🎙️Welcome to episode eighteen of Liquid Liner Notes!
On this episode I chat with Michelle Foik (@Foiker), co-owner of Eris Brewery and Cider House (@ErisChicago).
We start with Michelle’s early entry into the hospitality industry. Holding a host of different roles with Goose Island, Revolution, and Virtue Cider. Roles that include sales, general manager, marketing, and events.
Next we talk about the decision to open her own business, Eris, with her business partner Katy Pizza. We discuss where the name came from, the decision to focus on cider, and the process of converting a one hundred year old former Masonic temple into a brewpub, that had most recently been a Korean church. We discuss Eris’ cider and beer portfolio, as well as their venture into THC beverages. Then we move onto the current outlook on cider, and what difficulties and opportunities exist in the industry.
We also talk about Michelle’s work within the community on issues like mental health, imposter syndrome, and being a resource for others in the craft industry.
You can find Eris at their brewpub, 4240 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60641, or on shelves across Illinois.