Pollyanna Brewing opening first Chicago location in Sauganash, where another craft beer producer closed earlier this year

by BRIAN NADIG

The surburban-based Pollyanna Brewing Company has acquired the site of the former Alarmist Brewing in Sauganash and plans to produce some of Alarmist’s most popular craft beers.

“We’ve got some exciting local beer news to celebrate! We’re expanding again and this time, we’re opening our fifth location in Chicago at 4055 W. Peterson Ave. in the beautiful Sauganash neighborhood.

“If that address looks familiar, it’s because it has some meaningful Chicago beer history to it. At one time, it housed the Siebel Institute of Technology (the oldest brewing school in North America, which our co-founder and head brewer, Brian, happens to be an alumni of) and most recently, it was the home of Alarmist Brewing. We mention the latter because we’ve officially acquired Alarmist Brewing as part of our expansion into Chicago,” the company recently announced on its Facebook page.

The company added, “This new location (to us) will open as a Pollyanna location with all sorts of fun upgrades while we are fully committed to honoring the legacy that Gary and the Alarmist Brewing brand brought to Sauganash. We are already knocking down walls and working on enhancing the guest experience with a focus on creating a warm, community‑oriented environment, an improved hospitality flow, a private event space, an expanded outdoor beer garden and a new kitchen with a pizza‑driven, artisanal shareables menu designed to complement our award-winning beer, spirit, cocktail, and coffee program.

“Oh, yeah…we also plan to bring back the award-winning beers that made Alarmist famous … Le Jus, Pantsless and more. We’re doing a lot of work inside the building, so the grand opening is a ways off, but the Alarmist beers will be back sooner rather than later. We’re actively working to get Le Jus into tanks and back on shelves and draft lines as soon as possible with the other core beers to follow. We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to bring back some of these legendary Alarmist brews and yes, Gary, we’ll name a pizza after you or something.”

Pollyanna, founded about a dozen years ago, has locations in Saint Charles, Lemont and Roselle.

Alarmist, which closed last February, opened about 10 years ago, and at the time then-alderman Marge Laurino (39th) had to lift a moratorium on new liquor licenses along that stretch of Peterson.

Alderman Samantha Nugent (39th) issued the following statement:

“I’m excited to see Pollyanna build on Alarmist’s legacy at the Sauganash Tap Room while bringing its own unique vision to the space. Pollyanna’s decision to invest in our community by continuing to operate this neighborhood gathering place as a brewery and restaurant demonstrates a commitment to our local economy, supports nearby businesses, and helps ensure the trap room remains a place where neighbors can come together for years to come.”

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