is/was brewing

Is/Was Brewing was stop #2 on my 2025 Chicago Brewery Exploration, and it brought something totally different to the table. If you’re into saisons, this is your place—seriously one of the most creative and focused saison menus I’ve seen. The beers are thoughtful, nuanced, and full of character. It’s clear they’re not just chasing trends here; they’re doing something intentional and unique. A must-stop if you appreciate inventive brewing and farmhouse styles done right.

Fun taproom with skee-ball! The staff are great, the patrons are easy going, and the beer is fantastic. Their saison game is strong with this place! Love their beer! Keep up the good work! Definitely worth a stop.

Absolutely fantastic place - perfect for the beer connoisseur who is getting tired of palate destroying double IPAs and is seeking deep flavors and drinkability. However, if you don't like saisons (first give some more a try to make sure), they have a few non-saison beers and rotating selection of guest taps. I'm pretty sure every time that I have been there has always been something easy (lager or blonde ale) and an IPA on the guest tap list as well as some delicious non-alcoholic options. I wish it was a little bit closer to me as I would make it my regular spot (maybe I should just move?), but Is/Was is absolutely worth the trip and I try to make it up here at least every few weeks. So sad that the beer slushie machine stopped working - the special non-documented release of finer points of bad behavior conditioned for 3 months on the July 2024 harvest of Michigan blue raspberries was really something special (photo is from October, 2024)

What a great place to have in the neighborhood! The space is beautiful and has a good amount of seating. The beers are terrific; we really loved the Saison Effrayant which had a very balanced sage flavor- perfect for the season. The bartenders went above and beyond to make sure people were comfortable. They often have food trucks, so you can make a night out of it. Looking forward to coming back!

They are fantastic people that make great beer! Most of their beers are saisons, but they also make pale ales and stouts. They have nice N/A alternatives, like their homemade sodas. As for entertainment, they have a bingo night and trivia night that are highly entertaining.

My friends and I have been to a few trivia nights recently and have really enjoyed it. The host is hilarious and has really fun categories and I love the graphics he shows between rounds. Bartender is always nice and the NA options are pretty good.

What a wonderful, chill brewery. They brew perfectly nuanced Saison-influenced beers, the taproom has a variety of seating and never feels overly crowded even when it’s full, and they run a lot of fun community events like bingo every Thursday night. Highly recommended! Bring your dog!

I tried this new brewery and liked it a lot. It has mainly saison but they did have two stout options. The beers were good, but most came in small sizes and not a full beer that I’m used to.

Rising from the ashes of my beloved Urban Brew Labs, we have Is/Was! And the verdict is . . . love it! An appealing array of delicious beers, same neighborhood feel. Same dog friendly room! It's a bit out of the way, which I love, since it's full of neighbors and regulars, however - especially in winter - there is not a lot of foot traffic. Hoping this place survives, as it's another great addition to Malt Row in this area! And I'll be back again and again.

While on a walk in our neighborhood, we stumbled upon the soft launch of is/was brewing. In the former location of Urban Brewlabs, this micro brewery specializes in saisons. We had to stop our walk and go in for a drink. We were sure glad we did! From the moment we entered, we were greeted with a warm welcome and friendly smile from the bartender. He was pleased to see us and gave us the rundown on the soft launch. There were so many great looking drinks on the menu. I debated between the "Joiners" saison with local honey or "The Finer Points of Bad Behavior" with cucumber. I tried both and loved them! However, I went with the "Joiners" because it was more balanced. My husband got the "Will be" flagship saison and it was also scrumptious. I can see why it is the flagship...a solidly delicious classic saison! The vibe of the place is open, clean, and full of character. There is plenty of space to come with a large group, on a date, or just by yourself to do some reading. It also has clean bathrooms and is dog friendly. They are currently open Thursdays through Sundays, 2-8pm during the soft launch. But that is subject to change, so reaching on their contact page to double check might be a good idea. We loved the vibe and definitely plan to intentionally come back to relax and enjoy some other beers! So so excited to see this fabulous new brewery in our neighborhood...revitalizing "Malt Row!" See you again soon, is/was brewing!

What a great place to have in the neighborhood! The space is beautiful and has a good amount of seating. The beers are terrific; we really loved the Saison Effrayant which had a very balanced sage flavor-perfect for the season. The bartenders went above and beyond to make sure people were comfortable. They often have food trucks, so you can make a night out of it. Looking forward to coming back!

Great, cozy local spot specializing in Saisons. Great place to explore a unique style of Belgian brewing.