Mokena Welcomes Tribes Taproom And Readies For Another Brewery

MOKENA, IL — Tribes Beer Co. has opened a new taproom, beer garden and sprawling production facility near the Metra station in downtown Mokena. Meanwhile, Mokena Brewing Co. is under construction near the interchange of Interstate 80 and LaGrange Road.

Owners of both beer-making facilities said the craft beer boom continues to draw thirsty customers. And while the brewery craze may have begun in Chicago, suburban residents have quickly embraced the trend. In fact, soaring demand was the impetus behind Tribes' latest venture at 11120 S. Front St., according to owner Niall Freyne.

His business began as Galway Tribes Irish Pub & Alehouse at 9680 Lincolnway Lane in Mokena. This incarnation operated for five years, closing in 2009 as a result of a weak economy, Freyne said Monday.

The business was reborn later that year as Tribes Beer Co. at 11220 Lincoln Highway in Mokena. A second location opened in 2012 at 9501 W. 171 St. in Tinley Park. Both of these spots serve food along with Tribes' homemade beer. Freyne said he has spent the last three years perfecting his beer recipes and regularly struggles to satisfy demand.

He believes taking over the former auto repair facility in Mokena will solve that problem, as the bulk of the 4,680-square-foot building is dedicated to beer production. A dozen beers are now tap, but there is no food at the downtown spot — nor will there be.

The taproom and production facility, which opened late last month, repurposed a 100-year-old building. The garage door remains, though it has been replaced with a new door that features roll-up windows for summertime. There's also stunning a wooden ceiling with exposed trusses.

The 11,000-square-foot lot also has a large beer garden in the back. And Freyne said he expects this space will be a popular destination for those looking to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and even weddings.

Tribes' new facility has a large loading dock for trucks supplying grain, kegs and other beer-making necessities too. Freyne said this design is important to Tribes' strategy, which will soon include canning beer for retail distribution.

Tribes' Craft'd IPA, Zero to 100 imperial IPA and Daylight kolsch will be among the first to see wider distribution. Freyne said he is still working with individual retailers but expects his beers to be on shelves around Sept. 1 at Binny's Beverage Depot and elsewhere.

The beers will be sold in 12-ounce cans and packaged in six packs. Tribes will rely on a mobile canning unit to put its beer into cans, said Freyne, a Mokena resident for the past 16 years. "A lot of people know us (Tribes Beer Co.) by now," he said.

On the other side of town, Mokena Brewing Co. is just getting started as workers cut into the cement floor Monday to install proper plumbing for the new brewery at 19031 Old LaGrange Road in the Hickory Creek Center. Owner Steve Smolinske surveyed the scene with high hopes for his latest endeavor.

A Frankfort resident and architect, Smolinske has been building brewpubs for others for the past five years. He was looking to enter the business himself when he and fellow Frankfort resident Will Rafol partnered and settled on the Mokena location that will debut as a tasting room in September.

The pair plan to expand the business to include a restaurant about one year after the brewery opens, said Smolinske, who is takes over a 6,721-square-foot space that has been vacant since 2008. The brewery will also include space for a party room. It has a large loading dock as well, as the owners also expect to sell their beers outside of the restaurant.

Smolinske envisions Mokena Brewing Co. as an upscale version of a traditional brewery, as designs include a fireplace and leather chairs. The menu for the restaurant is still a long way off, but Smolinske didn't rule out steaks and pork chops to be included along with favorites like burgers, wings and wraps.

"We want this to be a comfortable place for people to come, drink beer and enjoy good food," said Smolinske, who expects to have about a dozen homemade beers on tap. "The South Side is just growing with breweries, and the South Side makes really good beer," he said.

Photos by Howard A. Ludwig