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when he worked for Coleman
in the 1940s.
Ultimately, they chose
the location at 19200 South
LaGrange Road because of
its proximity to Interstate
80 and the Holiday Inn that
is currently under construc-
6 | January 25, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger news
mokenamessenger.com
Craft beer scene in Mokena keeps growing
Recently-opened
shop pours, sells
many local brews
Amanda Stoll, Assistant Editor
The ever-expanding craft
beer scene has another dot
on the local map, but coowner
Denver Worker said
the supportive and collaborative
nature of craft
brewing supports the multitude
of bottle shops and
craft breweries along the
“I-80 beer corridor,” as he
calls it.
“Ultimately, all of us together
is kind of a great
place for people to come
looking for beer,” Worker
said. “A lot of the beer
drinkers come seeking it
out. They want to go to multiple
places, and we felt like
we could be a part of that.”
He and Dan Rusnak, who
have been friends since
growing up in Tinley Park
together, have talked for
years about opening a business
together. The ideas
were varied, but none ever
came to fruition — until
they dreamt up Crafted.
The two have both been
fans of craft beer for years,
but Worker said the decision
to start a business
around it took a lot of convincing
for themselves and
their wives. Only after attending
multiple craft beer
festivals throughout the
years and visiting numerous
shops in the area with
similar business models
were they finally able to
commit.
The shop, which sells
packaged beers and offers
as many as 12 beers on
tap, focuses on Midwestern
LTHS FOUNDATION
beers, but occasionally features
beers from around the
country, as well.
Worker and Rusnak, who
live in Lockport and Orland
park, respectively, both still
hold their full-time jobs.
Worker said it has been a
Prom Dress Resale
10am-1pm
Saturday & Sunday, January 27 & 28
NEW THIS YEAR::
Special occasion and mother-of-the-bride section!
Hundreds of top
designer prom
gowns and
homecoming
dresses available!
Located at:
Lockport Township High School
East Campus Cafeteria
1333 E. 7th St., Lockport
For more info call
(815) 588-8121
Crafted Bottle Shop
and Tap Room
19200 S. LaGrange
Road, Unit E, in Mokena
Hours:
Closed Mondays
11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-
Thursday
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday
and Saturday
Noon-6 p.m. Sunday
Online: crafted1979.com
Twitter: @crafted79
Facebook: Crafted 1979
Instagram: crafted1979
Owners Denver Worker and Dan Rusnak pose for a photo behind the bar at Crafted Bottle
Shop and Tap Room at 19200 S. LaGrange Road, Unit E, in Mokena..
huge commitment since the
build out, which they did
almost entirely themselves,
and shop opening nearly
two months ago.
“Basically everything
else was hand-built and designed
by us, and [we] put a
lot of effort into it,” Worker
said. “... We wanted to be a
little bit different than the
typical bottle shops that we
researched.”
One special touch that
might not be evident to
newcomers is the lighting
above the bar. The beam
used to support the lights
was once part of Rusnak’s
grandfather’s workbench
Please see crafted, 9
Crafted’s ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, Jan. 18, drew a small crowd to the shop to try
beers and celebrate Mokena’s latest contribution to the area craft brew scene.
Photos by Amanda Stoll/22nd Century Media