An unknown (at least to me) Chicago beer gem.

In the last post about the Goose Island Brewpub, I mentioned going to hear a friend play jazz. We had been trying to find an opportunity to get together and this sounded fun. Besides, he said the bar had “a decent beer selection.” Free music played by a good friend and decent beer. What did I have to lose? So after a couple beers at Goose Island I headed off to Quenchers Saloon at the intersection of Fullerton and Western, nestled between the Logan Square and Bucktown neighborhoods.

Based on my friend’s description I expected a typical place with five or six decent beers on tap. Instead I walk into what may well be the oldest specialty beer bar in Chicago with over 260 beers to choose from, including twenty plus taps. The selection was eclectic with beers from all over the world and running the full gamut of styles. No particular region or style was overrepresented, which I found refreshing in the current beer bar atmosphere of “more Belgians is always better.”

The ambiance at Quenchers isn’t outstanding. The decor is a nondescript not-quite-sports-bar, not-quite-Irish-pub, not-quite-anything mish-mash with an interesting antique apothecary back bar that I did like a lot. It was not at all crowded when I was there, which was disappointing to me. The music was good and a bigger crowd would have been nice. Also be advised that they only take cash. There is an ATM if you find yourself short, like I was. Prices are manageable at $5 to $6 for tap beers. And they have free popcorn.

At Quenchers I indulged in two Scottish ales. The first was Belhaven Scottish Stout. Recommended to me by a friend, this is a rich 7% ABV stout full of bittersweet chocolate malt flavors. It’s a little on the sweet side and has that hint of yeast derived smokiness that one can detect in the Belhaven Scottish Ale. It’s full bodied with a pleasant creamy mouthfeel. The next beer was Robert The Bruce, a strong Scotch ale from Indiana’s Three Floyds. This beer is all about the malt. Lightly roasted flavors form the background for a blast of sweet caramel malt. I also found this beer to be brimming with dark fruit flavors, giving it an vaguely Belgian character.

The Quenchers website states that the bar opened in 1979. While I lived in Chicago, I drove past it hundreds of times. I never knew what it was. All the times I have been back and asked people to recommend places to get a good beer, Quenchers never came up. I’m glad I know about it now.