Inspiring Alumni
The Megalis Brothers Transform a Hobby into a Small Business Ari 2000 and Paul 2005 Megalis
not to be discouraged by the term “never,” the sJnMA alumni set out and became the first combination craft brewery and distillery under a single roof in the state of illinois.
RIGHT: Paul 2005 (left) and Ari 2000 Megalis
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t’s 5:43 p.m. on a Thursday evening in late October. The Chicago Cubs are in the playoffs and the city is bustling with an anticipation for which it’s not accustom. Tucked away on what seems to be a certain dead end Chicago city street, stands an unassuming brick warehouse building in the vibrant neighborhood of Logan Square. On the roof is a relatively large billboard sign that overlooks I-94. It features a dapper gentleman tipping his top hat as if to say, “How do you do?” to the traffic warriors pushing through their final battle of their workday. Welcome to the home of Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, the vision of two brothers, Ari 2000 and Paul Megalis 2005.
The official launch for Maplewood Brewery & Distillery occurred the first week of October 2014. The inaugural libation, The Charlatan American Pale Ale, just won the 2016 GABF American Pale Ale bronze medal (#3 of 157 entries). Since that first week, the former homebrewing brothers, along with childhood friend, Adam Cieslak, have developed 12 additional brews and will be launching their first spirit during winter. One additional spirit is currently aging and will be available in early 2017 while three more spirits are planned for a later release. 28
WINTER 2017
Born and raised within the hospitality industry, the Megalis brothers felt quite comfortable with the idea to launch a craft brewery. After all, they were seasoned homebrewers with keen minds for business. Ari earned his MBA from DePaul University while Paul secured two masters from Loyola University in accounting and operations management. Only challenge with the brewery idea—they wanted to open a distillery. Recognizing the time and start-up expenses for a distillery, they reworked the business model, circled back to their original passion, and decided to launch a craft brewery in conjunction with the distillery. Not to be discouraged by the term “never,” the SJNMA alumni set out and became the first combination craft brewery and distillery under a single roof in the state of Illinois. As with most human interaction, interviews seem to flow better accompanied with an adult beverage. Ari and Paul were happy to indulge our interest with one of their newest brews, Guatemalan Bam Bam. For those who seek the particulars of craft beers, the Guatemalan Bam Bam is a collaboration between Maplewood Brewery and Chicago Metric Coffee. The fruity and citrusy hops were carefully paired with a light roast Guatemalan single origin St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy | THE BEACON