Vice District Brewing to open in Chicago’s South Loop

Situated in a landmark-status building at 1454 S. Michigan Ave., Vice District Brewing Co. sits squarely in the center of Chicago’s South Loop. While the name Vice District is a nod to the area’s past, owners Curtis Tarver II and Quintin Cole are focused on helping build a stronger sense of community in the future. Tarver II and Cole plan to bring in communal seating that encourages conversation and lend the space to community events.

“We want Vice District to help bring back the energy that the South Loop once had. We plan on being very involved with other businesses and non-profits in the area,” Cole said. “We want to encourage ‘positive-vices’ like volunteerism in the community.”

Longtime homebrewers, Tarver II and Cole, secured their South Loop space late last year and plan to open the taproom to the public this July. The location’s 2,200-square-feet boasts 14-foot ceilings and ample room for their custom-built 7-barrel (bbl) brew system. Eight functional serving tanks will be featured and visible in the space to make patrons feel like they’re a part of the brewing process. Once installed, the setup will feed 10 tap lines that will be responsible for quenching the thirst of up to 115 guests at a time.

Though no food will be offered on-site, Tarver II and Cole plan to encourage guests to bring in their own, take advantage of the food trucks that will be parked outside, or get something delivered from any of the five dozen-plus restaurants in the area. “We’re all about supporting other local businesses, and we feel like giving people the option to bring their own food in while enjoying our beers allows us to do that,” Tarver II said.

However, Tarver II and Cole aren’t ready to give up all of their secrets just yet. They’re keeping the identity of their brewmaster a secret for the time being as well as the names of the beers they plan on serving when the doors open in July. More information will be released in the coming months.