Illinois Craft Beer Week celebrates community in brewing

OAK PARK – Their story is as distinctive because the constructing.

On the nook of Lake Avenue and Austin Boulevard sits a venue that was constructed as a financial institution and nonetheless has the look of it almost a century after its development. It additionally served as a funeral house for Oak Park, but it surely discovered new life on this century because the catalyst for a dream.

Jason Alfonsi and Shawn Stevens determined to go away their careers to begin a brand new one within the beer business in 2015, taking on the constructing and beginning development for what would grow to be their brewery. 4 years later, “One Lake Brewing” was opened, taking its personal distinctive spin in a crowded beer business.

On the identical time, they needed to be a spot for his or her group to collect whereas additionally giving what they may to Oak Park and the encompassing space.

“We’re embedded and dedicated to our group,” stated Stevens. “We associate with a number of native companies, faculties, charities and we attempt to continuously present a fundraising outlet and a spot to collect.”

In some ways, that’s the essence of what One Lake Brewing and your complete business within the state is doing proper now as they take part in Illinois Craft Beer Week. It’s a celebration that’s been off for the previous two years as a result of COVID-19 pandemic however as returned as a strategy to deliver publicity to the various completely different brewers in Chicago together with the “Land of Lincoln.”

The concept of “group” meant a lot throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that shutdown indoor eating throughout the state. One Lake was one of many locations that needed to pivot their beer and meals gross sales to supply, and when restrictions remained in place throughout the winter, and to have a couple of individuals on a third-floor patio in frigid temperatures.

But these in Oak Park and surrounding areas did sufficient to maintain One Lake in enterprise, which additionally occurred with a lot of different breweries as nicely.

“As quickly as COVID hit, we needed to pivot, and with out the group’s assist, I wouldn’t be speaking to you proper now,” stated Alfonsi.

That’s not simply prospects hat made up this group of assist but in addition different breweries within the space that continued to assist in hopes of maintaining others working. Stevens famous this can be a distinctive a part of the business not simply throughout the pandemic however in different instances when a fellow enterprise is in want.

“Persons are actually searching for you. They respect the variations,” stated Stevens. “The competitors doesn’t really feel prefer it’s one thing that we have to even take into consideration, as a result of all of us have our personal area of interest, all of us have our personal fashion.”

Together with their very own sense of group, whether or not in any route of Illinois, Chicago, or on the nook of Lake and Austin in Oak Park.

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You’ll be able to study extra about One Lake Brewing by going to their web site right here or by testing their Instagram right here.

See extra on the occasions which are occurring throughout Illinois Craft Beer Week right here.