We are a production brewery, which is a very different thing than a brewpub. Our focus is on brewing great beer for sale to bars, restaurants and retailers across northern Illinois.

But we also have a great place to enjoy our beers here at the brewery; our tap room.

Here in the tap room, we offer regular tours of the brewery, and the space is dedicated to providing our guests with a world-class, beer-centered experience. In the tap room, we offer only our beers (no wine or mixed drinks). We don’t have a kitchen, though we encourage guests to bring in their own food or order it in from one of the great local restaurants in downtown Crystal Lake.

What kind of food do you have?

As a production brewery, we don't have a kitchen, and don't offer a food menu. We do allow carry-ins of just about any kind. In fact, we have take-out menus for some of the great area restaurants here in the tap room, so it's easy to have a pizza, sandwiches, or just about anything else delivered right to your table.

Do you have wine or mixed drinks?

We always keep a variety of beers on tap, and work hard to brew styles that appeal to people who may not usually drink beer. But of course, we understand that not everyone loves beer as much as we do. So, in addition to our wide array of beer offerings, we also offer a selection of hard ciders, NA beers, hard seltzers (as available) and soft drinks. Our water station also features lemon and cucumber water, and we even make a gluten-reduced beer, Main Beach.

Can I bring my own wine?

Our BYO policy applies to food, only. We ask that guests not bring in beverages of any kind.

Can I bring my kids?

By nature, a brewery is an adult place and anyone sampling our beers must be 21 years of age or older. With that said, CLB is a family-run business, and we try to be as kid-friendly as possible. Children who are supervised by a parent or guardian are welcome from the time we open until 7:00 pm, daily. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, you'll almost always see families in the tap room playing a board game or just hanging out.

The absolute best way to enjoy a pint of brewery-fresh beer is here in the CLB tap room. Coming in a very close second is having us fill a convenient "to go" growler right at the bar.

We offer 64 oz. growlers and 32 oz. howlers (half-growlers), and can fill them with any of our year-round core beers or production premium seasonals.

We are also now happy to offer any on-tap beer to go in single use, 32 ounce crowlers. These are essentially huge cans, poured and sealed while you wait, and are the perfect way to take home fresh craft beer, filled right from the tap.

Growlers, kept sealed and cold, will stay fresh for up to 48 hours. Once opened, consume within 24 hours.