Pollyanna Brewing to take over former Alarmist Brewing space in Chicago

Pollyanna Brewing will move into the former Alarmist Brewing taproom at 4055 W. Peterson Ave. in Sauganash, with an opening target in the fourth quarter of 2026. The takeover gives the suburban brewer a ready-made Chicago beer space and adds its first location in the city, a fast track that many breweries are chasing as build-outs get pricier and riskier.

The move follows Alarmist Brewing’s shutdown earlier this year. Alarmist announced in January 2026 that Sunday, Feb. 1 would be its last day in business, and FOX 32 Chicago reported on Jan. 27 that the Northwest Side brewery was closing after nearly 11 years, with owner Gary Gulley pointing to broader craft beer market pressures. Leaving the address active instead of dark keeps a taproom-sized property in use on a stretch of Peterson Avenue that already had a beer identity.

That identity was built over years at 4055 W. Peterson Ave. Suite Rear, Chicago, IL 60646, where Alarmist Brewing & Taproom operated with a beer garden in Sauganash. When the brewery was first lining up its opening, Eater Chicago reported in December 2016 that it was looking at a March debut. By 2023, an Illinois Brewing profile said recipe development was central to Alarmist’s work and that the brewery had produced several award-winning beers.

Pollyanna’s plan points to a handoff that is partly continuity and partly reinvention. Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Tribune both described the project as a reopening of Alarmist’s shuttered taproom, and Pollyanna said it would produce some of Alarmist’s popular beers in the space. That keeps the old reputation visible on tap while changing the operator, the brand, and likely the crowd drawing across Chicago’s Northwest Side.

For Pollyanna, the gain is immediate: a built-in neighborhood presence, an existing brewery footprint, and a story that starts with a known location rather than a blank lease. For Sauganash, the benefit is just as clear. The room that once introduced Alarmist to local drinkers is set to stay in circulation, and Peterson Avenue will keep its beer destination without a long pause in between.