Featured Friday: Pilot Project Brewing
Good Evening OnBranders and Welcome Back to another Featured Friday segment! We would love to wish everyone a Happy June and we hope your summer has kicked off fantastically. I am enthusiastically writing this blog from my new Chicago apartment and I have so many exciting life updates to catch all of our readers up to speed on, so keep an eye out for a life update blog that I will be releasing this weekend. In case you missed our last Featured Friday Segment we paired with the dreamy Novelty Picnic company for a fabulous giveaway which we were so excited to host for the winner last Friday. We are so extremely honored to Feature our First Chicago-based Business for this lovely Friday, so without further ado let's jump into the blog.
Pilot Project Brewing Company is a unique company based out of Chicago where they assist other breweries and customers in piloting their new projects, while also having a beautiful establishment for customers to try a plethora of different brews. You read that right, this company is one of the first and only brewery incubators, tasting rooms, and patios in the entire United States so it's no wonder that speaking with Mary, one of the co-founders, we felt inspired by their visions and hard work. Initially walking into the establishment you have embraced with a complete modernistic yet comfortable interior feel that makes you feel right at home Mary stated the concept was designed this way to make people feel like they are working from the comfort of home and can transition straight into happy hour. The establishment offers a wide range menu that stretches from alcoholic kombucha, IPA’s, and ciders to a fun coffee selection and food. They truly offer a menu for any kind of customer in any kind of mood which makes this one of the most idealistic places to take a break from working, meeting a date, or joining a group of friends for a night out. Their opening hours relatively include the entire day so a customer can feel cozy in the morning with a cup of coffee and not even have to leave the establishment to catch a drink at happy hour, which is exactly the level of convenience I need in my life.
Immediately off the bat, we met the gorgeous and ever-so-friendly Mary where we were able to learn all about her and her establishment. Mary and her two brothers have worked on the idea of this Pilot Brewery for ten years and recently opened up their business about two years ago. Mary was so passionate about creating something that helped other companies and breweries create their versions of the perfect brew. Some of the services that they offer to their customers include taste refinement, production, and even marketing management behind the different companies. Mary compared what they do for breweries somewhat similar to the music industry where they launch a collaborative and artistically curious space to help support talented brewers in an industry with exceptionally high barriers. After working with different companies on a plethora of projects the establishment serves a large selection of the brews in-house and we were fortunate enough to try 8 different samplings in two flights. I was impressed with the variety of brews that they had for every taste palette and I could spend the day simply sampling all of the beers. My personal favorite drink was the berry Kombucha which offered a delightful fruit-forward taste and Birdi’s favorite was the cloud patterns ale. What also really caught my eye was the unique glassware that they served their beer out of, instead of a traditional pint or glass they serve their glorious projects in wineglass-esque glasses with a thick flared lip at the top. It feels like such a fancier way to drink beer and honestly (don’t come for me) made the brew tastier and more enjoyable to drink.
After our sit down with Mary and an overall tour of the establishment, we were simply blown away and inspired by Mary, her brothers, and The Pilot Project company. We applaud any establishment that breaks the creative mold of the regular industry norm and creates something new to network within and builds something visionary. Mary and her family were so passionate about their craft that not only did they create a space for themselves to grow within brews but they created a space to help other people grow and achieve their dreams as well. From their business model to the thoughtfulness of the simple touches in their interior decorations and glassware, it is obvious to see that this company is absolutely fantastic. Funny enough at the end of our tasting I asked Mary how old she is, and she informed us that she is in her late twenties, and I couldn’t help but feel that this Featured Friday was such a full-circle moment. To see a twenty-something chasing her dreams and creating something so visionary shows that life is all about your passions and there is nothing you can’t achieve in life without hard work and an idea. To have met someone so inspirational, right now in my current life changes, shows me that the dreams I am currently chasing are never too large and there are so many fabulous people in this world you just have to go out and meet them. We feel so extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit such a beautiful location, meet an awesome staff, and partake in a wonderful tasting.
At OnBrand we are so excited to see where this business grows and goes and everyone should keep a lookout for what’s next to come for this business. Thank you again to everyone who was a part of this awesome experience and complimentary tasting. We love connecting with new businesses and individuals so please continue to send us businesses that you feel would make a great addition to our blog family. When you are in the Chicago area we highly encourage all to stop by this establishment and to follow them on their social media to see what current things they are working on. We hope you all have an amazing weekend and you get the chance to grab a brew with a loved one. We will see you all next week.
Stay Safe and Happy Travels.
OnBrand