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MidwestMicroBrews, 118 S. Washington Street #402B, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54301 |
June 15, 2010
Chicago Couple Pays Tribute to City's Beer Bars
Two craft beer enthusiasts from Chicago, Phil Thompson and Katie Lauffenburger, recently unveiled a detailed illustrated map of the
city's well-known beer bars. Initially debuting their print at Beerhoptacular on June 4-5 in the Aragon Ballroom, “Chicago's Beer Bars: An
Illustrated Map” has received attention from Chicago beer lovers, brewers, and many others with a fondness for the city's bars serving up
extensive and/or well-selected craft beer.
The idea for the map originates in June 2009, when Thompson was sitting with a friend in one of the beer bars and studying the maps on
the wall. Long interested in pictorial and antique maps, he started to wonder about how he could make his own map that would celebrate
the city and its incredible beer bars.
He and Katie, his girlfriend, started work on the map as a diversion from their full-time jobs. While Thompson works as a business
consultant, with a lifelong interest in illustration, Lauffenburger works as a motion designer for a production studio. The first question
was how to select the beer bars: Who would qualify? Said Thompson, “That was difficult—there are a lot to choose from. It came down to
reputation, our personal experiences and those of other beer fans, and a few other things. Architectural charm played a role, too.”
He started capturing the bars, first taking many photos, then sketching, and then finishing with pen and ink. Lauffenburger was able to
draw on her extensive graphic design experience and bring all of it together and infuse it with color and life. The experience brought a
number of surprises to both. “We tried to get as much detail as we could and I definitely started to take a much different view of the
buildings around town—the details, the ornamentation, and the care that goes into a lot of the old ones.”
Thompson also made sure that the beer bars themselves were on board with the idea, taking a later draft of the map to the owners and
getting their response—fortunately for him, most said that they were honored to have been included.
Next for the couple is continuing to reach out to Chicago's beer-loving community. They are getting interest from beyond the city as well,
as residents of other cities have wanted a map to celebrate their own beer bars. Look for them at their next event: Sheffield's Beer Garden
and BBQ Restaurant on Saturday, June 26 from 5-7PM, at the release of Liz Garibay's “Tales Taverns & Towns” i-phone app.
Check out the map online: www.chicagobeermap.com
Source: Chicago Beer Map Press Release
Chicago Couple Pays Tribute to City's Beer Bars
Two craft beer enthusiasts from Chicago, Phil Thompson and Katie Lauffenburger, recently unveiled a detailed illustrated map of the
city's well-known beer bars. Initially debuting their print at Beerhoptacular on June 4-5 in the Aragon Ballroom, “Chicago's Beer Bars: An
Illustrated Map” has received attention from Chicago beer lovers, brewers, and many others with a fondness for the city's bars serving up
extensive and/or well-selected craft beer.
The idea for the map originates in June 2009, when Thompson was sitting with a friend in one of the beer bars and studying the maps on
the wall. Long interested in pictorial and antique maps, he started to wonder about how he could make his own map that would celebrate
the city and its incredible beer bars.
He and Katie, his girlfriend, started work on the map as a diversion from their full-time jobs. While Thompson works as a business
consultant, with a lifelong interest in illustration, Lauffenburger works as a motion designer for a production studio. The first question
was how to select the beer bars: Who would qualify? Said Thompson, “That was difficult—there are a lot to choose from. It came down to
reputation, our personal experiences and those of other beer fans, and a few other things. Architectural charm played a role, too.”
He started capturing the bars, first taking many photos, then sketching, and then finishing with pen and ink. Lauffenburger was able to
draw on her extensive graphic design experience and bring all of it together and infuse it with color and life. The experience brought a
number of surprises to both. “We tried to get as much detail as we could and I definitely started to take a much different view of the
buildings around town—the details, the ornamentation, and the care that goes into a lot of the old ones.”
Thompson also made sure that the beer bars themselves were on board with the idea, taking a later draft of the map to the owners and
getting their response—fortunately for him, most said that they were honored to have been included.
Next for the couple is continuing to reach out to Chicago's beer-loving community. They are getting interest from beyond the city as well,
as residents of other cities have wanted a map to celebrate their own beer bars. Look for them at their next event: Sheffield's Beer Garden
and BBQ Restaurant on Saturday, June 26 from 5-7PM, at the release of Liz Garibay's “Tales Taverns & Towns” i-phone app.
Check out the map online: www.chicagobeermap.com
Source: Chicago Beer Map Press Release