USA, IL: Spent Grain Brewing on tap to open in Arlington Heights later this year

Arlington Heights’ first brewery will be only blocks from where owner Eric Lamkins has been crafting his own suds for years, Daily Herald reported on September 4.

The home-brewer — also a beekeeper and marketing/graphic design chief — will make small batches of beer at Spent Grain Brewing, which is on tap to open later this year at 17 N. Vail Ave.

Village trustees this week granted the new business permission to operate a brew pub in the downtown — a zoning change years in the making, amid old sets of regulations at village hall — while applauding Lamkins and his wife Heather Henkel for their commitment to the local business community. Spent Grain will be around the block from Henkel’s Kilwins confectionery store.

A so-called nano brewery, Spent Grain’s operations will all be within the confines of the 2,500-square-foot former Bangkok Cafe restaurant space. A selection of 16 types of beer and seltzers — each crafted in single-barrel, 30-gallon batches — will be on the menu.

So will smaller pours of whiskey, wine from Vintages Wine Shop in downtown Arlington Heights, and Arlington Club soda from the Arlington Heights Historical Museum.

German sausages will be from the local Thuringer Meats butcher shop, while the namesake — spent grains, which are typically discarded after the brewing process — will be baked into an appetizer flight of four pretzels with fresh-ground mustards.

Lamkins said he plans to give home-brewers the opportunity to feature their own creations at the brewery. He’s also talked to members of the local camera club and art guild about displaying their work on the brewery’s walls.

“We’re looking to make it a very community-focused business,” he said.

The floor plan calls for 14 stools at the bar, 26 chairs at dining tables, 30 lounge seats, two fireplaces, and space for acoustic musicians to perform. Lamkins describes the space as a “relaxed environment,” admitting it might seem antithetical to the typical brewery experience.

“Every brewery we go to, we’re yelling to each other over (loud music),” he said. “That’s not what we’re looking to do. We want it to be a place for beer lovers to come, but not have to yell to each other either.”

Lamkins has also proposed a year-round outdoor dining area on the sidewalk with four tables and eight seats, and plans to participate in Arlington Alfresco on the street next summer.

He also wants to install garage doors with window screens in the front, but that plan would require further village approvals.

Before opening, he must still obtain a village liquor license and state brew pub license.

Hours would be 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

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