Brew Camp Pours into Former City Provisions Location

One of the most beloved stops for home brewers is making more room for educating beer lovers—and in a coincidental location.

Brew Camp announced Thursday the addition of a new classroom at 1826 W. Wilson Ave., just two blocks away from their Damen Avenue store.

The building was formerly home to the office of City Provisions, Cleetus Friedman’s sustainable deli and grocery that closed in January.

Brew Camp owners Jared Saunders and Whit Nelson have a long friendship with Friedman, fueled by the love of beer.

Saunders said they were looking to expand in the area when Friedman, now the head chef at Fountainhead, welcomed him to look at the space in mid-March.

Four days later, Brew Camp signed a lease and three days after that, held their first class in the location.

“The more time progresses for us, the more I’m surprised that our original ideas are actually happening,” Saunders said. “We had no retail experience and opened a teeny tiny shop over in Northcenter and started growing as people wanted more and more.”

Growing is an understatement for the shop, which offers equipment and ingredients for brewers. After Christmas, classes were sold out for three months.

“We thought we really needed to get a bigger place, a separate one where we could focus on beer and another for shopping,” Sauders said.

The move frees up about 50 percent more space at the primary location on Damen Avenue. That means more room for all-grain equipment, hardware workshops and live brewing demos.

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Classes like Making Beer at Home, All-Grain Brewing and Brew in a Bag will now be held in the new space. Topping out at $30 a class, enthusiasts can learn anything from keg beer to making cider at home.

Small, neighborhood shops have been the strategy all along for Brew Camp, Saunders said. 

The business started in 2011 with a small home brew supply store at 2039 W. Belle Plaine Ave. in Northcenter.

A city permitting issue turned out to be a blessing in disguise and led Brew Camp to their current and much larger location at 4639 N. Damen Ave.

As interest grew, Saunders wanted to focus more on education. The owner has a 15-year background in teaching piano and wanted a fun connotation with the name, Brew Camp.

“It’s kind of cool to have a name that reinforces the fact that you can pick up this hobby and do it in the back yard or in the kitchen,” he said.

And the fun isn’t just for the over 21 crowd. Nelson and Saunders have started a Soda Camp—aimed at teaching kids how sugar plays into soda and how to make it healthier.

Those lessons can be seen this summer at community events and Chicago Public Library programs. Lincoln Square residents may remember seeing a short performance at Apple Fest in September.

With events and classes, Saunders said the summer will be a busy one for the brewers. And yes, he confirmed Brew Camp will look into expanding to other neighborhoods.

Read more: 

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• Teens to Start 13 New Businesses in Lincoln Square
• City Permit Issue Leads Brew Camp to Open New Ravenswood Location
• Apple Fest Brings Autumn to Lincoln Square: PHOTOS
• Sustainability Wasn’t Sustainable—City Provisions Closes in Ravenswood