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newlenoxpatriot.com Dining Out
the New Lenox Patriot | September 7, 2017 | 25
The Dish
Soundgrowler’s true-to-style craft beer served with a side of grit, attitude
F. Amanda Tugade
Contributing Editor
Tinley Crossing North,
along 183rd Avenue, is
home to several industrial
businesses.
But Arturo Lamas and
Chris Pennington had something
else in mind.
Their vision was to find
the right spot to grow
Soundgrowler Brewing Co.
into more than a place where
people can drink and dine,
and they sought to sink their
teeth into a community.
There is a certain stillness
that surrounds the North
complex, which is a stark
contrast to the constant rotation
of doom metal bands
that blares overhead in the
taproom and the loud humming
from the brewing
equipment in the back.
The buzz behind Soundgrowler
continues to grow,
especially since Lamas
and Pennington opened the
doors to the taproom nearly
five weeks ago, and for metalheads,
Mexican street food
devotees and craft beer enthusiasts,
the south suburban
brewery is a hidden gem.
“We do what we want to
do, and don’t really care
about what everyone else is
doing,” brewmaster Larry
Hough said. “We don’t try to
fit in or please everyone. You
either get it or you don’t, if
that makes sense.”
Hough, a self-proclaimed
“craft beer geek,” is a stickler
for perfecting Soundgrowler’s
staples, as his
main priority is to bring
Lamas’ and Pennington’s
promise of “our people, our
craft” into fruition.
And he looks to his playlist
as his muse.
“Customers can’t pick
what to play,” Hough said.
“A lot of the [beer] names
come from bands and songs
and stuff like that, whatever
Soundgrowler’s plate of nachos ($7.50) is comprised of house chips, steak, signature pico de gallo, lettuce, tomatoes,
salsa verde, grated Cotija cheese and sour cream. F. Amanda Tugade/22nd Century Media
inspires me at the moment.”
Case in point, his American
Pale Ale 3 Suns is a nod
to New Orleans-based band
Down and its song “Three
Suns and One Star.” Another
example is the Dirty Hesher,
inspired by metal musician
Matt Pike.
Pike, a member of Sleep
and frontman of High on
Fire, is known for his distinct,
heavy sound, followed
by his signature guitar pickup,
“The Dirty Hesher.”
Hough — who also was
eager to share his sense of
humor — cited a definition
of a “hesher,” which
is a “grungy, long-haired
person with a still-stuck-inthe-1980s
image.” The beer
itself, he added, is a hoppy
farmhouse ale, mostly Pilsner
malt-based with a touch
of American hops.
As for Soundgrowler’s
best seller, Hough and taproom
manager Drew Green
turn to Orange Haze — a
West Coast IPA not actually
made with any fruit.
Orange Haze is the end
result of an experiment of
trying a certain yeast strain,
Hough explained. He called
the success an “unexpected”
one, because he “just brewed
it,” and the citrus flavor
comes from the hops, water,
yeast and barley.
Soundgrowler’s craft
beers are sold in a variety of
sizes. Prices start at $5 for a
20-ounce imperial pint (or a
13-ounce nonic, depending
on the beer) and go as high
as $15-18 for a 64-ounce
growler fill.
In addition to the beer, Lamas
and his cousin, Jackie,
have created a menu that
pays tribute to their Mexican
culture.
“Basically, all the recipes
are all old family recipes —
all tradition, all authentic,
[all] street,” Hough said.
The hero of the menu are
the tacos ($2.25 each), and
customers have the choice of
steak, al pastor and chicken.
Tacos are served on corn tortillas,
and topped with cilantro
and onion.
Green said those who opt
for the veggie tacos (also
$2.25) can look forward to a
blend of potato with poblano
strips garnished with Cotija
cheese, lettuce, tomato and
sour cream.
Other standouts, he said,
are elotes ($3.50), a Mexican-style
corn on the cob
doused in mayo, butter,
grated cotija cheese and chili
powder; and nachos ($7.50),
which are made with house
chips, Soundgrowler signature
pico de gallo, lettuce,
salsa verde, grated Cotija
cheese and sour cream. Customers
also can choose to
top their nachos with steak,
chicken or al pastor.
Hough noted Soundgrowler
also has its own craft root
beer ($3).
“So, you can come here
and eat, but you don’t have
to drink,” he said.
He said looking to get their
hands on Soundgrowler outside
of the brewery should
keep an eye out for the team
at some festivals, including
Naperville Firkin Fest on
Saturday, Sept. 9; Villa Park
Brewfest Saturday, Sept. 23;
and Arts and Drafts in Orland
Park Saturday, Sept. 30.
Hough reflected on his
partnership with Lamas and
The Breakdown
Brewmaster Larry Hough
pairs his favorite beers
with his favorite bands
1) Beer: Dirty Hesher
(Hoppy Farmhouse Ale)
Suggested track: High on
Fire’s “Rumors of War”
2) Beer: Space
Ceremony (Double IPA)
Suggested track: Om’s
“Unitive Knowledge of
the Godhead”
3) Beer: Black Bob
(American Porter)
Suggested track: Electric
Wizard’s “Funeralopolis”
4) Beer: Snake Mittens
(American IPA)
Suggested track: High
on Fire’s “Snakes for the
Divine”
Soundgrowler
Brewing Co.
8201 183rd St. Suite P.
in Tinley Park
Hours
• 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Monday-Thursday
• 11 a.m.-Midnight
Friday and Saturday
• Noon-8 p.m. Sunday
For more information ...
Website: www.
soundgrowler.com
Pennington, which stemmed
from replying to an ad on a
site for craft brewers, and
navigating through the industry
for the last 10 years.
He said his interest in craft
brewing came from a kit his
wife gifted him on Father’s
Day and “it exploded from
there.”
He snagged an opportunity
to intern at 5 Rabbit Brewery
in Bedford Park and gained
more experience with 51st
Ward and Lagunitas.
“And here I am now,” he
said. “So, now it doesn’t
suck to go to work.”