Pipeworks Brewing

Lore & Background

Pipeworks was conceived by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis, who met while working at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago and later studied larger-scale brewing at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. In 2011, they launched an online fundraising campaign on Kickstarter, raising over $30,000 to build a brewery in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood. Their plan was to avoid making the same beer twice, a concept related to gypsy brewing, though they built their own facility rather than borrowing equipment. The brewery opened in January 2012 and initially produced only one-off beers, releasing a new beer each week. This approach created a cult status among beer enthusiasts, with offerings selling out quickly. In June 2015, Pipeworks purchased a larger facility on the West Side at 3912 W. McLean Avenue, near Pulaski Road and Armitage Avenue, planning to move production to both bottling and canning. Their original facility was vacated and slated for demolition to make way for condominiums.

Reader's Guide

Pipeworks Brewing Company's significance lies in its unconventional start as a brewery that released only one-off beers, a model that built a dedicated following among beer connoisseurs. The brewery's stated goal of releasing a new beer every week, combined with its gypsy-brewing-inspired philosophy of never repeating a recipe, set it apart from typical microbreweries. This approach earned Pipeworks a cult status and the RateBeer 'Best New Brewery' award for 2012. After significant growth in output and brand identity, Pipeworks augmented its one-off beers with several core beers packaged in 16-ounce can four-packs, which became regularly available throughout the Chicago area. The brewery's expansion to a larger facility in 2015 marked a shift toward broader distribution while maintaining its original niche appeal. Pipeworks' legacy includes demonstrating how a small, experimental brewery can achieve recognition and scale without abandoning its roots in limited-edition, enthusiast-focused offerings.

Did You Know?

• Pipeworks raised over $30,000 through an online Kickstarter campaign in 2011.
• The brewery was awarded RateBeer's 'Best New Brewery' distinction for 2012.