On a cool Thursday afternoon in early spring I visited Carlyle Brewery in Rockford, IL. There is limited parking in front of the brewery as you would expect being that its location is in the downtown area. There is additional parking in the back as well as around the corner.
The area of Rockford this microbrewery occupies is an up and coming artistic area with a boho feeling to it. It is surrounded by nice, high end shops and boutiques. The building itself is rustic and charming. The exposed brick walls and stone floor paired with the distressed wood plank tables gives the experience of an old pub. The common area houses 3 booths in front of a large front window overlooking the hustle and bustle of one of Rockford’s main city streets. There are 7 tables and roughly 16 stools around the bar. Set back closer to the back door is a small 4 seat counter and there is a beer garden in the back. Make no mistake, this microbrewery is cozy in a very nice way. I could imagine weekend nights being very busy. Behind the bar sits the brewery itself. The mash tun, fermenters and copper boil kettle are all on display behind a glass wall.
Every so often a new patron would enter with their empty growler in tow. Stopping for a quick fill up they would then be on their way to enjoy their libations at home. Staff was very friendly and service was quick. They offer a nice, simple menu to pair with your ale. There is nothing pretentious about these offerings. Typical and tasty pub grub. You’ll choose from brats, pizza, soft pretzels and sandwiches. A nice compliment to the main player of this visit. The beer…..
Carlyle brewery is very serious about their beer. You will not find televisions illuminating the bar with sports. There are no jukeboxes or computerized trivia games. Your hosts will treat you to light background music in a few different genres. Jazz, blues and some solo John Lennon work played lightly in the background while I was there.
To choose your beer, look no further than the large brightly colored chalkboard that hangs over the bar. One glance and it is clear why the board is the best solution to display the abundant beer choices, as the choices rotate seasonally. There are menus on the tables as well but your eyes will quickly become drawn to the lively board and before you know it your party will be discussing and pointing to the board, choosing their flavors like children in an ice cream shop.
Our choices were abundant and they were as follows;
Helles German Lager
Vanilla Cream Ale
Halfwit-American Wheat with orange peel and coriander
Irish Red
Scottish Ale
Stout
Vienna German Lager
Humulous Lupulus IPA
Saison-Lightly colored Belgian Ale
Weizenbock
Hophoria Double
Globe Trotter-American strong ale aged with French oak and Mexican vanilla beans
Our thoughts on the beer were quite positive. The Helles was light golden with a thick, creamy head. There was a nice clarity to the lager with barely a hint of haze.
The Vienna was a pleasing amber color with an off white head. It is very well balanced and has no heaviness at all.
The reddish copper Humulous Lupulus with its loose off white head had superb lacing. This lightly carbonated IPA is easy drinking with a clean finish.
The in house root beer is delicious and it can be ordered without the ice cream.
If there are wine drinkers in your group they will also be pleased. There is a nice selection of red and white wines from which they may choose.
Pricing ranges from $4.00-$6.50 per pint and $5.25-$5.75 per glass of wine. As far I was concerned it was a good, honest price and I felt very comfortable paying it.
The bathrooms are clean, people are friendly and the goods and services you receive are of above quality at a great price. If I were looking for a place to take people from out of town to display the good things that Rockford, IL has to offer, this would be my first stop.
215 East State Street
Rockford, IL 61104
815.963.BREW (2739)
Monday 3:00 pm – 10:30 pm Tuesday – Wednesday 3:00 pm – 11:00 pm Thursday 3:00 pm – Midnight Friday 3:00 pm – 1:00 am Saturday Noon – 1:00 am Sunday CLOSED
