The Ridge Historical Society
Breweries on the Ridge – Part 1
By Carol Flynn
History was made on September 23 of this year when Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Company (HTH), the first brewery ever established in “North Blue Island,” that is, Beverly, Chicago, won the top-honors gold award at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver for its international-style pilsner beer, Little Wing.
In May, Little Wing won the top gold medal at the World Beer Cup competition in Nashville.
Both awards are sponsored by the Brewers Association, a not-for-profit organization that promotes and protects American craft brewers. These are the most prestigious awards that a craft beer can win in the industry, in the U.S., and possibly in the world. The awards are decided by peer-review by judges from around the world, based on a number of factors and standards set by the industry.
That HTH won both awards, and for an international pilsner, the most widespread style of beer in the world, by beating out over one hundred competitors, is truly laudable, and definitely one for the history records.
Neil Byers, the founder of HTH, and his “brewing team” members Jacob Nelson and Andrian Morrison have the goal to turn Little Wing into “Chicago’s pilsner,” that is, have it associated with the city as are the Magnificent Mile, Al Capone, and Chicago-style hot dogs.
As a start, Little Wing can be known as “Beverly’s beer” and be associated with the community, joining the Givins Beverly Castle and Rainbow Cone.
It’s ironic that the best beer in the country is being made in Beverly, a community historically known for being an exclusive residential area and a leader in the temperance, Prohibition, and post-Prohibition “dry” movements.
There are now three craft breweries on the Ridge, one in each of the three historically distinct communities. HTH opened in Beverly in 2013. The Blue Island Beer Company opened in 2015 in the City of Blue Island at the southern tip of the Ridge, and in the middle in Morgan Park is Open Outcry Brewing Company which opened in 2017.
These are the first breweries on the Blue Island in ninety years. Before Prohibition, the city of Blue Island was famous for its breweries. The next post will look at the early breweries in Blue Island and the coming of Prohibition.