Skeleton Key Brewery

Chicago-Area Brewery Devastated After Weekend Tornado | Eater Chicago

"Hit hard by a late-night tornado that tore parts of the roof, Skeleton Key Brewing in suburban Woodridge was left scrambling as Emily Slayton and her team salvaged grain, canned beer and supplies after the camera feed cut out at 11:16 p.m. The family-run brewery — opened in 2016 by Slayton, her husband Paul and her brother/brewer John Szopa — had unveiled an expansion two months earlier and operates a taproom for about 100 people within an 8,500-square-foot space; miraculously, no one was inside when the storm hit and Slayton is relieved it didn’t strike on Father’s Day. Adjusters had not provided a damage estimate, much of the beer had been canned, and the brewery had been scheduled to start brewing its seasonal Octoberfest that Tuesday. The local beer community quickly rallied (a GoFundMe set up by Charolette Converse of Mikerphone Brewing has raised more than $50,000), and other breweries have offered to help brew, but Slayton is wary of contract brewing beyond core beers because it can feel like the beer doesn’t belong to them and their distribution circle is small. Beyond financial losses, Slayton says the hardest part is the emotional toll — much of the taproom’s handcrafted decor and work done by family members, including her father-in-law, was destroyed and “it’s absolutely crushing,” and while they are insured, insurance won’t replace those personal touches." - Ashok Selvam