Arlington Heights brewery to tap its first keg at Harmony Fest
Arlington Heights’ first brewery will pour its first draft next week at Harmony Fest, then open its brewpub for indoor service in the coming weeks, officials said.
Spent Grain Brewing will serve suds from a tent outside its still-to-come bar/restaurant at 17 N. Vail Ave. during the downtown Arlington Heights street festival Oct. 2-3.
The so-called nano brewery — in the 2,500-square-foot space of the former Bangkok Cafe — is set to open for drinks, lunch and dinner service in late October or early November, according to Bob Holland, attorney for husband-and-wife owners Eric Lamkins and Heather Henkel.
The 21-and-over venue will have 16 taps of beer to choose from — each crafted on site in single-barrel, 30-gallon batches.
Holland was at village hall Tuesday night with Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jon Ridler to obtain Spent Grain’s Class A liquor license, which will allow the brewery to participate in Harmony Fest while final punch list items are taking place inside.
Plans for the brewery have been in the works for years, and interior renovations have been underway since the village board granted zoning changes permitting the business in the downtown a year ago.
The floor plan shows room for 61 seats throughout the pub: 30 at dining tables, 14 at the bar, 10 at couches and seven at lounge chairs.
ComEd extended more electricity to the building needed for the in-house brewing operation three weeks ago, Ridler said.
Lamkins — a home-brewer, beekeeper and marketing/graphic design chief — worked for six years at the nearby Tuscan Market & Wine Shop. Henkel is owner of the Kilwins confectionery stores in Arlington Heights and Park Ridge.
The owners were unable to attend the board meeting Tuesday since they were at a Kilwins conference in Florida.
As part of their liquor license application, the owners submitted an extensive menu: shareables like pretzels and bruschetta; soups and salads; and flatbreads and sandwiches. All homemade breads will be baked with the namesake spent grains, which are typically discarded after the brewing process.
Arlington Heights has long required food to be served alongside drinks at local establishments, though village trustees this summer agreed to loosen the restrictions and allow liquor license holders to end food service at 8 p.m. instead of 11 p.m.
Spent Grain is scheduled to be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
cplacek@dailyherald.com