Industry Brewing Co.
Peoria was once known as the Whiskey City, a river town whose distilleries and breweries helped bankroll a good chunk of the federal budget in the years before Prohibition. Industry Brewing Co. leans into that history with its very name. Opened on the north side of town by restaurateur Travis Mohlenbrink, owner of the local Spice Hospitality Group, Industry set out to give Peoria back a piece of its brewing identity after decades without a hometown taproom of its own. The brewery sits at 8012 N Hale Avenue, right along the Rock Island Trail, a location that quietly shapes who walks through the door — cyclists coming off the greenway, families out for an evening, and regulars who treat the place like a second living room.
Industry’s brewing program has always been a house style built on approachability rather than novelty. Early releases like the Kölsch-style Happy Hour and a rotating cast of pale ales set the tone, and the lineup has since grown to include hazy IPAs, stouts, and the occasional barrel-aged surprise, all brewed on premises and served fresh at the source.
“A hometown taproom built on the idea that Peoria’s brewing story wasn’t finished being written.”
Step inside and the space reads more industrial-chic than dive bar — exposed structure, custom light fixtures designed by Mohlenbrink himself, and a taproom logo by local artist Kaitlyn Mugg mounted proudly over the bar. Out back, the biergarten is the real draw in warmer months: string lights, a fire pit, shade from a mature oak, and a doggy drinking fountain shaped like a fire hydrant for the four-legged regulars. There’s also a game room stocked with vintage Nintendo, which tends to turn a quick pint into a longer stay. The kitchen backs up the beer list with a full pub menu — cheese curds, a pretzel with beer cheese, and a beer-braised Reuben among the regulars’ favorites.
Industry Brewing Co. isn’t chasing medals or a national footprint — it’s chasing a good night out in Peoria, and it largely succeeds. Come for the beer, stay for the biergarten fire pit, the vintage Nintendo, and a menu built to pair with a pint. It’s an easy stop for a post-ride beer off the Rock Island Trail, a low-key happy hour with coworkers, or a weekend afternoon with the dog in tow — and a solid entry point for anyone exploring Peoria’s small but supportive craft beer scene.
