On our recent visit to Alton, we were thrilled to discover
Old Bakery Beer Company. I can tell you that had the microbrewery been in Alton when we lived there, we would have spent many an hour there. We stopped in for a lunch and immediately fell in love. I mean, any place where Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Miles Davis, Robert Wadlow and the Piasa Bird settle at the bar has to be awesome!
![Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Miles Davis, Robert Wadlow and the Piasa Bird settle at the bar at Old Bakery Beer Co Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Miles Davis, Robert Wadlow and the Piasa Bird settle at the bar at Old Bakery Beer Co](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5d8C_Q348fn_xiM9r4JGg68F2zs5qtMM_OIB-pRaNPbmZBJgoVcJ1p3iv3lrFkYADf-HUFR5RRped9HmtVHP0cIIuRbJcy_ALNAITAb9g4i5ZQN1xbIozBmy-x53PuIKKwybH6ptveQ/s640/obb1.JPG) |
Love this mural! What a fun ode to Alton! |
Old Bakery Beer Company found its home in an old bakery building dating back to the 1800's. The structure was once the Colonial Bakery and Old Bakery Beer Company has kept elements of that history in the building.
![The Colonial Bakery sign is one of the historical elements in Old Bakery Beer Co The Colonial Bakery sign is one of the historical elements in Old Bakery Beer Co](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFI9QpOSNHM_hkBhPC3T8fUxEUnpHuVUQFpIvJl3PDz9R-YZc8n7ME7OGUFa84V-GUzYLSb6TXCY6MZTYxnPe8kaDKpWtybuESfVxKSDV17ocND4HkkXe1JxpvMa8g0IPhpyiyGhJgyLY/s640/IMG_1069.JPG) |
Lovely old Colonial Bakery sign. |
There is an interesting section reflecting elements of the building's history. I was happy to see so many visitors pause to learn about the building.
![Interesting artifacts from the past history of the old bakery building in Alton, Illinois Interesting artifacts from the past history of the old bakery building in Alton, Illinois](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfLNh7YsKjxlOAftwEsmtFrDBMHKs-AFpZh7h05hkwhdFXvy5t1gwpNZv5PkBzHJ-NyEU2CiqXzybIfEoQ1fd8LJUKHtPWSYsUYttNZY6unoG_VGJdq9E6iUkO9JS5wZ9znmuQaxoct4/s640/IMG_1068.JPG) |
Additional interesting artifacts. |
Old Bakery Beer Co. brews organic beer and strives towards being as sustainable as possible including working with many local producers. Supporting local producers is a great way to support your community and also decrease your impact on the environment. From composting to working on energy efficiency to using plant-based straws, the brewery is engaged in many sustainable practices. As someone that is constantly trying to decrease her footprint, I am pretty impressed!
![Microbrewery at Old Bakery Brewery in Alton, Illinois Microbrewery at Old Bakery Brewery in Alton, Illinois](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6J8eA85P0qbcwOEGPhQSrt03coaJY1-fWxuac3sGsmx7uWMhltSkfO6xw1LvkRxS_A9k2qq__f-kiSws_UukGXMqzMXhg1QEFyLkgOj7Lktwi0J9dwrb0Tf8rs1OqYzWSdAErZHUaNk/s640/IMG_1071.JPG) |
A peek inside the microbrewery. |
Walking into the brewery, you can take a peek into the brewing process. The brewery kept elements of the building's structural past too like the cool spiral staircase!
![Spiral staircase reflecting the past use of the bakery at Old Bakery Brewery. Spiral staircase reflecting the past use of the bakery at Old Bakery Brewery.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhe-MkD9WcwivXBpSo0frqteThb_6g42h_mCXyHGvlwtYlvFbWvJ0IFIqXkE308c1V4xbsBCU6tzlGgwoWhe1vCV7fey6iM87Y8RbkZyT3D0ne-j9IN9wD5hneC7mCXnE3hsLph_Y0kw/s640/IMG_1065.JPG) |
Spiral staircase reflecting the past use of the bakery. |
Now for lunch! Well, of course, we had to order a beer flight with our munchies! We started with a flight and enjoyed it through our meal as well.
![Fun, fun, fun beer flight of locally brewed beer in Alton, Illinois Fun, fun, fun beer flight of locally brewed beer in Alton, Illinois](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruEUNYPAFZMhSovA9joDPIIq87xVjeoXoaEzHDXRtayhNkueI8pI5LA_CAmvKxuR8MLYHj0M6BZgDJLeCwk22ROM18sb3cGsUu2tPIzneUCgpR29O4RvfUH1taPn18KdahIKlMQL9Vm4/s640/obb5.JPG) |
Fun, fun, fun beer flight! |
I was excited to discover a hummus platter on the menu, so I ordered that. My daughter ordered the homemade pickles and The Murray featuring turkey, bacon, ham, cheddar and honey mustard on sour dough. My husband ordered a large house salad and shared some of our plates. Yum! The pickles especially were delicious.
![Lunch bites at Old Bakery Beer! Lunch bites at Old Bakery Beer!](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidk1-QNi4qdCERK0SkNab33WgTj4bk2lWeRfH8xQeK8GeF5LGYYt0sRnMiP3GL82zR_VSGtpWj_pX2IuWVeI691rskgmpOJKCxKuv_nWuSnB3uI7nHxnS-NY3AoD13T_3QYmBpZwt4I-E/s400/obbcollage.png) |
Lunch bites at Old Bakery Beer! |
We loved our meals and my husband and I loved the beer. We like flights because they give us the option to try multiple brews and flavors. We appreciate Old Bakery Beer's dedication to the community and keeping it local. We also enjoyed exploring the history of the building. A great local maker not to be missed when you visit the Alton area!
**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.
I love going to microbreweries in my travels. Old Bakery looks like a pretty cool one to visit.
ReplyDeleteWe've eaten (and drank) at the Old Bakery Beer Company a couple of times and loved it. I'm surprised I hadn't noticed the mural with Abe, Wadlow, etc. Maybe it's new? Or maybe I'm not as observant as I should be. :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks delish and fun!
ReplyDeleteI love a good craft brewery! And this one looks really cool!
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