Bottle Theory | Chicago Suburban Beer Drinkers Rejoice, the New “It” Bottle Shop Has Arrived

A little something different today. Something wonderful has arrived in Elmhurst and it’s time R&B finally spilled the beer about it. This past week, Bottle Theory, the area’s newest drinking establishment (with a full service taqueria) officially turned on the lights and opened their doors. Located smack in the middle of Spring Road, Bottle Theory, gives us Elmhurstians (is that what we’re called?) what we’ve longed for…

Praise the beer gods, long last, WE HAVE A BOTTLE SHOP!  

One of my favorite parts about being a resident of Elmhurst is the sense of community. Having bounced around Chicago and the burbs, I’ve always wanted to live in a place where I could truly feel like I was part of the community. The creation of this very blog was born out of a desire for both Tay and I to connect further with the craft beer community we love and adore. The more breweries we’ve visited, the more we’ve felt the community pull. After thinking on it for a bit, we decided it was time to do more than just document our visits and drink. It was time to dig deeper and get to know some of the folks who make drinking this fantastic beer possible.

On a whim, I sent a DM to the Bottle Theory, with no clue if I would even get a response. To my surprise, one of the majority owners, Eric, reached out the next day. Eric could not have been friendlier and more ecstatic to connect. Not only were we provided the details on the grand opening, but we were invited in to visit Bottle Theory before the construction was even complete. Thus the journey begins…

We had no idea what to expect, and honestly, we were a little concerned about being perceived as nosey neighbors. When we first arrived, what struck me immediately about Eric and Jay, was how friendly these guys were to us. Eric was a gracious host and took the time to not only walk us through the layout of the building, but also talked to us about the future of BT. He had also actually taken the time to flip thru our blog and familiarize himself with what Romeo & Brewliet is about, which kind of floored us. We are a small blog, and sometimes I’m not sure if anyone is even reading this. If you are, DM us and we’ll send you a free sticker. After spending a little under two hours learning the ins and outs of what was to become Bottle Theory, Eric surprised us again with an invite to come hang out at the soft opening. We, of course, happily accepted. And without further ado, here’s a bit about our evening out.

What is Bottle Theory?

Bottle Theory is the brainchild of majority investors Eric Farrell, Jay Andres, and Josh Painter. The shop is a stunning example of form meeting function that from the moment you walk in puts you in the mood to kick back and relax. As you can see from the road, it’s an open concept floor plan that is beautifully designed around the giant wraparound fridge that, at max capacity, holds 540 individual cans for retail purchase. The centrally located fridge is stocked with all kinds of wonderful. These guys love their beer and that’s all you’ll find on hand. Bottle Theory’s roster of brewers is absolutely stacked; Old Irving, Energy City, Pollyanna, Phase 3, Une Annee and Untitled Art (the Red Velvet Cake Pastry Stout will blow your mind) are just a few of the local craft beer super powers that dot the fridge. BT will feature 20 rotating beers on draft, including White Rooster’s Kairos (a Brewliet favorite), Werk Force’s Sleepy Bear, a bunch of Goose Island staples and more than enough barrel-aged stouts than you’ll see anywhere else.

Not feeling the dine in experience? Not a problem. Bottle Theory knows you don’t want to dine in every night. Eric and the gang have a quick stop POS system set up near the front of the shop, which allows for curbside pickup with easy in and out access. Introverts rejoice as you will be able to grab your favorite beers under the cover of night and be in front of your couch in all of about 5 minutes (I’m talking to you Brewliet!). You can find the most up-to-date beer list here at shop.bottletheorytaproom.com. There is also an area planned for future beer swaps/beer club activities that seats close to 20 comfortably and when summer finally does return, the team has plans to break ground on a beautiful patio seating area, where patrons can soak up the sun and hopefully enjoy local music talent as things begin to settle in.

So why should you go to bottle theory?

The Beer

The obvious reason is the beer. With so much on tap and so much more available, you really can’t run out of reasons to stop in and check out what’s new. The guys have excellent relationships with Phase 3, Mikerphone, and Hop Butcher (Eric even spent some time working on their canning lines), so you can bet they’ll always have the latest and greatest from these local favorites. As mentioned, the shelves are also stocked with a bunch of Une Annee and Untitled Art, as well as Energy City, Humble Forager, Alter and Old Irving. They could stop there and basically be guaranteed a portion of our paychecks every other week but they’ve got more… They’ll carry small batches and limited releases that constantly rotate so make sure you follow them on social so you don’t miss anything.

The Food

How many breweries have you been to that are amazing but don’t have a kitchen? It’s not a deal breaker but a lot of times beer makes ya hungry. Bottle Theory’s food game doesn’t skimp in the culinary column. What’s on the menu? The full kitchen menu includes starters and shareables, ranging from cheese curds to shrimp ceviche, salads, a full taqueria menu (which includes gluten free options) smash burgers and steak sandwiches. If you can’t find something to eat, go home, you’re too picky. The food is trendy but trendy is trendy because its good. Speaking of which, the truffle fries were a favorite for us on opening night. Bottom line – Everything on the menu is simple enough that it cooks quick but also complements what you’re drinking. Order when you get there and by the time you’ve polished off a few pints the food will be ready just in time.

The Hospitality

Just visit, you don’t need us spoon feeding you anymore. You’ll feel it when you walk in. Eric’s 18 years spent in the hospitality sector are apparent and you can tell this is something he’s echoed to the staff since he began to flesh out his concept. The staff notices you and wants you there. It sounds like that should be a no brainer but this level of service is not something you see everywhere you go. It was soft opening so of course the staff was beyond attentive but you can tell things are already moving in the right direction. They knew their stuff and if you don’t know what you like, it’s easy to see they can help by just asking a question or two. On the pickup side of things, the system is simple and intuitive and they’ll get you in and out. I know the purpose of pickup is speed but it would behoove you to stop in for a few seconds just to learn a bit about what you’re drinking. 

Closing Thoughts

There’s a lot more good stuff going on at Bottle Theory (I didn’t mention it but they have a big screen that makes it an excellent sports watching destination) but after our two visits, I definitely had more than enough content to write this article. I wanted to close though, with what truly struck me about the folks at Bottle Theory. On Saturday, the guys posted a photo and mentioned they would be closed. I’m not one to read long posts (which is ironic because I can tend to be a bit long winded in some of my articles) but I couldn’t help but be surprised to see they were closed. The gist of the post was that a future patron Mary Shepard Armstrong, had approached the guys about doing a celebration of life for her husband, Tom, who had recently passed. Tom had worked for Tree Towns (another past tenant in the retail space that is now Bottle Theory) and the destination was a place that held significant meaning to the family. Coincidently, the first opening Saturday happened to be the same day as when the local high school football team, the York Dukes, were scheduled to have a semi-final playoff game. It would have been really easy for the guys to go back on their promise and say they would not be able to host the celebration of life. As we all know sporting events generate all kinds of spending in the hospitality industry and restaurants and bars often have a lot riding on their first weekend. However, Bottle Theory kept their word and closed for most of the day to make sure the celebration of life went on without a hitch. I find this to be truly selfless and kudos to the team for being so compassionate. I was surprised but after reflecting on it, I shouldn’t have been; I feel like these types are stories that will come to define Bottle Theory and its future.

Tay and I will always be proponents of the folks driving the independent brewing sector. We love everything that these establishments do for the community and also the joy they bring us. They will always have a special place in our hearts and we pull for the folks that invite us into their breweries. Bottle Theory not only put itself in that category for me rather quickly but with stories like the one above, it makes it really easy to pull for these guys. For what our opinion is worth, we would ask that you not only spend some time at Bottle Theory but if you get a chance, sit down and have a beer with the guys. Your money will be well spent and more importantly you’ll enjoy your time even more.

Cheers guys, Romeo & Brewliet will always be team Bottle Theory!