Schlafly’s first Illinois brewpub opening Dec. 22

The long-awaited opening of the Schlafly Highland Square brewpub in Highland, Illinois is set. The new pub will open on Wednesday, December 22 with plans for a grand opening celebration on the brewery’s 30th Anniversary Sunday, December 26.

Schlafly Highland Square brewpub

Schlafly Beer’s founders Tom Schlafly and Dan Kopman, along with Founding Brewer Stephen Hale, will be in attendance for a ceremonial ribbon cutting at Schlafly Highland Square from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday, December 26. See more information about the 30th anniversary below.

First In Illinois

This will be Schlafly’s first brewpub in Illinois, and the fourth brewpub in the Greater St. Louis area along with Schlafly Tap Room (2100 Locust St, St. Louis, MO 63103), Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave, St. Louis, MO 63143) and Schlafly Bankside (920 S Main St, St Charles, MO 63301).

Schlafly Highland Square is an 80-seat restaurant with a three-season patio that seats an additional 80 guests. The 71-year-old building most recently served as the Highland Chamber of Commerce and has been renovated and expanded to 3,420 square feet, including a new kitchen. The space preserves many of the building’s historic design features such as the massive safe behind the bar and incorporates a small experimental pilot brewery upstairs.

“For the better part of a year, we have been planning and revitalizing this building to open our first brewpub in Illinois. The City of Highland has been an exceptional partner, and we’re looking forward to bringing the Schlafly experience to residents and guests,” says CEO Fran Caradonna. “It’s serendipitous that the opening of Schlafly Highland Square  takes place so close to our company’s 30th Anniversary.”

Schlafly Highland Square will offer a food menu representative of Schlafly’s signature pub fare. Additionally, the new brewpub location will have 14 signature Schlafly beer styles available on draft, including fan-favorites such as Schlafly IPA, Pale Ale, Kölsch and more. Guests can also enjoy the Highland Lager, a specialty beer brewed exclusively for the Illinois location. There will also be an onsite retail experience for Schlafly gear, growlers, brewpub-only special releases, packaged beer and more.

The food menu includes popular favorites from Schlafly including snacks such as Fried Marcoot Cheese Curds, Beer Bread and Crispy Frog Legs; soups and salads; and sandwiches, flatbreads, burgers and entrées ranging from the Braunschweiger Club and the Schlafly Smash Burger to Fish & Fries and Shepherd’s Pie.