As Other Breweries Go Flat, Sketchbook Brewing Wins Business Of The Year Award In Skokie

SKOKIE, IL — As other area breweries struggle to stay open or permanently shutter their doors, one local brewery bucking the trend was honored by village officials last week as the 2024 Skokie Business of the Year.

Sketchbook Brewing Company, 4901 Main St., was selected as this year's winner by the village's Consumer Affairs Commission.

Biju Krishnan, chair of the commission, praised Sketchbook for its sustainability and customer-first approach.

"They employ locally, collaborate with the local businesses and community contractors, and, more importantly, they are a certified business by the Illinois Green Business Association, reducing waste, managing water usage, providing energy efficiency and creating a local composting program," Krishnan said, announcing the winner at the village board's Dec. 2 meeting.

Sketchbook Brewing, which first opened in Evanston in 2014, expanded to Skokie in 2020 with its Main Street production facility and taproom.

In 2021, village officials provided it with a $150,000 tax increment financing, or TIF, grant for reimbursements for cost overruns from the conversion of the former industrial space.

With the addition of a dog-friendly outdoor patio that year, the space has become a destination for events like Oktoberfest celebrations, holiday markets and live music performances.

In addition to its Green Business Certification from the Illinois Green Business Association, Sketchbook has implemented sustainability initiatives like delivering spent grains to local farms and adding on-site EV charging infrastructure with support from a $185,000 Cook County grant to buy an electric vehicle.

The craft beer industry has faced challenges in recent years, with local closures including Smylie Brothers Brewing Co. and Temperance Beer Co. in Evanston. Sketchbook, however, has continued to thrive, aided by its community-supported brewery program, which has grown to include more than 600 members.

"We're honored to receive this award, and this recognition reflects not only our hard work and dedication of my team, but also the incredible support we've had from Skokie as a community," Sketchbook co-founder Cesar Marron said at the meeting.

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"Skokie shows up every day, and that's what basically gives us that support and that belief in our vision and [makes] it possible for us to grow alongside this vibrant community," Marron said.

Sketchbook has also been honored with a bronze award at the 2023 World Beer Cup for its Beer For The Soul pale ale, which was brewed in collaboration with local restaurant Soul & Smoke.

The Skokie Consumer Affairs Commission is an advisory body appointed by the mayor. It currently has five vacancies. In addition to sponsoring the annual award, the commission receives complaints about local business and updates about new ventures in town. Its minutes indicate it received six completed nomination forms for this year's business of the year award.

The commission recognized three other standout local businesses with honorable mentions, including Will's Place at 7927 Lincoln Ave., Kneads and Wants Artisan Bakery at 8042 Lincoln Ave. and Schaefer's Wines, Foods & Spirits at 9965 Gross Point Road.

Last year's Skokie Business of the Year Award winner was Soul Good Coffee, a pop-up cafe located at Sketchbook Brewing Co.

Read more: Sketchbook Brewing Company Has Best Patio In Skokie, Readers Say