Two Brothers Brewing Company is an independently owned Illinois-based

microbrewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

founded by brothers Jim and Jason Ebel in 1996. The brothers brought their knowledge of different brewing styles to the

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

craft brew market after living in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

and experiencing the variety of beers available there. Jim and Jason started the business using bulk milk tanks converted into fermenters that were donated to them by their grandfather who was a retired dairy farmer. Two Brothers Brewing has now been in business for over 20 years and has opened multiple locations throughout the

Chicago metropolitan area The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and hi ...

, as well as one in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

History

Two Brothers Tap House

The Ebel brothers started in business with their home brewing supply mail order business and retail store in

Naperville Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city. Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was established by the banks of the DuPage river ...

, Illinois. Two Brothers Brewing opened first in Warrenville,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

in the year 1996 when Jim and Jason Ebel returned to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

after living in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. When they arrived back home they had difficulty finding the style of beers that were common in

. This encouraged the Ebel brothers to enter the brewing industry in order to bring the European-style brews to the

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

market. Using their prior experience working in a

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...

located in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, they went into production using bulk milk tanks that were donated to them from their grandfather. Two Brothers Tap House remains in Warrenville,

where they offer tours of their newly equipped

to the public every weekend.

Two Brothers Roundhouse

After establishing themselves in the industry Jim and Jason Ebel set their eyes on expansion. In May 2011 they announced that they had purchased America's Historic Roundhouse in

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

after the former owner filed for bankruptcy. Their intentions were to keep the Roundhouse a restaurant and venue but also planned to include

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage ...

s and banquet events. The Roundhouse was built in 1865 for the

Chicago and Aurora Railroad The Chicago and Aurora Railroad was an early predecessor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad that built a line from West Chicago to Mendota via Aurora, Illinois. History The Illinois General Assembly chartered the Aurora Branch Railr ...

. After being abandoned in 1974 it was then purchased by a group of investors led by

Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played ...

in 1995 and converted into a restaurant and

brewpub Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis ...

. The Roundhouse officially reopened in June 2011 as the

Two Brothers Roundhouse The Two Brothers Roundhouse, formerly the Walter Payton Roundhouse, America's Historical Roundhouse, and Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Roundhouse and Locomotive Shop is a historic building converted to a restaurant in Aurora, Illinois. It was origi ...

Two Brothers Tap House and Brewery

Two Brothers Brewing owners Jim and Jason Ebel then decided to open their first location outside of the state of

in Scottsdale,

. Two Brothers Tap House and Brewery opened its doors to the

market in January 2015. Initially serving as a restaurant for its first 6 months, the

location served its first

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...

brewed within its Scottsdale

in October 2015.

The Craftsman By Two Brothers

In September 2016 Two Brothers opened The Craftsman in

. This multi-level dining establishment integrates a market

cafe A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

, modern

tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that h ...

, and

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely acr ...

experience into one location. The Craftsmen includes a

bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers wh ...

, a

, a juice bar, a deli, a market, a

butcher A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishm ...

, a restaurant, and a

bar. However, being the first restaurant the Ebel brothers opened that did not include a

, the

s served at this location are brewed elsewhere.

Two Brothers Social Tap

Jim and Jason Ebel set their eyes on opening the Two Brothers Social Tap in Oak Park,

sometime in June, 2017. The new location is set to open as a

and offer

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

, and spirits along with

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ...

. The establishment will come as Two Brothers Brewing's fifth location to open and the company's second location without a

Beers

Two Brothers Brewing produces over twenty beers with a wide variety of styles. Their

s are brewed year-round, seasonal, or part of their Special Projects Division.

Sustainability efforts

Two Brothers Brewing owners Jim and Jason Ebel are passionate about their efforts to promote energy-efficiency in their facilities as they “craft with a conscience.” Their practices include using green, renewable energy at all of their locations, as well as using recycled and recyclable materials in their packaging. Extra money was spent purchasing the latest energy-efficient equipment including an ultra-high efficient boiler which allows for the conservation of water during the

brewing Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer, ...

process. To provide their customers with the most fresh produce, Two Brothers facilities grow their own ingredients in their organic rooftop gardens, as well as purchase their products locally from within 200 miles of the restaurant's locations which reduces their carbon footprint by minimizing transportation distance. In a display of their commitment to give back to local communities the brewery supplies local farmers with spent grain to aid them in feeding their cattle. The Two Brothers Tap House and The Two Brothers Roundhouse were the first restaurants in

DuPage County DuPage County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, and one of the collar counties of the Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 932,877, making it Illinois' second-most populous county. Its county seat is ...

and Kane County respectively, to join the Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition. The mission of Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition is to "empower members of the food service industry and dedicated diners alike to reduce our collective footprint, bolstering the health of our planet and its people." Two Brothers has also joined the

Natural Resources Defense Council The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a United States-based 501(c)(3) non-profit international environmental advocacy group, with its headquarters in New York City and offices in Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, ...

to support the use of clean water in brewing practices.

Awards and acknowledgments

Two Brothers Brewing has received a variety of awards from organizations such as the

Great American Beer Festival The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is an annual beer festival hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado. Typically held in late September or early October, the event is currently held at Denver's Colorado Convention Cent ...

and the

World Beer Cup The World Beer Cup is an international beer competition organized by the Brewers Association, a trade group representing America's small and independent craft brewers. It is the largest competition in the beer industry and has been described as ...

. They have also been acknowledged by various news sources for having outstanding products. Below is a list of awards and acknowledgements that Two Brothers Brewing has received.

Distribution

Two Brothers Brewing company currently distributes to a total of 13 states within the

. The states in which Two Brothers Brewing products are currently available include

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, and

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

. Below is a list of the states and

distributor A distributor is an enclosed rotating switch used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines that have mechanically timed ignition. The distributor's main function is to route high voltage current from the ignition coil to the spark p ...

s that provide their respective state's market with Two Brothers products. Two Brothers Distribution

* Arizona- Arizona Beer & Cider Company * Iowa- Johnson Brothers of Iowa * Missouri- Major Brands * Wisconsin- River City Distributing * Indiana- Cavalier Distributing * Ohio- Cavalier Distributing * New York- Union Beer Distributors * Connecticut- Sarene Craft Beer Distributors * Maryland- Backup Beverage * Florida- Cavalier Distributors * Illinois- Windy City Distribution * New Jersey- Sarene Craft Beer Distributors

Festivals

On 26 March 2007, Two Brothers Brewing celebrated its 10th anniversary at Charlie's Ale House in

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated ...

with the tapping of "Project Opus 10", a

lambic Lambic () is a type of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels and in Brussels itself since the 13th century. Types of lambic beers include gueuze, kriek lambic and framboise. Lambic differs from most other be ...

-style sour ale. On 6 June 2009, Two Brothers Brewing celebrated the 2009 release of its Hop Juice Double IPA with a

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

held at the

, called "For the Love of Hops". The

featured special

s from craft

breweries A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of beer ...

across the US, including Surly Brewing Company,

Dogfish Head Brewery Dogfish Head Brewery is a brewing company based in Milton, Delaware founded by Sam and Mariah Calagione and, as of 2019, owned by the Boston Beer Company. It opened in 1995 and produces 262,000 barrels of beer annually. Select brews (includi ...

Stone Brewing Company Stone Brewing (formerly Stone Brewing Co.) is a brewery headquartered in Escondido, California, USA. Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, it is the largest brewery in Southern California. Based on 2020 sales volume it is the ninth larges ...

, Allagash Brewing Company, and

Ska Brewing Ska Brewing Company is a brewery founded in 1995 by Bill Graham and Dave Thibodeau in Durango, Colorado, United States. Since 2008, the brewery has been located in its current Bodo Industrial Park location. Its beer names and branding revolve arou ...

. On 12 June 2010, Two Brothers Brewing celebrated their 2nd annual release of its Hop Juice Double IPA with a

at the

in Warrenvile,

titled "For The Love Of Hops." The

hosted by Two Brothers Brewing included 4 bands and a variety of guest

s from different parts of the country. On 1 June 2011, Two Brothers Brewing hosted their annual Hop Juice Festival to celebrate the release of the popular artisan

s Hop Juice Double IPA and Hop Juice Black. The

took place at their newly opened

. On 1 June 2012, Two Brothers Brewing hosted the Hop Juice Festival at the

location in

. This festival included the 4th Annual Hop Jucie Festival Home Brew competition in which home brewers enter to compete against one another. On 2 June 2013, Two Brothers Brewing hosted the Two Brothers Summer Festival at the

location in

. This event supported Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Mutual Ground charities. On 20 June 2014, Two Brothers Brewing hosted its sixth annual Two Brothers Summer Festival at the

location in

. This event supported Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Communities in Schools of Aurora. On 26 June 2015, Two Brothers Brewing hosted the Two Brothers Summer Festival at the

location in

. At the event the company released its Hop Centric Double IPA. On 3 June 2015, Two Brothers Brewing hosted the Two Brothers Summer Festival at River Edge Park in

. The event was hosted with the goal of giving back to the community. On 2 June 2017, Two Brothers Brewing will host the Two Brothers Summer Festival at River Edge Park in Aurora in

. The event will be hosted with raising money for charity being its ultimate goal.

History

Two Brothers Tap House

Two Brothers Roundhouse

Two Brothers Tap House and Brewery

The Craftsman By Two Brothers

Two Brothers Social Tap

Beers

Sustainability efforts

Awards and acknowledgments

Distribution

Festivals

See also