Following Ravinia Festival's Litigation, Ravinia Brewing Rebrands, Closes Chicago Taproom

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — After a contentious legal battle between the most powerful nonprofit in town and its only brewery over the use of the name of the neighborhood they both share, the owners of the local microbrewery last week revealed their business's new name.

Representatives of the company, formerly known as the Ravinia Brewing Company and now called the Steep Ravine Brewing Company, also announced that their taproom in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood would close to the public later this month.

Kris Walker, co-founder and managing partner, reflected on the evolution of the brewery over the past decade.

“When we launched Ravinia Brewing 10 years ago, our mission was built on three pillars: community, craft, and creation,” Walker said in a statement.

“As we transition to Steep Ravine Brewing Company, we’re embracing the connection between beer and storytelling," Walker said. "Sharing a beer has always been about creating meaningful experiences, and this next chapter allows us to honor that tradition. Your story. Our beer. We’re excited to share what’s ahead with our community and fans.”

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Steep Ravine, the brewery’s new name, pays homage to its flagship IPA and the distinct landscape of the North Shore.

Its popular “Tree Guy” mascot, described by Walker as a symbol of its Highland Park roots and community connection, has survived the rebrand.

“We’re excited to keep doing what we love for years to come,” said managing partner Jeff Hoobler.

“Every time we thought of new names, we came back to our origins — our original home in the Ravinia District of Highland Park, and the steep ravines and stories that surround it," he said. "By putting our ‘Tree Guy’ and our Highland Park heritage front and center, we’re staying true to our identity.”

While the Highland Park location will remain open with modest updates, the Logan Square taproom at 2601 W. Diversey Ave. in Chicago will close its doors to the public on Dec. 14, 2024.

The brewery plans to host a farewell event to commemorate the space, featuring special beer releases and a curated menu.

The Chicago location will continue to serve as a production facility, where all of the brewery's approximately 1,500 barrels of beverages a year are produced. Brewery representatives also promised there would soon be "exciting announcements about the taproom’s future."

The rebranding and closure follows a dispute that led to a federal trademark lawsuit filed in October 2023 by Ravinia Festival Association, the nonprofit that operates a concert series and other music programs.

While both parties initially coexisted under a 2018 agreement, disagreements over the use of the "Ravinia" name escalated, especially after the brewery expanded into Chicago's Logan Square in 2021.

Both businesses are located in Highland Park's Ravinia Business District, and more than a dozen businesses have used the "Ravinia" name over the years.

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The Ravinia Festival Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has $227.5 million in net assets and made more than $5 million in net income, according to its tax filings. Its CEO collects a salary in excess of a half-million dollars a year. It does not brew any beer. Nonetheless, the festival's attorneys demanded that the brewing company change its name.

The brewery owners, on the other hand, said they were forced to turn to the Highland Park community to crowdfund their legal defense.

"We barely survived the pandemic, and are now at risk of unjustly losing the business we have worked so hard to create," they said earlier this year. "Our homes are literally on the line as collateral against the business."

In June, a federal judge dismissed one of the brewery’s counterclaims, finding no evidence of fraud in the festival’s trademark filings.

By September, the two parties reached a settlement under which the brewery agreed to rebrand, with some help from the festival.

Fans of the brewery can expect to see new branding rolled out at the Highland Park taproom, with limited-edition cans featuring the Steep Ravine name and iconic mascot. The rebranding effort also includes a renewed focus on live music and community-driven initiatives.

The Ravinia Festival Association provided some "assistance for the rebranding," according to the rebranding announcement.

Jeff Haydon, the CEO of the nonprofit, noted the transition in a statement without mentioning the intellectual property dispute that began after he took charge of the festival.

“This announcement marks an exciting new chapter for Steep Ravine Brewing Company,” Haydon said. “We look forward to their continued success.”

Read more:

• Ravinia Brewing To Drop Name Of Neighborhood To Settle Ravinia Festival Trademark Lawsuit
• Ravinia Brewing Company Fights To Keep Name, Looks To Dismiss Ravinia Festival Lawsuit
• Ravinia Festival Files Fresh Complaint Against Ravinia Brewing Company
• Festival Faces Counterclaims From Brewing Company In Ravinia Name Dispute
• Ravinia Festival Association Sues Ravinia Brewing Company Over Use Of Shared Neighborhood Name
• Brewing Company, Music Festival To Return To Negotiating Table
• Ravinia Festival Blocks Brewpub From Opening Over Trademark Claim