Argus Brewery was a

brewing company A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...

located on the south side of Chicago, at the edge of the Roseland community and the historic Pullman District. Founded in 2009, the brewery produced beer for multiple Chicago restaurants as well as its own self-named brand. Argus brewery closed in March 2020.

History

The brewery was housed in a century-old building that originally served as the Schlitz Brewery stable. Schlitz constructed its largest facility across the tracks from the

Pullman Company The Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman, was a manufacturer of railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Through rapid late-19th century d ...

to provide beer to the 10,000 area workers who were forced to live in a dry community. In 2016, Ted Furman became the brewmaster at Argus Brewing, and began to reproduce recipes from his defunct brand Golden Prairie. That same year the Argus Lager won a bronze award at the World Beer Cup. In 2018, the Golden Prairie Doppel Alt was awarded a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival. Argus brand original

craft beers Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

and Golden Prairie brand beers were available in local taverns and stores, with most sales coming from taphouses. In late 2012 the brewery teamed up with Jarrett Payton, son of the late NFL Hall of Famer

Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played ...

, to create the Jarrett Payton All-American Wheat Ale. The limited release beer was developed by Payton and the Jensen family. Argus also brewed beers honoring other notable Chicagoans, including the Paschke Pilsner for beloved local artist Ed Paschke, and the Tuskegee Airmen Pursuit as homage to Jack Lyle, one of the legendary

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...

. Argus Brewery also briefly contract-brewed for Baderbrau, one of Chicago’s oldest craft brewing companies. Argus Brewery closed in 2020, due in part to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S. state of Illinois on January 24, 2020, when a woman in Chicago, who had just returned from the pandemic's place of origin in Wuhan, Hubei, China, tested positive for the virus. This was the second ...

. The brewery stopped brewing on March 28, twelve days after bars and restaurants were ordered to close to stem the spread of the virus in Chicago.

References

External links

* {{official website, http://www.argusbrewery.com 2009 establishments in Illinois 2020 disestablishments in Illinois Beer brewing companies based in Chicago Manufacturing companies based in Chicago Food and drink companies established in 2009