ERIS BREWERY & CIDER HOUSE REVIEW
- Location: 4240 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60641
- Website: https://www.erischicago.com/
- Phone: 773-943-6200
- Established: February 2018
- Distribution? Yes
- Type: Brewpub
- Tours: Yes
- Untapped Link: Here
Summary: Eris Brewery and Cider house offers rotating seasonally inspired ciders and beers, as well as a robust brunch and dinner menu. It’s a great spot to meet up with friends since there’s surely something to please everyone on the drink and food menu.
History: Michelle Foik and Katy Pizza founded Eris in 2018—naming the establishment after the Greek goddess of mayhem. Foik’s experience at Virtue Cider, Revolution Brewing and Goose Island provided a solid brewing background, and Pizza claims herself as the “Wrangler of Details’ for other parts of operation.
Head brewer Joe Flores hails from the south side of Chicago and quit a construction job to attend the World Brewing Academy. After earning a diploma in Brewing Technology from Chicago’s Siebel Institute and Munich’s Doemens Academy, he went on to work for Flossmoor Station, Bell’s Brewery, and Lagunita’s. In fact, he was one of the original brewer’s at Lagunita’s and became known as the Mayor of Lagunita’s Chicago. Finally, he landed as Head Brewer and Cider Maker at Eris. Add on Chef Bryant Anderson, also a Chicago native with over 15 years of cooking experience, and you have one of the most revered food and brewery destinations in the area.
Brewpub: The brewpub is located a few minutes’ walk from the Irving Park Blue Line stop in a former Masonic Temple. They offer both indoor and outdoor dining. Don’t worry thought; the patio has heaters to keep you warm even on chilly days. Not only are the ciders great but they offer tons of amazing food on a rotating seasonal menu. From brunch to dinner, there’s plenty of delicious items to choose from. On weekends, Eris tends to fill up fast so make sure to call ahead or book a reservation online.
Beer/Cider: The Eris tap list is split between house made ciders and beers. Thudwacker wheat pairs really well with Pedestrian cider in a delicious beer/cider mash up. In fact, they offer several beer and cider blends to try out. Eris is mostly known though for the cider offerings. The minty-peach IM (Peach Mint) and blueberry, Mosaic hops Van Van Mojo are just a few fruity cider blends to look forward to when you visit. The ciders rotate often and use seasonal fruits, so there’ll always be something new to try. No matter what’s on tap, their ciders always tend to be well-balanced—not too sweet and not too dry.
Krissy Schwab is an avid beer (and cider) drinker and small batch beer brewer who lives in the Malt Row area of Chicago.