Chicago History and Hoppy Beers Inspire Local Brewery Hop Butcher for the World

by Meredith Francis / WTTW / January 6, 2023

Local brewing operation Hop Butcher for the World recently opened a new brewery, taproom, and store in Lincoln Square in the hopes of bringing more hops to Chicago.

Although their spot on Lincoln Avenue in a space formerly occupied by Half Acre Beer Company is new to them, Hop Butcher for the World has been around since 2014 and sold their first beer in 2015. Co-owners Jeremiah Zimmer and Jude La Rose met while they worked for the Chicago Rush arena football team.

“We weren’t best friends. We weren’t enemies. It wasn’t like we knew each other and then opened a brewery,” Zimmer says.

They started getting into craft beer in 2009, and beer became the foundation for their friendship. It was a gradual start, with Zimmer and La Rose talking through Twitter. The friendship grew: “Let's go out for beers sometime,” led to, “This beer is really good. Have you ever had something like this?” That then became, “Should we homebrew in the backyard?” Read more HERE