FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What’s a microbrewery?
According to U. S. law, a microbrewery is defined as any commercial brewery that produces less than 15,000 barrels of beer each year. On our system, we can brew 7 barrels per batch, or between 1,000 and 1,500 barrels per year.
Where are you located?
1333 S. Schoolhouse Road, Unit 154, New Lenox, IL, in the former Panduit building, at the other end of the building from Gost Coffee.
Do you use locally grown ingredients in your beers?
According to the 2008 U. S. Farm Bill, locally or regionally grown agricultural food products are defined as any products that are transported less than 400 miles from their origin, or the State in which they are produced. Hickory Creek Brewing tries to use ingredients that meet this definition whenever possible. We grow some of our own hops on our private property, a former farmstead on the west bank of Hickory Creek in New Lenox Township. We also have black walnut, wild pear, crab apple, and mulberry trees on our property. We use these fruits and nuts in certain beer recipes to add interesting flavors.
Do you serve food?
Yes! Hickory Creek Brewing now serves low-cost 12-inch frozen pizzas from Eastside Cafe, available any time we are open. Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and veggie pizzas are all $12; the supreme pizza is $13.
We will also continue to host Auntie Anne's Pretzel Truck and Drew's Dogs hot dog truck, along with other food trucks, whenever we can. Keep checking our Facebook page or our Events calendar for details on dates and times.
Fast Eddie's Tacos and More food truck is also open in the parking lot from 11 AM to 7 PM on most days. Check out their Web page for details.
You can also order delicious homemade pizza (Thursday through Saturday until supplies run out) from Pizza Di Farfalla, located inside Gost Coffee at the other end of the building. Just scan the QR code on the menus we have available at the bar, and your pizza will be delivered right to your table! You can also pre-order your pizza the day before here.
As always, you’re also entirely welcome to bring your own food in with you or have it delivered while you’re here. We provide menus from nearby restaurants that deliver. There are also several phone apps you can use to find and have food delivered.
If you just want a snack, we also sell cheese-infused artisan breadsticks from Colleen's Better Than Breadsticks and flavored pretzels from a local company called Pretzel Crack.
Do you serve other liquor besides beer?
We now also serve Coors Light domestic beer; red and white wine (Pino Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon); pre-mixed cocktails (margaritas, mohitos, pina coladas, and Old Fashioneds); Bloody Marys; and mimosas.
Do you have entertainment?
Yes! We have free live music on most Friday and Saturday evenings. To see who's playing, check our Events calendar or our Facebook page.
We also host an Open Mic Night every Tuesday evening, which is a great venue to listen to local talent.
Can I bring my kids? How about my dog?
Unfortunately, dogs are no longer allowed at our new location (except for service dogs, of course).
However, we're still family-friendly. Kids must sit at one of the tables and not at the bar, but feel free to bring them! We have board games to help keep the kids occupied, as well as water and soft drinks such as Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and root beer for them to drink.
How did you come up with the names of your beers?
We have several themes that we’re trying out for naming our beers:
· Celebrating all things Will County, Illinois – the home of Hickory Creek Brewing
· Playing off the critters that live in and along Hickory Creek
· And a few others we’ll share with you later
Can you fill growlers?
Yes! Bring your own clean growler or buy one of ours. You can purchase Hickory Creek Brewing Co. growlers at our location for a price of $5 for a 32-oz. growler or $8 for a 64-oz. We can fill your growlers for a separate price of $12 for 32 ounces or $24 for 64 ounces. If you want to bring your own growlers, we can sanitize them but will not be set up to clean them. So please bring clean growlers only.
Can I purchase Hickory Creek Brewing gift cards?