Introduction to Lake Effect Brewing’s Avondale Taproom
AVONDALE — Lake Effect Brewing Company’s taproom and beer garden is finally ready to welcome the community to its new home in Avondale. The brewery opened its doors and patio gates to the public over the weekend at 3076 N. Milwaukee Ave., a project that’s been in the works since 2019 and under construction since last year.
History of the Project
The taproom and beer garden has been a longtime goal for co-owner Clint Bautz and his wife, who launched the company in 2011 and faced a series of setbacks over the years, including construction delays and aldermanic roadblocks. The taproom building used to be an auto shop. Inflated construction costs after the pandemic stalled the project, but city and community support brought it back to life last year.
Painter Cyd Smillie finishes up her lake effect and Indiana Dunes mural for Lake Effect Brewery’s beer garden on June 5, 2025 in Avondale at 3076 N. Milwaukee Ave. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
Completion of the Taproom
After finishing construction earlier this year, getting the building licenses and outfitting the patio with a thematic Lake Michigan and Indiana Dunes mural by popular Northwest Side artist Cyd Smillie, the taproom is complete — and Bautz can’t believe it. “I’m still in denial that this is happening, I think,” Bautz said during a recent tour ahead of the opening. “I nearly gave up in the middle of it because I was, like, ‘This is too expensive. This is not fun’ … but then we got a grant from the city, so that was a sign to move on with it and the fundraiser. We pushed through and got it done.”
Funding and Community Support
The brewery raised $115,000 in equity funds last year from 132 investors to help it open, many of whom are neighbors who have followed the brewery’s journey from Irving Park and Jefferson Park, Bautz said. Investors and VIP members got a sneak peek last week of the beer garden and taproom. The taproom adds to the revitalization of the Milwaukee Avenue strip, and Lake Effect’s newest staff live close by, Bautz said.
<img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-1024×576.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1" alt="Lake Effect Brewing co-owner Clint Bautz smiles next to a mural by Cyd Smillie at the brewery’s new Avondale taproom and beer garden on June 5, 2025. The project has been years in the making." class="wp-image-888980" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C864&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1151&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=1200%2C675&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=900%2C506&ssl=1 900w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=450%2C253&ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=200%2C113&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=100%2C56&ssl=1 100w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=2000%2C1124&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=780%2C439&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/bcc-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/06/clint-65-scaled.jpeg
