Best Brewery on Lakewood Branch

[GM]

http://forgottenchicago.com/features/chicago-industry/bygone-breweries/

From forgotten Chicago website link has pic of building:

The former Best Brewing Company complex is a good candidate for the “best” brewing remnant in Chicago. Located in the 1300 block of Fletcher in Lake View, it was in operation from 1885 until 1961; quite a long run for a Chicago brewery. Between 1885 and 1891 the complex was owned by several brewers, including Klockgeter and Company, before it became the Best Brewing Company.1




 
Left: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency


The image at left dates to 1987, when the complex was being converted into a residential loft complex called “The Brewery.” The present-day view shows the finished product; many windows were punched into blank brick walls, but the overall design of the buildings was retained. It is also important to note that this side of the building once faced the tracks of the Lakewood Branch of the Milwaukee Road rather than a street, which explains the lack of windows and face brick what would have been the “business end” of the building.

Designed by German architect Oscar Beyer, most of the buildings comprising the Best complex were built in the 1890s, according to the National Register of Historic Places.



GM

[Jeff Wingstrom]

Great link! I had shot a couple cellphone pics of the building next to Home Depot on Elston meaning to ask the group about it - too cool to learn it was the Brand Brewing Co.  There are still rails visible in the large opening by the semi truck.  There are also rails poking thru the asphalt in the parking lot entry driveway on Elston, between Home Depot and Pepboys if you look carefully.

[TBurke]

Not sure if you saw this link or not but it contains multiple photos of the US Brewing Company facility on Elston as well as the Michael Brand one across the street.

http://sites.google.com/site/usbrewingcompany/

It\'s from my website on the C&NW\'s Northwest Line.

Another survivor is the Peter Hand Brewery now occupied by Sam\'s at the NE corner of North and Kingsbury.  You can see where a spur once entered the plant where the brick wall curves away from Kingsbury.