Local tap house features Illinois-only craft beers, variety

Maple Park residents and Lodi Tap House co-owners Lucas Goucher and Brandon Harris said they and their two other business partners wanted to pay homage to Illinois with their spirits and their food.

“We wanted to emphasize the greatness of Illinois,” Goucher said.

Patrons won’t see Wisconsin, Michigan or any other state-brewed beer on the tap house’s beer board. For the most part, they won’t even see offerings from the larger Illinois breweries, such as Goose Island or Lagunitas.

The new tap house aims to be an outpost where customers can experience unique beers from small-batch breweries around the state.

Some of the brewers are self-distributors; a number of them don’t distribute the beer they brew. Goucher and his buddies will travel to the locations themselves, bringing back beer from places such as Wishful Acres Farm & Brewery in Lena, or Scratch Brewing Company – a microbrewery and farm in southern Illinois that uses home-grown and locally farmed and foraged ingredients, including elderberry, dandelion and juniper.

“We want to offer the hard-to-get stuff,” said Gavin Male, who, together with his brother Dane Male, make up the other half of the business partnership.

Goucher and Harris grew up in Geneva, and now both live in Maple Park and serve on the village board. The two, who met at Augustana College in Rock Island, had worked together on a number of real estate deals prior to this.

When the price was right on the Lodi Tap House property, at 309 Main St., Maple Park, where the Moon Dance Diner and Grill had been, they began to brainstorm ideas. Key factors for the group were beer and food, and when they hired a cook – who’s also a pastry chef, he was interested in desserts.

A chef-recommended pairing is the cheesecake with raspberry compote and a wine barrel-fermented sour raspberry ale.

And if this all sounds like these four men are having a lot of fun with their new venture, they are. Lodi Tap House is attracting local people from town, as well as visitors from places east and west.

Harris said that this is a “passion project” for himself and the other owners.

“The fact that people are showing up is a bonus,” Harris said with a laugh.

In addition to the beers, which change daily, they also offer a few Illinois wines, as well as craft cocktails made with Illinois spirits, said Goucher.

The food menu includes appetizers, a few unique burgers, smoked pulled pork and their signature fried chicken. There is also a breakfast menu, served on the weekend.

Lodi Tap House isn’t a bar, as they don’t serve shots and they close at 11 p.m., distinguishing themselves from other establishments in the area.

Looking to create a sense of ownership and community, they’ve created a “mug club.” People purchase their own handmade, ceramic mug, which hangs on the wall, waiting for them to come back and use it. Membership perks include discounts and opportunities to attend special events.

Lodi Tap House opened in December and will have a grand opening in March.

A T-shirt advertising the Tap House says, “After 136 years, Lodi returns to Maple Park.” Playing on the name of the town before it became Maple Park in 1880, the décor includes old pictures of the town and plat maps.

“We’ve had a major positive reaction from the local area,” Goucher said. “It’s fun to see the town with a new buzz.”

Visit www.loditaphouse.com or call 815-827-0827 for information.