Chicago is world-famous for many things: diverse neighborhoods, a thriving music scene, incredible food, stunning architecture, and a grit to survive and innovate.
You know what else Chicago offers? Incredible brown brews. Yes, the brown spirits scene in the Windy City is alive, thriving, and innovating every day. The texture, darker flavor, and rich history of brown spirits fit the culture well, and Chicago distilleries (new and old) are producing unique combinations and memorable experiences every day.
5 Top Distilleries for Brown Spirits in Chicago
1. KOVAL (Ravenswood, North Side)
KOVAL (meaning “to forge ahead” in Yiddish) is named in honor of the husband/wife owners’ heritage and family members, who laid the foundation for the hard work, innovation, and quality the KOVAL brand is known for today.
Using a grain-to-bottle approach, KOVAL uses grains sourced from trusted farmers and does their milling, mashing, distilling, aging, and bottling on-site. Specializing in organic whiskeys (bourbon, rye, four-grain, millet, oat), KOVAL is an award-winning distillery that represents the best of Chicago’s past, present, and future.
With a tasting room that is open seven days a week, KOVAL also offers public and private events, behind-the-scenes tours, and classes.
2. CH Distillery (West Loop)
Founded in 2013, the name CH refers to the great city of Chicago and the fundamental compounds in alcohol: carbon and hydrogen.
CH’s distillery sits on 2.5 acres in Chicago’s historic Pilsen neighborhood, and makes the only vodka hand-made from Illinois grain. Also known for CH bourbon, a straight bourbon with notes of brown sugar and maple, and Jeppson’s Malört® (not a brown spirit, but a Chicago bar tradition).
You can purchase spirits directly from CH Distillery or contact them about hosting an event.
3. Rhine Hall Distillery (West Town / Near West Side)
Named for a hockey rink in Austria, “RhineHalle”, this distillery is owned and operated by a father-daughter team. A family-hobby-turned-business, Rhine Hall Distillery is famous for its specialty in fruit brandies known as eau de vie or schnapps, which is aged in oak barrels (making it appealing to brown spirit fans).
The majority of ingredients are sourced from the Great Lakes Region, with no additional flavorings, sweeteners, or neutral spirits added to any of the brandies. This gives the rich scent and natural flavor of fruit without producing an artificially sweet taste.
To buy a bottle or make a reservation, visit the Rhine Hall Distillery website.
4. FEW Spirits (Evanston, north of Chicago)
Founded and inspired by pre-Prohibition times, FEW Spirits offers award-winning, hand-crafted whiskey, gin, bourbon, and rye. While equal to the Kentucky spirits of the same name, FEW Spirits brings a more urban approach to their brews, aiming to innovate and consistently improve their products.
100 percent grain-to-glass with locally-sourced grains and American oak barrels, FEW Spirits offers a depth and quality highly prized by brown spirit drinkers.
To purchase products or stop in for a visit, check out their website.
5. Wolf Point Distillery (West Loop)
Wolf Point Distilling is a Chicago-based craft distillery specializing in high-quality, small-batch spirits. Each spirit is inspired by famed stories from Chicago history, with detailed, hand-drawn illustrations that bring these tales to life on the bottle.
Known as one of Chicago’s “Big 3” distilleries, Wolf Point crafts small-batch bourbon, rye whiskey, gin, vodka, and specialty infusions. Each spirit is methodically designed on a smaller scale to ensure quality and taste.
Open three days a week for visits, check out the Wolf Point Distillery website for more information on events and products.
Upcoming Brown Spirit Events Chicago
Brown spirit fans want a chance to do more than just enjoy a glass of whiskey at home; they are about that whiskey life, where they can engage with other brown spirit enthusiasts and enjoy a drink from new vendors and distilleries.
Here’s a list of upcoming food and drink festivals featuring the best whiskey and craft spirits in Chicago, where you’ll get to try incredible spirits while learning about new brews, innovations, and incredible stories.
Chicago Indie Spirits Expo (October 7, 2025)
- Date & Time: Tuesday, October 7, 2025 • VIP: 4:30 PM • General: 6:30–9:00 PM
- Location: Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605
Showcases independent, family-owned distillers pouring whiskies, bourbons, ryes, and more—must-attend for craft spirits enthusiasts.
Festival of Wood & Barrel‑Aged Beer (FOBAB) (November 7-8, 2025)
- Date & Time: Friday & Saturday, November 7–8, 2025 (typically sessions across those dates)
- Location: Credit Union 1 Arena (UIC), Chicago, IL
The premier national showcase for barrel-aged beers—including stouts, barleywines, sours, ciders & mead—often called the Oscars of barrel-aged brewing.
For brown-brew enthusiasts in the Chicagoland area, the region near you is rich with brown spirits and amazing opportunities. Which Chicago distillery are you visiting first? Tag us on Instagram with your favorite local brown spirit using #ChicagolandWhiskey!