Great Central Brewing Company, Chicago’s First Craft-Dedicated Contract Brewery
(Chicago,IL) – Opening in late summer 2016, Great Central Brewing Company has one goal: to be the craft brewer’s brewery.
As Chicago’s first ever craft-dedicated contract brewing facility, the Great Central Brewing Company (GCBC) will enable growing craft brewers to make more of what we all love, but do it in a way that allows them to be nimble about their growth. GCBC’s 32,000+ square foot facility in West Town has been designed from the ground up to help craft brewers brew the highest quality product, flexibly meet demand, explore innovative offerings and effectively enter new markets, all while leveraging collective buying power and Chicago’s central location.
“Growing by building your own brewery is an expensive proposition, and the typical contract experience can be less-than-positive with varying levels of quality,” says co-founder David Avram. “We looked at all
the ways we can put clients first, keep costs down and quality up so that our clients can expand at a rate that is economically sustainable and respects what they’re trying to do,” says Avram. “Whether
that’s higherefficiency equipment, scaled expansion or collective buying power on raw materials, our goal is to help our clients sell
more.”
The advantages Great Central offers go beyond the tangible economies of scale, however. By bringing together such a wide range of creative and quality-focused brewers in a supportive, collaborative environment, GCBC is creating a unique crossroads for the exchange of ideas, approaches and partnerships.
“Because we’re not competing with our clients, we can be fully focused on their needs and connecting them with the right resources, whether from us or other clients,” says co-founder Conor McFerran. “We’ve already started seeing our clients connect in ways we couldn’t have imagined—the community is really building itself.”
The GCBC community also extends to include consumers, with an integrated tasting room opening after the completion of the brewhouse. In the reconfigurable, multi-functional space, GCBC’s clients will
be able to engage directly with consumers, who will get the chance to savor brewery-fresh beer from breweries located all over the country. “Additionally, with our neighbors Goose Island, Like Minds and All
Rise just blocks away, we’re jointly building a real brewtopia over here,” says Avram.
Great Central Brewing Company is located at 221 N. Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, adjacent to the Fulton Market District, Randolph Street Restaurant Row, and the United Center. They expect to scale up to a production of 125,000 barrels annually and are eager to support to expansion of their clients.
For more information, please contact Nina Foley at 312-882-7876 or [email protected].
