Sketchbook Brewing Company

I love bringing new people to this place, they’re so confused at the beginning by the placement of the back alley entrance but leave wanting to come back. Excellent variety of beer, my favorites being the Orange Door IPA and Frogtown. I have 2 howlers I fill whenever I have a weekend off. Pair that with some food, and this place is a must!

Been meaning to get here for a few months, but just never made it a priority and NOW I’m so sorry I wanted so long. And I was pretty dumb only getting a Howler of the Obstinate (German Altbier). Tasted the Frogtown (English Golden ESB) and it was great too. I’m not a fan of IPAs, so seeing these options is a nice change. Now I have to wait until Thursday for my next visit.
This is great LOCAL brew place! Nicely done guys and I’ll see you soon.

I’m gonna get straight to the point with this one — I love this place. I joined their CSB on a whim for 6 months last spring, and during my final month at one of their shindigs I renewed for another 6 months. I get 2 howlers or 1 growler per month for what works out to be like $ 12 or $ 13. Yeah, it’s more than a case of Miller Lite would be, but it’s so much better and I feel good supporting such an awesome local business. I like the howler options, too, because as someone who flies solo, there’s no way I could finish a growler on my own before it would go bad. Plus, the howler option lets you try two beers each month.
They have a ton of options (7 or so at any given time), and they let you taste whatever you’d like before you buy.
I think I’ve interacted with every staff member they have, and they’re all extremely nice, chill, and full of information. I don’t know nearly as much as I’d like about beer, but they teach me something new every time.
They also throw bottle release parties for their members when they have special batches, and other parties just for fun.
I highly recommend checking this place out. Right now it’s small since it’s just the tiny tasting room, but they’ll be moving to a storefront on Chicago Avenue in 2016. I have every intention of hanging out there regularly.
I only wish they would have opened prior to me moving out of my studio above Brothers K.

We love this place! We joined the beer club and enjoy our monthly beer! My husband and I have different tastes in beer, but we always find something we like. When we cannot agree on one, we get two smaller sized growlers. The folks here are helpful, generous with their tastings and knowledgable. We cannot recommend highly enough!

Have been wanting to check this place out and came in for the first time tonight. A little hard to find in a fun way, and given that it’s amazing to see all the people in there when you get there. All were there to refill their growlers! Fun tasting the beers, all were delicious. This is going to be our new hostess gift when we go to parties. Loved the people working there and the other patrons. Kind of felt like we were a part of a secret society. We’ll be back.

The ideal local brewery. You can taste the current beers and then fill up one of their awesome growlers with your favorite to enjoy at home or wherever you’re going.

Friendly local brewery. Went in to taste their selection and did not feel pressured at all to make a purchase. Tasty beer made me leave with a growler and a new fan of this brewery.

This place is wonderful. Tucked away in an alley in South Evanston, you walk into an unassuming commercial space and happen upon this great little brewery. The people are super nice, and it’s great to geek out with them about beer. And the beer… honestly it’s world-​class. Delicious stuff, and I suspect they’ll be doing bigger things in the future. Go visit!

Sketchbook is my go to for excellent (local!) beer. I love the fact that I can taste all their brews on tap before deciding what to buy. The staff are also super friendly and fun to talk to.

Sketchbook brewing is fantastic! Their beers are great — the ESB, saison, and IPA I tried all had distinct, clean flavors without being too overpowering. The guys there are really knowledgeable and will let you sample anything you like before buying. My wife and I accidentally wandered in when they were supposed to be closed (we didn’t even check the hours on the door). They could have easily told us to leave, but were super accommodating and incredibly nice despite everything. Will definitely be back!

Sketchbook is a fantastic neighborhood nano-​brewery with great beer and great owners. I’ve tried a number of their beers and have liked everything. What I haven’t liked as much – such as their cider – was due to my personal preferences. They provide free tastings and sell their beer in growlers and howlers to go only. At $ 15 per growler refill (64 oz) its a very reasonable price considering how high-​quality the beer is. The only downside is that its a bit tricky to find (look for the orange door in the alleyway) but after you find it once its no problem to track it down again. So far they also seem to be incredibly involved in the community by for example, giving back to local organizations and getting involved in community events. I look forward to many more growlers from Sketchbook!

Yes, Sketchbook Brewing Co. is located in an alley in Evanston. Went during Sunday’s Bears Half-​time, lots of other people thought to do the same. Free Beer tasting and Buy Growlers to finish watching the game at home. Staff serving beer were nice and knew their stuff! I tried three beers and apple cider. WOW Stout beer was super rich with a great finish! Bought the Kedzie Red Ale and plan to come back for Apple Cider Growler to bring to Thanksgiving Dinner. The cider will help deal with seeing the family.

Into the second month of the CSB and glad I did it. You get to sample whatever you like and fill a fresh growler with whatever beer appeals to you each month. While I was there I also picked up a growler of the hard cider. They have a fun setup. I got the one per month option to try to out, I could see doing more than one growler eventually.
If you like beer and supporting local businesses then this is the place for you too. Highly recommended.