Kinslahger head brewer and co-owner Steve Loranz gets ready for the opening day on March 11. | Photo provided by Kinslahger Brewing Co.

By Timothy Inklebarger

Staff Reporter

Oak Park really wants its own local brewery, and it looks like it's finally about to get it with Kinslahger Brewing Co. on Roosevelt Road.

That's in spite of the fact that Kinslahger wasn't the first to approach Oak Park with the concept.

First, there was Noon Whistle Brewing Company, which hoped to open near the corner of Chicago Avenue and Austin Boulevard. But despite the village's best effort to court the startup, the owners tapped out – pun intended – of the Oak Park market in 2014 and launched their venture in Lombard.

Then there was Hamburger Mary's and Oak Park Brewing, planned for 155 S. Oak Park Ave. The restaurant-brewpub combo was originally supposed to open in late 2014 or early 2015. Earlier in February, Hamburger Mary's posted on Facebook that they hoped to be open toward the end of February or in early March. As of Feb. 20, it was still under construction.

Plans that recently surfaced for another brewpub near the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Lake Street also sound promising – the village is giving a $385,000 tax incentive to the business – but it could be a year or more before the doors are open.

Now, Kinslahger Brewing Co., 6806 Roosevelt Rd., has announced on its website that the brewery-taproom will begin pouring Oak Park's first homemade brews on March 11.

Keith Huizinga, Kinslahger co-owner, reiterated the group's mission in a press release announcing the opening, stating that the lager-focused brewery represents "the kinship we feel towards our community and our continued effort to make lagered beer our own."

According to head brewer and co-owner Steve Loranz, "We believe that lagered beer has been overlooked during the explosive growth of independent brewers."

"Lagered beer is fermented cool and conditioned cold, resulting in a character distinct from accelerated ale fermentation. Exploring these flavor possibilities inspires our brewing," Loranz said.