Chicago's innovative District Brew Yards craft beer collective adds a fourth brewery this month

Casa Humilde Cervecería Artesanal — Jose and Javier Lopez, co-founders of Casa Humilde Cerveceria Artesanal.

The District Brew Yards is an innovative production brewery collective, pour-your-own beer hall and retail beer shop in West Town’s Chicago Brewing District. It the permanent home to Burnt City Brewing, Around the Bend Beer Co., and Bold Dog Beer Co, and starting later this month Casa Humilde Cervecería Artesanal will officially be added to the roster.

Casa Humilde takes over the full 10-tap wall formerly known as The Fourth Wall, which previously featured District Brew Yards collaborations and guest brewers, including the first two commercial releases from the fledgling brewery in August 2019.

“We are so honored to be a part of the District Brew Yards community,” says Jose Lopez, Casa Humilde co-founding brewer. “Brewers are helpful and supportive of each other by nature, so when I heard about this place, I thought, ‘How badass!’ because it’s like a food hall for beer. You can try a little bit of this and that and find what you like. If you’re adventurous, you can go down the line and try everything. You can have fun with it.”

The launch party is Casa Humilde’s Day of the Dead celebration on Friday, Nov. 1, 6 p.m.-close, featuring DJs, a mariachi band, a Mexican folkloric dance performance, and more (no cover charge).

More on Casa Humilde

Born and raised in the Hermosa neighborhood of Chicago, brothers Jose and Javier Lopez started homebrewing in September 2015 and officially founded Casa Humilde (“Humble House” in Spanish) in 2019 to reflect their brewing style, ingredients, and heritage. While Lopezes were fine-tuning brewing techniques and recipes with Logan Brewlevard Society homebrew club, Jose dove into the business from the professional end by working at Omega Yeast labs, and he eventually made his way to Hopewell Brewing, where he worked in distribution for a year and a half before leaving this fall to dedicate his full resources to Casa Humilde. Jose also designs the can art and t-shirts currently available at the Brew Yards. Casa Humilde’s tap wall features a distressed teal door, evocative of Mexico, with local art displayed on it that will rotate monthly; first featured is Chicago painter Alma Dominguez.

“Our style is approachable, easy-drinking beers,” explains Jose Lopez. “We want more of our people who aren’t craft beer drinkers to have something interesting to drink.”

Casa Humilde introduced two beers to market through District Brew Yards this summer: Maizal Mexican Lager (4.7% ABV), brewed with corn for a touch of sweetness and mild bitterness in a crisp and refreshing lager; and the light red-hued Nopalli Prickly Pear Farmhouse Ale (5% ABV), effervescent with a dry finish, as well as a fruity aroma from the prickly pear, like a mix of beer and agua fresca. The brewery’s opening beers at District Brew Yards include: