Goose Island Beer

I love this place, and have spent so much time here it’s hard to not give it as many stars as possible! However, there are a few things I find important to mention.
The food has never truly been up to par with the expected gastropub-​style fare in the rest of the city. The dishes are solid, but seem to be more like a fancy version of basic pub fare than I would love to have.
The atmosphere is excellent. I very much love a casual, pub-​like feel, and this has been my go-​to location for exactly that for over a third of my life. I was even here for new year’s eve once, and the place didn’t turn, for even a second, into anything less casual and warm as it has ever been.
The beer is great. It’s not as incredible as some of the other spots around the city these days, but it’s important to me to remember that Goose Island is OG, having been one of the top breweries in the USA until the microbrew craze took off. Some of the best stuff is now only available at the Fulton+Wood location… but there’s always a decent beer for you to have on the tap list here.
So overall, despite the options across Chicago that hit one of these categories harder than GIC does, it still ends up a place I return to, and bring people to, for its combination of just the right levels to make every trip worth it.

Amazing brewery tour! And great customer service — I booked a tour for a girlfriend’s bachelorette party for the wrong day and they were able to squeeze us in anyway, will definitely come back.

I wish so badly that they’re open more or stay open later! But then I suppose it’d turn it into another messy bar and not a nice taproom. There are plenty of beers on tap, but they also have vintage ales and bourbon county stouts which can be harder to find. Last time I was in, there were a couple of food trucks parked outside, but you can bring in food from anywhere. Cheers!

What an incredible experience! I would recommend this tour and the staff to anyone visiting Chicago and looking for something fun to do while drinking delicious beers.
The tour, led by the very engaging and knowledgable Jonny, was the highlight of a weekend trip to Chicago. Jonny explained the Goose Island history, toured us through the facility and truly made it a memorable experience. The beers were fantastic and it was nice to be able to try them along the tour while learning about a brewery with such an interesting history from a wonderful tour guide.
You now have 8 very loyal Canadian customers. We all look forward to coming back again and enjoying more of the delicious beers and wonderful company!
Big thank you to Jonny, Paige and everyone else who was on site and made it a remarkable day for us.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Yasss, finally found another taproom with taproom exclusives! Loves it. This is mainly because I have tried all of the Goose Island beers that are currently on tap so this means I get to try something new.
Boyfriend and I visited Goose Island Beer Co because a trip is not complete for us without drinking a craft beer in a plaid shirt. We split the taproom exclusives: Ferme La Mure, a blackberry saison, The Illinois, an imperial IPA, and All Nightmare Long, a tripel. I did enjoy all 3 but my favorite out of the lineup was the tripel!
Goose Island brews up good beer so I would recommend that you check them out!

Cool tap room packed with people enjoying beer and watching college foptball. Not a bad spot to hang out on a saturday afternoon, great relaxed energy. We visited on November 28, which by fortuitous coincidence was the day after they released their legendary bourbon county stouts. That meant there were 5 varieties of bourbon county on tap, and for cheap, just $ 7. For such a strong beer, that is a downright steal. A few of the options are ones not in stores. We took the brewery tour, and our guide said they are regularly featuring drafts at the taproom not in stores, some of which are experiments for new flavors. Not a bad reason to visit right there.
You can order a beer and bring it with you on the tour, real cool. You do have to reserve at least a few weeks in advance — they will sell out — but that keeps the group intimate. This was our first ever brewery tour, and our guide was engaging and knowledgeable. Lots of fun, and we got a sweet free pint glass at the end! Highly recommended. Lots of available street parking too, even on a Saturday afternoon.

I give 4 stars because the beer is awesome and the place is very beautiful.
Be careful, the opening hours are not very extended. I went there on a thursday, had a snifter of their imperial Bourbon County (14% alc. !!) that was very good and worth the $ 7. From 5 pm, it started to get crowded and unpleasant, but it’s not their fault if they’re popular. This is definitely a nice place to go for a drink, but I wouldn’t stay all night there.

Love this place. Cool casual vibe. Great place to grab a beer before heading to dinner. Tours are pretty cool too. Obviously a great selection of Goose Island beer.

Really cool Taproom with a great selection of beers on tap that cannot be purchased in stores.

Ah, the bitter taste of this corporate brewery left a metallic taste in my mouth.
I pre-​purchased passes for the beer tour when my husband and I visited in mid-​November. For $ 12 each, I think it was worth the price paid. We did learn a lot about the beer making process, enjoyed a few samples (albeit easily obtainable beers), and got some keepsake pint glasses. Those are about the only pluses I can think of, sadly. Our guide was humorous, but obnoxiously snarky. This might have been a rehearsed act, but by the end of the tour the hipster insouciance was getting old. Despite it being mid-​November, there was nary a dark beer seen on the tasting room menu, despite the release of their famed Bourbon County releases coming in just a few days. I can deal with bad timing, but I’ve never not seen a dark beer on a menu, even if it’s just a porter! We drank about half of our beers we ordered, which both seemed pretty flat.
On our way out, we asked the doorman about Chicago beers and places he’d recommend (of course not mentioning that we were underwhelmed.) His response: «I’m a company man. I only drink Goose Island.» Okay, is it just me, or are craft beer fans not usually jumping off of their seat to share their favorite places with you?
I’d skip this sell out brewery and head for Revolution Brewery instead. Authentic, salt of the earth folk who are happy to talk hops, and serve some tasty ones too!

Eh, mah, gawd. Was lucky enough to be in the area shortly after the Bourbon County release and enjoyed two different versions of the Bourbon County stout in addition to the «standard» version and the barleywine. Heaven, pure heaven.
No food, which was a drag, but they had lots of menus for nearby places to order from which was nice. The bartender was very busy but incredibly efficient and had a great attitude for as much as she was running.
I’ll def be back here the next time I am in town!

This review is strictly based on just the tap room. Awesome greeting and intro to the brewery and beers offered. If you want to annoy the staff that get paid to be there, ask the two woman bar tenders for a beer. Other than their inhospitable demeanors, the place is great. Tasty beers for great prices. Easy walk from the west loop area. Secretly wish we had time for a tour!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaas, Goose Island Taproom, yaaaaaaaaaaas!
I keep forgetting how dang close in proximity you are to my work and home. But really, for shame that I hadn’t gone sooner.
It’s true, I still feel kinda salty that Goose Island really isn’t really CHICAGO anymore. There used to be a kind of pride when you’d order a 312 years ago, but now it’s like meh. But let’s be real here people, when it comes to their specialty beers, Goose Island still has it! And truly, winter time is the best time of year to be a Goose Island fan.
My brothers and I stopped in here to get one glass of Bourbon County on tap. Just one glass right? When we walked in a couple of Fridays ago around 6pm, our jaw dropped to see they had REGAL RYE ON TAP! You guys… Regal effen Rye!
That’s it, we decided right away we couldn’t just stay for one. We had to drink and savour as much Regal Rye as humanly possible. We each luckily managed to get at least 2 glasses each before they ran out within the hour. I soon replenished with «A Real Nice Surprise», which was pretty damn tasty too.
We stayed and chatted with a couple of employees. The bartenders were awesome and friendly.
The taproom itself is really nice. It’s so clean, open, and welcoming. They have barrels of get-​it-​yourself water, which I don’t mind at all. The bar has ample seating and there’s additional communal tables, all which were full.
Docking one star cos it closes early (booo) and after drinking all that lovely, high ABV, booze, I was really wanting a snack, and obviously they don’t have food. I knew that going in, but again, I wasn’t really expecting to stay very long, hee.
Time flies when you’re having fun. And fun you will have at Goose Island!

I had an amazing tour here. I am a home Brewer and have been through tours all over America and Europe and this was a brilliant blend of both.
They use wild yeast strains in some of their brews which makes everything crazy. Their flagship beers that everyone knows them for are made very well too.
I very much enjoyed the Madame Rose and the Bourbon County Stout. I am not a fan of stouts either but I ended up walking away with a bottle because it was amazing.
If you like brewing and are in the area I highly recommend the tour.

Awesome beer, people and experience! Keep doing what you are doing and I’ll keep buying and converting my friends

We were waiting in the window for this place to open on Saturday. And as soon as we got in, they were ready to wait on us and get us anything we needed. Everyone was super nice and answered every question we had about the beer, brewery and the beer making process, except for 1 girl who was bitchy. But I looked past it and kept drinking!
We were hoping to get added onto the Tour, so they added us into the waiting list and we were asked to wait for 2 sessions because there was no availability each time. Super sucked because we traveled so far and they weren’t able to squeeze us in. We should have planned a little better.
Beer wise, I loved the Bourbon County Coffee and Madame Rose. Madame Rose was a sour and I don’t usually like them, but it had such great flavor. The Bourbon County Coffee was delicious and everything about it screamed coffee. Craving it now!

I recommend the brewery tour– free pint glass! Nick is very knowledgeable and friendly! The tasting room is nice, inviting (wish they offered food), and the gift shop is just what I needed to get my goose island gear! Thanks goose!

Tour around the brewery by Aaron was awesome! He had us try 3 different beers and they were all great and the tour pretty informative. At the end of the tour, sat at the bar and tried their exclusive IPA on tap. So good! The brewery is in the middle of no where… but I highly recommend visiting and getting your drank on.

Food: No food!
Brew: Where to start? This place is amazing. They offer 2-​hour tours with a souvenir pint glass (reservations and tickets needed and can be purchased through their website) and a beautiful taproom to enjoy their staple beers like Goose Island IPA and 312 wheat ale. But this is where things get even better. They also brew up exclusive taproom beers to try. I don’t mind being a guinea pig since can’t try any of these beer anywhere in the world or even down the block at the nearest bar. They welcome feedback on their creations so maybe one day they can be bottled and sold as a new seasonal. I tried a wet hop pale ale that involves picking the hops and shipping them overnight and throwing them right into the boil to create the sweetest aroma that will set off every taste bud on your tongue. It was Amazing! They also sell brewing ingredients so you can make your own beer at home. You can find some great hops and malt to purchase.
The tour was fun. It was $ 12 and you have to purchase tickets online ahead of time because they sell out. You taste 3 beers on the tour and receive a souvenir pint glass at the end of the tour. You get some great insight on some of their recipes and history. Worth doing if you have the time.

I like everything about Goose Island. From the door man to the patrons imbibing inside.
The selection of beers is rock solid, it even contains a bourbon barrel aged brew that will knock your socks off. If you’re interested, order a Laura, it’s a taproom exclusive. So I assume you can’t even find it outside of this establishment.
This has become one of the best breweries I’ve ever visited. The staff was great, and the atmosphere is friendly; I even made a friend while sampling a few beers.

Not gonna lie, me and Goose Island… we have problems. I don’t like a sellout. Goose Island was a Chicago brewery to the core with many beers reppin’ our town like 312, Blue Line, Green Line, etc. However, they sold to Aneheiser Busch. I get that business is money and money makes the world go ’round but that doesn’t make me less bitter towards Goose Island. Despite my feelings toward the brand as a whole, I do enjoy some of their more rare and higher end beers though I think 312 is rubbish. That and I have a goal (slash addiction) to try all the Chicagoland breweries. When Goose Island opened this new fancy taproom this year, I had to bookmark it to get over there. And that I did a couple weeks ago.
Despite all my reservations going in, I really liked the Goose Island taproom. They had 4 beers that they sell in cans the day I went — IPA, Radler, Green Line and Fulton Blend. I have had all of those before so to me it wasn’t amazing to get to try them. However, they then had several taproom exclusives — Caution Tape, Lolita, Oatmeal Stoute, Big Sticke and Innovation on Cask. Lolita was my favorite, a great sour and you can buy a bomber for $ 20 – 30 usually depending where you get it. That being said, don’t buy it here at the taproom. It’s on the high end of prices I’ve seen and you’re better off picking it up at a different liquor store.
You can get all of these beers in a full pint size or smaller half pint which is the tiniest beer you can get here. I wish there was something even a bit smaller like normal tasting portions to help me keep costs and liquor consumption down. You can also fill growlers while you’re there or buy a few other beers, plus Goose Island swag like shirts and beer cookbooks.
The Goose Island taproom gets really busy! We went in the afternoon thinking we were golden and we ended up grabbing the last table in the place. It filled completely up quite quickly with a ton of people standing around drinking and waiting for a table. They do a 45 minute tour for $ 12 and you can (and should) pre-​buy the tickets online.
Water is in a big cooler in the main taproom for the taking. There is also a lot of cool murals on the walls and other fun spots that could make for great photo ops.
+BYOF — Bring Your Own Food
+Limited Hours — Thursday & Friday 2−8PM, Saturday 12−6PM and Sunday 12pm-​6pm
+Follow their Instagram to see what’s on tap — @GooseIslandBeer
+Free street parking
+$ 3 – 5 for half pints and $ 5 – 8 for full pints

We got tickets in advanced to do the brewery tour. $ 12 gets you the tour, 3 tastings, and a Goose Island glass. It was a good deal. It was just a little hot doing the tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and we were able to walk around the entire brewery. The tasting room is very nice. There is no food here, but you can bring your own. They had limited merchandise though.

I absolutely loved it here and so glad I could get here to take the tour! The staff was super friendly and knowledgable of the several different beers on tap. They have great specialty beers! The tour guide, Jonny, was awesome! He was full of energy and knowledge. I learned so much on this tour. You got to try 3 different beers. The parking isn’t the greatest, but the $ 12/​ticket is definitely worth it! It’s pretty cool inside and has the industrial feel. Quite a few cool photo opportunities! They have a cool bar and some tables along with a small gift shop section! I would highly recommend if you like craft beer!

What a place. I Ubered in on the way to the airport. Of course this was the first day they were closed since opening as they were getting ready for a block party. A nice lady named Jen told me some other options for a beer. After I went outside to get ready for the Über pickuo, Jen came back out and said they had a couple beers hooked up and brought me back in and gave me my choice. What was going to be a sad story ended up a great experience. Beautiful place. I will return.
Thanks Jen!

First let me say that walking in I was not much of a beer drinker. Walking out, I decidedly was. I had a blast here!
We did a tour with fabulously engaging tour guide, Paul. So funny, irreverent and full of great tales and anecdotes about all things Goose Island! It was very, very cool and very educational and interesting. I would highly recommend doing the tour to anyone. You even get a commemorative Goose Island beer glass!
We hung out at the bar after the tour and chatted with some very nice folks, tried the Lolita, Matilda and something with Inteligensia coffee beans in it which name is escaping be. They were all delicious and all very different, which only added to the fun.
The only bad thing is drinking all this beer made me really full for the rest of the day. But worse this that, so many of the beers that I liked are only sold here in Chicago. So sad, too bad for this LA girl.

Descriptive phrase: informative and pretty brewery tour.
I generally enjoy Goose Island’s beer (though New York-​water 312 is turrible), but I was underwhelmed by their Fulton Street brewery tour. It’s in a very industrial area and is a few-​block walk from the nearest bus stop past empty warehouses. Inside, however, it’s an attractive space.
Our tour guide knew his information and kept us engaged, and the place knew how to handle somebody in a wheelchair. But I felt the tour lacked humor and soul, served much less beer than others, and cost more. It also made no sense that the Fulton Street location has no phone number. We called the Brew Pub and were told there is no way to call Fulton to ask a question, and they couldn’t help us. What’s up with that?
The Fulton Street Goose Island Beer Company tour is by no means a waste of time, but I just think if you’re deciding between this and others in the city to try somewhere else instead.

This was a fun time. Great brewery selection and a friendly staff. Bartenders allowed small samples before making major commitments to a pint or half pint. I love the green line. I also had the opportunity to try a couple tap room specials. They played some great tunes. I would recommend a visit. Did not go on a tour of the brewery. So I can’t comment there.

I’m not a beer person, but my boyfriend LOVES Goose Island beers, so when we were in chicago for a wedding I signed us up for a tour of the brewery. Apparently this facility is new (thanks to the Anheuser-​Busch money) with an awesome tasting room that was filled with locals and tourists alike. The tour was super informative, we got to try a few different beers, and a fun time was had by all. Would most definitely recommend this tour to beer lovers and novices, such as myself!