Une Annee

Une Annee [the first e is supposed to have a marking over it, and I'm not going to go figure out what code I need to achieve that, so accept this as a disclaimer....]

Let's start again.

Une Annee is a Belgian-style brewery and tap room in Niles. I've driven past it dozens of times and never noticed it was there, it being in a small space in an unassuming strip mall.

They have many flavors and styles of beers available; mostly Belgian sour and fruit types, but I've also seen porters and IPAs here. They have several styles available on tap and sell bombers.

I know that I like Belgian styles, but I'm not exceptionally well informed about them. I wanted to put this wonderful place on the LTH radar.

The tap room serves minimal food [pretzels, cheese & crackers].
This particular mall has evolved into an 'ethnic specialites' mall over the years... I don't know quite how to describe it. There's a movie theater that specializes in South Asian films, Korean fast food, Korean bar, Chinese-Korean food, Filipino food, South Asian food, some other stuff I forget, and Omega Restaurant and Bakery is in the part of the lot nearest Golf.

So what I'm saying is, there's good beer and interesting food in this mall. Go. Eat. Drink. In happy moderation, of course.

Une Annee Brewery
9082 W Golf Rd, Niles IL 60714
(847) 635-0655

http://uneannee.com

Closed Monday & Tuesday

Giovanna

I like Un Anée; I think it's fun that all you can see from Golf Road is a large, all caps sign "BREWERY." Their Belgians and sours are all top-notch, although a few of the sours were a bit too sour for my tastes. Their non-Belgian, non-sour beers go under the name Hubbard's Cave Brewery; I'm not sure if they're co-owned, or Hubbard's Cave just brews their beers at Un Anée. I think Hubbard's Cave was brewed elsewhere before Un Anée opened in Niles.

See, nr706 knows where to find the accent mark.

Show off .

Since you're the beer expert, I'll believe you about the Hubbard's Cave/Une Annee distinction. Only been there twice, and haven't been able to figure it all out yet.

Giovanna

It's all the same brewer. As you said it's just a designation for the non-Belgian style brews. Une Anee and Hubbard's Cave were both brewed in Chicago (around Grand & Ashland) prior to the move to Niles.

I'm also a fan of their beers. Last time I visited the taproom there was a mojito inspired sour that was most excellent. Cucumber, lime, mint, and lemongrass. I think it was the Le Monde 2017-7.

Jerry started Une Annee in a little garage space in the West Loop. He had a distributor whose specialties are spirits and wine and who didn't know how to sell his beer and he damn near pulled all his hair out trying to get them to sell it. They continued to ask him to make IPAs and Stouts despite his identity being Belgian/Sour and him making the best sours in town. So as a "F You" to that distributor he created a second brand, Hubbard's Cave, making only IPAs, DIPAs and stouts, and self-distributed it.

I know a professional brewer who was in a homebrew club with Jerry years ago. He's told me that when that club would gather everyone would come in thinking "I hope I have the 2nd best beer this time" because going in they knew that Jerry's beer was going to be everyone's favorite.

He's gotten out of that distribution deal thanks to some kind of miracle, moved to a space with a taproom where he can keep more of the money, and is doing great. I'm really thrilled for him because he's one of the 2-3 best brewers in Chicago and it looked like a very real possibility a few years ago that we could lose Une Annee to bad salesmanship on the part of the distributor.

Une Annee aims to leave wild ride behind with new Niles brewery and pub

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/d ... story.html

Brewery's post that avoids any potential Tribune paywall problems. http://www.instagram.com/p/BrqAPXQAPhE/
Summary: Moving to new building on Gross Point ~1 block east of Caldwell south side of the street, hoping to open summer 2019. "Larger and nicer" taproom, kitchen featuring BBQ.

I'm no expert on either's business plan, but sounds like a lot of overlap with Wildwood Tavern a couple hundred feet away.