MOM'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK | Penrose Brewery In Geneva
- Glancer Magazine
- Apr 3, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 20, 2025
TAPROOM, TOURS & TACOS
GENEVA–Throughout the western suburbs you probably have seen their beer on the shelves at Binny’s or SavWay Fine Wines & Spirits; you may have ordered one of their specialty beers at Craft Urban, Barrel + Rye, or Geneva Ale House; however, did you know that the method behind the math and science of Penrose Brewing Company's brewing process was started by local Geneva resident, Tom Korder, who uses his engineering degree from U of I to perfect the art of cold crashing and the entire fermentation development, while running it via a control panel he designed on his phone?
Through a personal tour available at this off the beaten path pubhouse, we learned the art of making some of their specialties like Goofy Boots, the Daily Grind, and Pina Colada Seltzer. The $10 reservation included a full 45-minute behind the scenes tour, a draft beer, and a souvenir glass with the famed Penrose logo.
Beyond the extensive menu of unique and perfected flavors, there is a hometown feel throughout the establishment, both inside and out. Families, couples, and groups filled the casual atmosphere bringing in their own food, charcuterie boards, or ordering from the Taco Truck outside. Chatter, laughter, and board games consumed the tables while national sports were broadcasted in the background.
Their community bond extends past the brick and mortar walls as they also partner with area farms to donate spent grain for livestock or provide it free to residents to perhaps make homemade dog biscuits. They work with BFC in Batavia for their printing needs and take advantage of the reverse osmosis treatment process in Geneva’s City's Water Treatment .
The ambience and tour were fully engaging and this was a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
OVERVIEW
Penrose Brewing Company is a small, locally owned Brewery and Taproom that specializes in small batch brewing, fresh hoppy flavors and wild / sour fermentations. They love to experiment with new styles and feature a rotating selection of great beers available in the Taproom from Hazy IPAs and American Lagers to Fruited Sours and Imperial Stouts. Tours available.
Penrose Brewery
509 Stevens Street, Geneva
(630) 232-2115 • www.penrosebrewing.com
Hours: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Price $: Tours are $10
ABOUT THE WRITER
Kristen Kucharski’s days are never dull, her kids are never bored! Over the years #MomsLittleBlackBook has explored hundreds of kid friendly things to do in our surrounding community and on the road. As her girls have grown and gone away to college, she continues to enjoy unique activities, excursions, day trips, weekend get-a-aways, and road trips while rediscovering my own passion for adventure with friends, girls nights outs, and date nights. In her words “Life is a journey–might as well have fun along the way. Go, fly, roam, travel, voyage, explore, discover!” www.glancermagazine.com/bloggers
