Argus Brewery, a must see for Chicago beer lovers

This afternoon we went on a tour of the Argus Brewery which is located in the Pullman District of Chicago. Our tour today started outside where we were told about the history of the Schlitz Brewing Company buildings in the Pullman District. Pullman railroad car workers were living in a dry community until Schlitz decided to open its doors to provide beer to the area's 10,000 workers. Schlitz Brewing Company left Pullman years ago and the building is one of the only remnants of its existence. The building is now home to Argus Brewery, which was founded in 2009 by Robert and Patrick Jensen. After entering Argus, we were walked up to the sampling room. Our tour guide passed out glasses of freshly poured drafts while describing what we'd be drinking. He then went through a description of their beers such as their popular Ironhorse, Pegasus IPA and Holsteiner Lager. Argus worked with Walter Payton's son, Jarrett, to create the Jarrett Payton All-American Wheat Ale which we also sampled today. (caption id="attachment_3869" align="alignleft" width="300")

Argus Brewery in Pullman(/caption) Most of the tour is spent in the sampling room, which not only had a relaxed feel, but offered complimentary Argus pizza which everyone raved about. At this point of the tour, you can feel free to sample as many beers as you'd like. As our tour guide told use before entered the sampling room, we were going "to walk up the stairway to heaven, but we'd have to walk down the stairway to reality on the way out," which is what he cautioned anyone that was driving. Let's just say if you wanted, the beer flowed freely. There were also plenty of staff on hand to answer any questions you might have about the history of the building and neighborhood, the current Argus brewery and of course, the beer. (caption id="attachment_3868" align="alignright" width="300")

Visiting the old neighborhood with these former residents (my aunt and my mom)(/caption) After spending time in the sampling room, we were led to tour the rest of the brewery. One of the highlights was the still working elevator that used to carry horses and carriages in the Schlitz Brewing Company. We also learned more about the brewing and bottling processes that happen at Argus. Our tour guide had suggested that we check out other parts of the historic Pullman District upon leaving. After our tour, we headed out on our own to do just that. We drove around Pullman and neighboring Roseland, which is where my parents were born and raised. (If you've watched the new series Chicagoland, you've seen Fenger High School, my parents' alma mater.) Overall, I highly recommend a tour of the Argus Brewery. It really is a must for any beer drinker in the Chicago area. For more information on Argus Brewery and tours, visit their official website by clicking here. Cheers! To read more about The New Abides and our adventure to do one new thing, every day for an entire year, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. To subscribe to The New Abides, type your email address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.