Aurora Beer Establishments

Exploring local flavor with 4 craft beer venues in Aurora, IL.

Show closed establishments

Counts include permanently closed, temporarily closed, and coming soon venues.

Counts include every venue tagged with each type. Categories may overlap.

Fox Valley Homebrew & Winery Supplies

homebrew shopPermanently closed

14 West Downer Place, Aurora, IL, 60506

9.00Rating

Foreign Exchange Brewing Company

brewery

110 Cross St, Aurora, IL, 60506

Opens today at 3:00 PM

6Beers

7.10Rating

Hopvine Brewing

brewery

4030 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora, IL, 60504

Opens today at 4:00 PM

6.70Rating

America's Brewing Company

breweryPermanently closed

205 N. Broadway, Aurora, IL, 60505

1Beer

No ratings

Foreign Exchange Brewing Company7.1
My first time visiting the brewery. I have had several of their beers in the past but I haven't seen them lately on the market; I have haven't sought them out either. Just so happened to visit on beer release day. A stout aged in bourbon barrels. Only 75 released. They have a short menu with four different types of tacos. I went for the chicken tacos. Really good. Great balance and the right amount of food. That 3 tacos is $14 these days is absurd. I had the new release beer on tap and an NEIPA. The NEIPA was made with Simcoe. The pine didn't go well with the style. They were busy with only two bartenders/waiters. The small dining area and bar were both packed. They were working hard. That said, because of the of the "crowd" service was a bit slow but was always given with a smile. The location is in an old building near downtown Aurora, IL. Most of the buildings in this area are that way. The inside was all white and clean. I was just hoping for a neat way to use the history of the building to decorate. There are some outside seating and with the sudden warm February it was almost usable. Pricing is just about the same as the rest of the Chicago suburbs. There are so many ways to get to downtown Aurora that if you are ever there you should stop in. The tacos are really solid and the large tap list should make anyone feel welcome. I will go there again. Enjoy!
Hopvine Brewing6.7
I have known of the brewery for 2 years as it is the reincarnation of Limestone brewery that used to be in Plainfield. I haven't brought myself in because the owners are about the bottom line, handcuffing the brewer. After dropping my daughter off at hoops it was time to give this place a try. It is located on outskirts of a shopping mall. Based on the number of cars in the parking lot I wondered if it was open. Inside it's more restaurant than brewery. Lucky if it was 10% full on a Thursday evening at 2000. The bar was empty only tables had customers. These things should have let me know what is what. The vibe wasn't there. Still I had to try. A dozen signature beers on tap at $3 a pour on Thursday. Nice. 3 premiums, all barrel aged, for $7 or $8. I wanted a hoppy beer. Only two had high ibus: a brown and an ipa hopped with sorachi ace. The brown was described as new castle like. No good. I don't like sorachi ace hops. I'll try the rye saison. Nothing fantastic. I expected a mix of rye and saison yeast phenols. Instead I got a touch of fruity esters with rye trying to poke through. I wouldn't have it again. I didn't have food bit based on the beer and vibe of the joint, I will not be back. Too bad this Chicago burb can't drum up a knock it out of the park brewery. There is enough people as Aurora and Naperville are north of 150K people each. Enjoy!
Fox Valley Homebrew & Winery Supplies9.0
This is my base store for purchasing home brewing goods. The store is oddly shaped probably due to the age of the building and another renter but they make do by keeping the store neat and bright. The store has some odd hours based on the fact that it isn't the main focus or the main job for the owners. But they are dedicated to home brewing and wine making. Their selection is good and if you can't find something they will do a special order. Heck, they have called me to let me know something is in that I was looking for. They even have an area to pre-order and they will have it waiting for you. Now that is service. The staff is knowledgeable and eager to help. Prices are about average for a brick and mortar store but not as cheap as online. Of course there is overhead. I will go to a brick and mortar any day over online: conversation, knowledge, etc. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area. Enjoy!