South Cook News

In Tinley Park, hundreds of people bought T-shirts to support local breweries in Chicago during the COVID-19 pandemic as the local brewery community looks for more ways to support each other during the crisis.

“The craft beer community is pretty collaborative,”  Patrick Bisch, co-founder of the Open Bottle in Tinley Park with his wife, Julia, told the Chicago Tribune. “It’s better for everyone when people work together."

The Open Bottle has seen few customers since Illinois' stay-at-home order went into effect, but hundreds of community members bought T-shirts when the brewery announced it needed help through a Support Each Other initiative, according to the Tribune.

The Open Bottle started the initiative with Hailstorm, Soundgrowler Brewing, Crafted 1979 and Brothership Brewing to raise money for small businesses during the pandemic.

“This crisis has brought us together,” Brandon Banbury, co-owner of Hailstorm Brewing, told the Tribune. 

T-shirts were sold for $20 and all profits will be divided equally among the participating breweries. The Support Each Other initiative's website said each shirt cost $5.62 to make, which means the breweries are receiving a $14.38 profit for each shirt sold. 

With hundreds of shirt being sold, it shows how much community members want breweries to reopen, according to the Tribune. Extending Illinois' shutdown not only threatens breweries in Chicago, but throughout the state as well. 

“According to the Brewer’s Association’s latest survey, a staggering 3,735 breweries say they may be forced to close within three months,” the local brewers said on the Support Each Other initiative's website. “There are currently 8,150 active breweries in the United States. That’s 45.8% of all breweries in our country closing by July.”