Location: 1035 Sterling Ave., Flossmoor, IL. 60422 Est: 1996
In 1995 Dean and Caroline Armstrong were antique hunting in Michigan. They were off the beaten path near Schoolcraft, Michigan, still uncertain of the type of business they were going to open in the Flossmoor Train station property they had recently purchased. On that rural road they spotted a restored old building, maybe an antique shop? The place was called Duster”s and the sign said, “Good Burgers, Better Craft Beer.” Dean and Caroline went in to eat and have a brew. Like many craft brew enthusiasts who followed them, they had a beer epiphany. Dean says, “It was the best and freshest beer we had ever had.” Dean and Caroline now knew what they were going to do with their Flossmoor Station property, they were going to build a craft brewery. They never looked back.
At the time there were only two craft breweries in Illinois, Goose Island in Chicago and Mickey Finns in Libertyville. The Armstrong’s paid a visit to both, getting valuable information on brewing equipment, vendors and design ideas for the brewery. Like Goose Island and Mickey Finns they decided on a Brewpub which sells food and their own beer, as opposed to a microbrewery which only brews beer. They began the design and build of the brewery in 1995 and opened their doors on July 8th, 1996. They were the third craft brewery to open in Illinois. Like the original Goose Island (before AB Bev remodeled it) Flossmoor Station reminds you of a classic English Pub, warm, inviting lots of conversations and great beer. In some ways it feels like you walked into a set of Cheers. The only more medaled craft brewery in the Chicago area was Goose Island, but Goose lost its craft brewery status when purchased by AB Bev, resulting in Flossmoor Station being the most medaled craft brewery in Illinois. It has won 23 GABF (Great American Beer Fest) beer medals, including five gold medals and winning medals every year from 1997 through 2008 with the exception of 2004. They were the first brewery in Illinois to win the prestigious GABF small brewpub and brewer of the year in 2006.
The first fulltime brewer Todd Ashman, formulated the recipes for most of the breweries classic beers: Station Master Wheat, Gandy Dancer (honey ale), Panama Red, Pullman Brown Ale, and Chessie Cherry Wheat. He was the brewer behind their first 15 GABF medals and 4 of their 5 gold medals. To most of us original patrons he was perhaps one of the best and most creative craft brewers in the United States. He put Flossmoor Station beers on the map and made them a key player in the craft beer movement in the Chicago area.
When Todd left in 2003 we thought it would be impossible to fill his shoes but his replacement Matt Van Wyk, who was tutored by Todd with a special focus on Barrel Aged beer did not let us down. His first year Matt won a bronze medal for his Barrel Aged Wooden Hell, a gold for his German Schwartzbier and was the the brewer as part of the GABF brewpub of the year in 2006. Matt went on to win several more medals as Flossmoor’s head brewer.
Flossmoor Stations year round lineup of beers, still made up of their standard classics: Station Master Wheat, Gandy Dancer, Panama Red, Pullman Brown, and a rotating fruit beer and rotating Stout are still one of the best standard lineups in the region. Their current brewer Ryan Czaja (Chia), started in 2014 and had added his own touch to the lineup adding several excellent IPAs and he continues the barrel aging tradition of the brewery. Barrel Aged Stout with Molasses is on deck for release around St. Patrick’s Day. In 2019 their BA Wooden Hell, won an Illinois beer of year award.
When warmer weather arrives Flossmoor Station has one of the nicest beer gardens in the Chicago area. Perhaps the only or one of a few breweries with an outdoor caboose taproom. Plenty of picnic tables and nice outdoor chairs with warming firepits makes this a great place to enjoy some outdoor dining and a few great pints. Well worth the trip and you can get there on the Metra arriving practically in the brewery!
Cheers!