour Half Acre, but we didn’t arrive early enough and decided to call Finch’s. We were able to make reservations on a smartphone on the way over. The tour is only $ 10 and for what you get, it’s a steal!
We were the second group to arrive, and I immediately recognized the gentleman who would be leading our tour. My memory is a little foggy this morning, and I unfortunately can’t remember his name. :(Anyway, he was awesome as our tour guide, and you can tell he is super passionate about beer! They announced that you could drink unlimited beer on the tour and had four on tap. I started off with the Facist Pig, which next to the Threadless IPA is my favorite. All you can drink beer for $ 10 is awesome!
I would definitely do this tour again, especially over some of the other larger breweries in Chicago. If you haven’t been yet and are thinking about it, visit Finch’s the next Saturday you can!