When the Chain O'Lakes Brewing Company unveils our brew house, we mark the return of the brewer's art to the city of McHenry after a near half-century absence. With a history of an operating brewery dating back to the 1861, McHenry Brewing Company brewed beer until it closed its doors in the fifties, leaving a great void in the local beer scene. As a result, local residents' beer choices were limited to the bland, mass-produced malt beverages from national breweries.
Fortunately, the installation of our tiny ale brewery in a historic, turn-of-the-century building will bring with it the return of fresh, handcrafted ales brewed in the Old World tradition. A far cry from the mainstream lager-brewery products, our Chain O'Lakes Brewing Company ales will be produced from only the finest malted barley extracts, generous amounts of fresh hops, water and specially selected ale yeasts. The end result is a selection of unfiltered, unpasteurized ales in a variety of classic beer styles. Chain O'Lakes Brewing Company ales can be enjoyed at the peak of freshness directly from the serving tanks.
