Metal Monkey Brewing

Metal Monkey Brewing is having an Estate sale! Saturday, October 21st, 12:00pm – 5:00pm Décor, games, monkeys, artwork, furniture, glassware and our remaining beer will all be available. Chalkboard signs (old & new!), tapestries, t-shirt frames, the list goes on! Come on out, have a beer while you shop, and take a little piece of the Monkey home with you! (If there is something that you must have, please send an e-mail (with a picture/description and your offer) to [email protected]. We will respond back in the order requests are received/ if your offer is first and/or accepted. Payment must be received, and items picked up, before 1pm Sat Oct 21st.)

This will be Metal Monkey Brewing taproom’s last weekend open. It's really hard type that without crying... actually impossible. When we opened our doors in 2016, we were bright-eyed, optimistic, motivated, and passionate. For over a decade prior, we had been home brewers. Driven not only to make the best beer possible but to have fun with the process and try new & unique things. When we decided we wanted to take our passion from our basement to our community, we knew without a doubt that we wanted to create a space for everyone. Drinkers and non-drinkers, metal heads and not…. hell, not only primates but also canines, and a few kittens. We took inspiration from other places we loved, but also wanted to bring a unique flare to our little corner of the craft beer scene. The goal was to build a place that felt like you were hanging out in your best friend’s basement. Cool but warm, comfy, great music, even better beer selection... Hell, you've been welcome to bring the whole family if you like. We wanted to act as a spotlight for all of the amazing artists and people in our world, a gathering place, a safe space. It's hard to say for certain, but we hope we accomplished that goal. There’s no way to know how many lives we've touched, but over the last few months we’ve heard so many amazing stories. Countless connections made, first dates, marriage proposals, weddings, graduations, retirements, baby showers... the list goes on, and every one of those stories have been so fun to share. We've also had the opportunity to work with so many amazing people over the years; Staff members who loved the place like it was theirs, regulars, musicians near and far who wanted to collaborate on a beer or come play on our stage! We’ve worked with trivia hosts, food truck operators, record labels, artists, radio hosts, sound engineers, journalists, fundraisers and so so many more. What an amazing journey it’s been. It's been an honor to be a part of Metal Monkey, and the inclusion and connection it facilitated with all of you amazing folks. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your lives. 🤘❤️✌️

Happy Friday Primates! 🦧🦍🐒 Well we've known the time has been coming for a while, but NEXT weekend will be our last weekend open. We are down to the last keg of nearly everything on tap… Thank you thank you thank you for your support over the last couple months, it would have broken our hearts to commit the most heinous of party fouls, dumping all of that amazing beer! (If you’d like a 1/2bbl or 1/6bbl of Bikini Bottom, Furious George, or Asmodeus for your kegerator e-mail [email protected]) This weekend we’ll be running a special on packaged beer ✨ 20% off full cases, while they last! ✨ We still have Tony’s Car (DIPA), Furious George (Pale Ale), Bikini Bottom (Pineapple Gose), Barrel Aged Asmodeous (RIS), Vulgar Display of Porter, Rick (Pickle Gose), El Jefe (Hefeweizen), Jorge Furiouso (Habanero Pale Ale) and Romeopils (Pilsner) so there's plenty to choose from. We're also happy to announce our last special tapping: 🔥 BBA Ghost Pepper Maple Syrup Asmodeus! 🍁 More specifically “Wood's Maple Orchard” “Ghost Pepper Infused Maple Syrup” It's a mouthful, both figuratively and literally, but it's aged beautifully. A bit less sweet than it was originally, but the maple is still there, as is that zip of spice, and it’s awesome with the barrel notes. There’s only a sixtel, so crowlers aren’t available, but come and get it while it’s HOT! 🔥 Well cold…. But you know what we mean. 🧊🍻 Quick update on the future front. We’re still talking to a couple prospective buyers, but if we don’t sell Metal Monkey Brewing as a whole, we plan to have an estate sale in October. T-Shirt Frames, monkeys, wall art, games, beer signs, etc. So stay tuned for more info there. We spent the better part of this week cleaning the back of the house. In and around everything, power washers, foam, squeegees, stainless steel polish, etc. 💪🐵 It looks gorgeous, and we’re exhausted, so feel free to ooo and ahh over the pretty shiny’s, and cross your fingers we’re able to sell it all! 😅 Hours this weekend and next will be: Friday 12:00PM - 9:00PM Saturday 12:00PM - 9:00PM Sunday 12:00PM - 5:00PM So grab a friend, or twenty, and come hang one last time! Cheers!

Good morning and Happy Friday! Quick update for those who’re curious, we have been in talks with our landlords, and we have till mid-October in our current state… There’s still plenty of beer, so we’re gonna keep selling it… We’d much rather it was in your hands than down the drain! Taproom hours this weekend are: Friday 12-10PM - Saturday 12-10PM - Sunday 12-5PM The beer is flowing, the taproom is jamming and yep, we’re still looking for / talking to potential buyers and investors ❤️🤞🤘 On Tap we have three light options, four hoppy options, five sours and six big boys (Monkey Fuel, Silverback, and the Asmodeusses (that's the proper plural right?)) so there’s still plenty to please every palate. Tony’s Car, our killer DIPA is running low. We’re on the last keg and there are only a few cases left, so come and get it while you can! Barrel Aged S'Mores Asmodeus is tasting incredible, available on draft and in Crowlers to go. 🔥 Furious George, our easy going Amarillo-hopped Pale Ale still has his fiery cousin Jorge Furiouso (Habanero pale ale) around, and their extra fiery reaper grandpa is still kickin, Hellfire Jorge is still our favorite bad idea. Pre-packaged TO-GO Beer: Tony’s Car (DIPA), Furious George (Pale Ale), Bikini Bottom (Pineapple Gose), Barrel Aged Asmodeous (RIS), Vulgar Display of Porter, Rick (Pickle Gose), El Jefe (Hefeweizen), Jorge Furiouso (Habanero Pale Ale) and Romeopils (Pilsner) Stop on by, we'd love to see you! 🤘🤘 Cheers!

Good morning and Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a great Labor Day and enjoyed a shorter week. Our Taproom hours this weekend are: Friday 12-10PM Saturday 12-10PM Sunday 12-5PM The end of the summer is upon us and another friend shared a blend of dried super hot peppers from their garden... so we decided to dose a new keg of Hellfire Jorge! The last keg kicked on Sunday while filling a crowler. I'm really curious how this one will compare, the peppers themselves were very HOT, but with a really nice floral aroma. BBA Silverback kicked on Sunday as well. So we pulled one last gem out of our cellar; a keg of 2021 Bourbon Barrel Aged S'Mores Asmodeus! It's tasting incredible, the marshmallow flavor really pops and the graham cracker pairs perfectly with the oakiness from the barrel. We've got it on draft and in Crowlers to go. We're getting really low on merch (a giant thank you to everyone who’s supported us this way). There’s plenty of pint glasses, some tulips left; but only a few more tin tackers, and hitter boxes. As far as shirts we're down to mostly S and M with a few 3x and 4x of various styles left. We're going to get everything out on display today so it's easier to find. TO-GO beer is another story altogether, we have plenty of canned beer! Hoppy, sours, lagers, dark, barrel aged, even pickled! Stop by this weekend and grab something, we'd love to see you all! 🤘🔥❤

Happy Labor Day weekend from the monkey house! You guys are awesome, and to help celebrate we have a couple surprises in store for you – We got our canning line back up and running, maybe smoother than ever, and now we have some Rick, our famous Pickle Gose canned up and ready to add some pickle power to your late summer day, or he even makes the bestest little sidecar! 🚗. Oh yeah and Rick Micheladas are pretty dope too. (not being served just some advice for use with the cans) We’re also working on getting some Barrel Aged Asmodeus AND Vulgar Display of Porter in cans for you! Big thank you to our buddies at Will County for walking us through their process for running the canning line off of kegs! 🤘 As far as when our last day will be? Well, there's just the two of us now, Dan & Brandi. Our best guess had been last weekend. 😅 But we got the canning line running smooth and we're working on a few things that might.. help us? We’re not sure how anything is going to play out just yet, but we’re going to keep trying, see what we can see, do what we can do… The limbo is rough, but this is a huge part of our lives, we aren’t going to call it until we know we’ve exhausted every option. Keep your fingers crossed for us! 🤞🙏🤘 Taproom hours this weekend: We will be open Friday & Saturday 12 – 10p, and Sunday 12 – 5p. 🍻 Come on out, grab a beer and enjoy. Show us and Amarillo some love and idk, help us save or sell the Monkey? And as always, much love for all of your love and support, we quite literally couldn’t have done any of this without all of you.

We had an awesome last show and turnout on Sunday, endless thanks and love to all those who made it happen, and who came out for it! We’ve taken inventory and this week the taproom will be CLOSED Wednesday 8/23 and Thursday 8/24. Metal Monkey will be OPEN Friday 12:00p – 10:00p Saturday 12:00p – 10:00p Sunday 12:00p – 5:00p Stay tuned for more details on what beers are left, discounts, keg availability, etc. More news to follow. Cheers! 🤘🤘

Believe it or not, it's already been a month since Metal Monkey Brewing announced we would be ceasing production, and closing after depleting inventory. It's been hard, but it's been wonderful to see everyone come in and say their hellos, and goodbyes. Hear them share their stories about the times they've had here, our beer, events we've hosted, or simply enjoying the monkey house vibe while they can. It's been humbling and heartwarming on top of just being great to see everyone! As far as the business goes, we've talked to a handful of people about purchasing MMB. We are still taking all serious inquiries, and anyone interested can contact us at [email protected] to schedule a call or appointment. Now on to this week's business in the taproom! Thursday 8/17, we are offering $10 off any full case purchases, so stock up while you can! We're going to be canning up the last of Tony's Car, Furious George, and Jorge Furioso, and we still have cases of Bikini Bottom, El Jefe, Romeopils and Oktoberfest! Feel free to mix and match to build your dream case! Friday 8/18, we're taking your musical requests! Yes, we're still Metal Monkey, but we're open to suggestions! We're not at the point where we're breaking rules..... or are we??? ;) Saturday 8/19, This Saturday, 8/19 is 20% off all Crowlers! Any beer we don't already have in cans we'll take 20% off of 32-ounce Crowlers (does not include Barrel Aged beers). TO-GO only, not for onsite consumption. Sunday 8/20, Doors open at 12:00PM, and the show starts at 3. No cover, but donations are encouraged! These musicians are generously putting together an awesome show for us, let's show them some love! The lineup includes: The Rising Fall (Original Metal), Highspeedirt (Megadeth Tribute), Among the Living (Anthrax Tribute), & Maiden Chicago (Iron Maiden Tribute) Stay tuned next week for details on final days and taproom hours. We're getting close, and we'll have a better feel for inventory after the weekend. (If you want something.... get in this week, it won't last long!) Cheers primates, much love, and as always, Don't Forget To Be Awesome!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. It was awesome to see so many of you again at the taproom! Wednesday night we're hosting a Joliet Brewers Guild meeting, so if you're a home or aspiring brewer, or just want to nerd out on beer for a few hours with some like minded folks, stop by around 7p. This week we still have normal taproom hours and there's still plenty of beer to be had! Come on out, bring a few friends, and lift a pint to great memories and future possibilities! We hinted at it the other week, but here're the details you've been waiting for. We've known some of the guys and gals from Highspeedirt, The Rising Fall, Among The Living and Maiden Chicago for over 20 years at this point. They offered to put on one last show for us and we, of course, have very gratefully accepted! I can't think of a better final show of this chapter, than with some original music from some great old friends, followed by a night of classic metal tunes. Music starts at 3PM! Thanks again for all of the love and stay tuned for more Metal Monkey updates as they come. Cheers!

In March of 2013, at Chicago Street Pub in Joliet Illinois, the first meeting of the Joliet Brewers Guild happened. A small group of home brewers looking to hone their craft, have fun and make some really kick ass beer with a friendly and open group. After a few months of seriously considering opening a brewery, Dan Camp and Brett Smith attended the second meeting of the club. Having started brewing about 10 years prior, Dan had a number of recipes that he wanted to sample with unbiased opinions to see if we had what it took to go pro. It was at that meeting we met Jason Janes and over the next few years they worked on building a portfolio of beers we were passionate about and wanted to be what we presented to the public once we finally opened a spot. It seems a bit serendipitous that the last two beers we brewed here at Metal Monkey were two of the first as well and original home brew recipes. Furious George was one of Jason's recipes and has been a staple on our menu from the beginning. It's undergone a number of names over the years, from Amarillo Pale Ale to Monkey Knife Fight, and finally Furious George. We love this beer so much that we named our brewery cat after the main hop we use in it, and it's become a staple at the taproom and all over our area of distribution. Tony's Car was Dan's pet project for a big bold Double IPA. Hopped with Citra, Simcoe and Galaxy for a dank but citrusy brew with some tropical notes while being good and bitter like a classic DIPA should be. Along with Furious George, It was one of the original 6 beers we had on tap when we opened. Today we're tapping fresh batches of both Furious George and Tony's Car, it'll be available in both cans to-go and on draft. We'll also be tapping a fresh new batch of Jorge Furioso, Furious George's spicy cousin, chock full of Habanero peppers. Please feel free to stop by and raise a pint to two of our favorite beers, and to share some memories over a pint. Cheers!

Metal Monkey Brewing opened its doors on January 30th, 2016, the dream of home brewers and friends. Our taproom grew and expanded as well, adding a stage and event space. We grew our distribution from only draft to including packaged as well and expanded our distribution footprint. Unfortunately, to say that Metal Monkey has struggled severely in the face of Covid 19 would be an understatement. Covid relief grants were integral to our surviving 2020 through 2022. Unfortunately, sales have never returned to even close to pre-pandemic levels. Monthly taproom sales in 2022 were lower than any other year, including our inception, and as a result, our reserves were quickly running dry. We considered many possibilities, and tried every avenue we were able. This week, we learned two of the improvements we were hoping for will not be possible. After years of sales not climbing into a sustainable range, and these options no longer on the table, we’ve had to stop and take a really hard look at our viability. It breaks our hearts to inform you that Metal Monkey Brewing is pausing production effective immediately. We plan to keep the taproom open as long as traffic and inventory allows. Our current best guess is that the taproom will remain open into August, but keep an eye on social media for the most up to date information. We are all heartbroken, and mourning the loss of what has been the major focus of our lives for years. We are going to miss all of you immensely…. If you’re around and able, please stop on by, grab your favorite beers and maybe even a shirt or glass to remember us by. Bring your friends, take pictures, tell us what the brewery has meant to you…… Your love, kindness and support would mean the world to us. We have shed so many tears, and we would much rather laugh than cry with you. Please come in, raise a pint with us, and celebrate that we had the opportunity to get to know each other! We hope to see you soon. If you have pre-purchased tickets or sponsorships for any upcoming events those will be reimbursed to you in as expedited a manner as physically possible. It has been an honor to know and serve you all. Metal Monkey

TONIGHT! Get ready for something new and exciting, and downright fun! Friday July 14th, we embark on an amazing and unique night of music at The Monkey House as we welcome in for the first time Keith Daniel's Psycho Swamp Stomp Band! 🐊𝗞𝗘𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗘𝗟'𝗦 𝗣𝗦𝗬𝗖𝗛𝗢 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗠𝗣 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗣 𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗗🐊 "The One Man Doom Blues Disco" Born in the Cedar wood swamps of Wisconsin's Green Bay area. He cut his teeth playing with local bands for over a decade. Striking out on his own, he unearthed his sound along the cold waters of Lake Michigan. Armed with a kick drum, synth, guitar, drum samples and his voice. He created a sound referred to as "Psycho Swamp Stomp." A ritual in genre bending. From Delta Blues, Dark Folk, and Rock N Roll; to Industrial, Stoner Rock and Thrash Metal. Keith Daniel's Psycho Swamp Stomp music is full of heavy grooves and haunting lyrics. Captivating fans with his necromantic live shows. 🎶Music starts at 7pm, NO COVER!!🎶