Maplewood opened with the mission to push liquid boundaries in an unassuming building nestled in Chicago’s historic Logan Square neighborhood.
The first of its kind to establish brewing and distilling roots under a single roof, Maplewood has been producing finely crafted beer and spirits out of their 10BBL brewhouse and 250L Kothe hybrid still since 2014. Three years after moving into the production facility, Maplewood opened the Lounge, a neighborhood bar doubling as a cocktail parlor and brewery taproom. Beginning commercial distribution throughout Illinois shortly after settling into the Logan Square space, Maplewood has since expanded their distribution footprint into Missouri, SW Michigan, Northern Indiana, Wisconsin and Kansas. Maplewood’s patrons have come to expect expertly crafted beer in a wide range of styles.
Can, from Binny's Beverage Depot, Chicago IL. Pouts cloudy dark yellow with a small frothy off-white head, mango-citrus aroma, adequate carbonation, mildly bitter mango-citrus taste, faint pineapple, smooth body, long finish. Very juicy!
Pour is a cloudy orange with a large white head. Aroma is citrus, honeydew melon and honey malt. Flavor is more of the citrus with a bitter mouthfeel. Finish is lots of bitterness left on the tongue. Smelled a little more vibrant than it tasted but was going in the right direction of a west coast IPA with all the bitterness.
On tap at the brewery. Pours a clear gold with yellow hue and a white head that lasts throughout the beer and laces. Aroma has light floral and grass with a touch of straw and citrus underlying. Flavor has melon and grass up front with some sweet grains and citrus rind supporting.
a: super hazy straw yellow body | thinnish white head a: full oranges | dank | pineapple juice f: rich wheat | curacao | hay on finish t: super juicy | soft caster sugar | perfumey end o: pure new-school | ultra-drinkable | great-for-style
16 ounce can | Trader Joe's (grocery): Kansas City, Missouri | 12-January-2026 | US$2,75 | canned: 17-June-2025 | sampled: 14-January-2026
Not sure if there’s too much vanilla or if there’s just nothing to the brown ale in the first place, but this pint’s like 90% vanilla bean and 10% chocolate/caramel/nuts. Finishes with the slightest bit of roast bitterness. Eh.