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Hours

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Friday - Sunday

12 pm - 8 pm

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southern illinois microbrewery & farm
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   open for on-site enjoyment Fri-Sun.

   to-go orders available by appointment mon-thurs

   info@scratchbeer.com   cash only

   we do not allow buses. parties of 12 or more please call ahead
 

SERVICES
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ABOUT US

ABOUT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scratch Brewing Company is a farmhouse brewery located five miles from the Shawnee National Forest in Ava, Illinois. Named one of the top four breweries for foraged beer by Outside Magazine, and one of the most beautiful places to drink beer in the world by All About Beer Magazine, Scratch Brewing Company focuses on farmhouse beers and other styles brewed with estate-grown and foraged ingredients. The brewery has an ever rotating selection of styles enhanced by the innovative addition of local ingredients, such as nettle, elderberry, ginger, dandelion, maple sap, hickory, lavender, juniper, and chanterelle mushrooms. 

 

Owners Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon create beer whose aim is to showcase the “terroir” of Southern Illinois. For their efforts, they have been nominated for four James Beard Awards, most recently in 2025 for Outstanding Professionals in Beverage Service. The New York Times called Scratch one of the Top 22 pizza places in the United States and "worth a road trip." Their book, The Homebrewers Alamanac, has become an indispensible guide to those seeking more information on brewing with native plants. Beer Advocate said that its "stunning photography makes this book a high-end addition to your homebrew library."

 

Scratch bottles special release offerings and distributes beer to select bars and liquor stores in Illinois and in half a dozen other states. The brewery also supports local artists and artisans, commissioning original ceramics, t-shirts, posters, bottle openers, and other merchandise. In 2017 it opened the Serpent Room, a collaborative project with artist Brett Douglas Hunter, who brought the room to life with his original floor-to-ceiling art and sculptures. The Serpent Room is available to rent for private events and for non-profits; more information is available below.

Marika and Aaron (Photo Credit_ Scratch Brewing Company)_edited.jpg
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BEER & FOOD LIST

Draft List for Weekend of May 15 - 17

*we are cash only!*   *all prices include tax*   try a flight of 4 for $13

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wild carrot & nettle ($6 goblet/$17 growler fill)             

farmhouse ale brew with wild carrot (queen anne’s lace) and nettle from the woods around the property. Mild notes of earthy spice with a fresh green leafiness and a dry finish. 4.8% abv

 

sassafras lager ($6 goblet/$17 growler fill)

light pilsner-style lager brewed with sassafras leaves from our property in the boil. crisp and refreshing with a light and bright finish, hints of citrus from the sassafras. 4.2% abv 

 

dry-hopped paw paw ($6 snifter/$17 growler fill)                    

sour beer brewed with paw paws gathered locally from the area. lightly hopped for a balanced tart finish with notes of melon and banana. 4.5% abv

           

vienna lager ($6 goblet/$17 growler fill)
our take on a lagered fest beer, brewed with local malt and hops, and fermented cold. We brew this  
beer traditionally in March and cellar it until now. An easy-going fest-style Marzen beer with a smooth malty finish. 5.5% abv

 

spiced brown ale ($6 goblet/$17 growler fill)

brown ale brewed with toasted hickory bark, juniper branches, and sweet clover. Smooth, malty backbone complemented by wild spices from our property that give notes of pine, vanilla, and toasted marshmallow. 4.9% abv

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fig porter ($6 goblet/no growler fills--we have bottles)

a robust porter brewed with dried fig leaves from our property. Rich malty chocolate flavor with a hint of coconut and baking spices. 6.2% abv

 

dead leaves ($6 goblet/$17 growler fill)

english-style pale ale brewed with crispy fallen autumn leaves from our property. the toasted bread flavor from the malt is balanced with tannins from hickory and maple leaves that leave a finish reminiscent of jumping in a fall leaf pile. 6.7% abv

           

foeder-aged grapevine ($6 snifter/$17 growler)
dry, tart, and refreshing farmhouse ale co-fermented with heirloom apples and aged in our foeder. a beer for cider lovers that tastes of crisp, fresh apple, slightly tropical notes from the hops, with a hint of vanilla from six months of oak-aging. 4.7% abv

 

chanterelle biere de garde ($6 goblet/no growler fills--we have bottles)
one of our all-time classics! keg-conditioned farmhouse ale brewed with chanterelle mushrooms we foraged from the woods around the brewery. notes of apricot and earth and a classic cellared finish. 6.2% abv  

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non-alcoholic   cold-brewed coffee from dark matter ($5) • lemon basil soda ($4)

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Bottles


Cold bottles available for here and all bottles available at cellar temp to-go

 

49 ($17)

This unique farmhouse ale is an imprint of its place and time. Brewed with leaves, roots, bark, flowers, seeds, and fungi from the spring, it conveys a subtle earthiness and spice that is characteristic of our location in southern Illinois. 5.9% abv  •  500 ml

 

 

elderflower-plum saison ($17)

farmhouse ale brewed with elderflowers from our property and heirloom green gage plums. Floral and effervescent with a touch of almond and stone fruit aroma and a lightly tart finish. 5.3% abv  •  500 ml

 

 

fig porter ($17)

robust porter brewed with dried fig leaves from our property. Rich malty chocolate flavor with a hint of coconut and baking spices. 6.2% abv  •  750 ml

 

 

basil saison ($17)

An effervescent and refreshing farmhouse beer brewed with a large dose of lemon basil from our property. Notes of lemongrass, citronella, and sweet basil with a snappy, dry finish. 5.6% abv  •  750 ml

 

 

chanterelle biere de garde ($25)

bottle-conditioned farmhouse ale brewed with chanterelle mushrooms we foraged from the woods around the brewery. Notes of apricot and earth and the classic cellared finish. 6.2% abv  •  750 ml

 

 

black walnut ($20)

dark lager brewed with southern illinois-grown black walnuts toasted in our wood-fired oven and added to the boil. fascinating notes of sweet baked bread, cacao, and stone fruit. walnuts gathered from 150-year-old trees on the schobert farm. 6.2% abv

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Food

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Our food is almost entirely locally sourced. Bread is made entirely with local flour from Janie’s Mill in Ashkum, Illinois, fermented with our sourdough culture, and baked in our wood-fired brick oven. Pizza dough is made with King Arthur flour. Produce is foraged on our land, grown on our property, or purchased from local farmers. Goat cheese is from Baetje Farms, located outside Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
 

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Wood-Fired Oven Pizza (approximately 12 inches)

Our pizzas are stretched lovingly by hand. Please allow 20 minutes or longer if we are busy.

 

Greenhouse Pesto
Topped with a pesto made from fresh spring greens from our greenhouse; and goat cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm

 

Sweet Potato & Chevre

Topped with a sweet potato and pepper spread made with a variety of spices; topped with goat cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm

 

Green Tomato & Pork

Topped with a green tomato sauce, slow roasted with pork; mozzarella; and sausage from Wenneman’s

 

                                                            

 

Bloomsdale Cheese Platter ($20)

A pyramid of Baetje Farms’s Bloomsdale, a World Cheese Award three-time super gold winning goat cheese. Bloomsdale has a creamy interior with an ash rind reminiscent of bleu cheese.  Served with a half loaf of our whole wheat hearth bread, olive oil, herb salt, and wild cherry syrup.

 

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Bread to go

Wheat Boule ($9)

THE HOMEBREWER'S

ALMANAC

Our book on brewing with farmed and foraged ingredients is available at all fine booksellers!

 

The book features 36 plants that add unique character to your beer, which you can grow in your garden, gather from your yard and other wild spaces, or buy from farmer's markets. Chapters focus on individual plants with information about how each has been used historically in food, medicine, and drink, and how we've used them here at Scratch. Recipes are included in each chapter, along with beautiful photographs by our resident photographer, Aaron Kleidon.

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The Homebrewer's Almanac has been featured in Brew Your Own magazine, Craft Beer & Brewing, and was a top choice in Imbibe Magazine and Zymurgy's holiday gift guides. Beer Advocate magazine says "Marika Josephson, Aaron Kleidon, and Ryan Tockstein share their successes in this guidebook to homebrewing with foraged ingredients... Kleidon's stunning photography makes this book a high-end addition to your homebrew library."

 

You can buy a copy of The Homebrewer's Almanac on our online shop, which comes signed by authors Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon. You can also find the book at your local bookseller or on:

IndieBound

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

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HOMEBREWER'S ALMANAC
EVENTS
CONTACT

RENT THE SERPENT ROOM

AT SCRATCH

The Serpent Room is a manifestation of the creative energy of local artist Brett Douglas Hunter, featuring his original art and sculptures. The room is available to rent for business events, birthdays, receptions, and other moderately sized gatherings for people who want a private bartender and an intimate, colorful space to enjoy with close friends, family, or colleagues. We have room for seating for 50 people with a bar that can handle 4 different taps of Scratch beer. This is an extremely unique space that is unlike any other place you may have considered renting for your event.

Rates vary by season and by weekday or weekend rentals.

 

Please email or call the brewery (info@scratchbeer.com) for more information on the space and on pricing.

CONTACT

264 Thompson Rd

Ava, IL 62907

 

info@scratchbeer.com
618-426-1415

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Due to our limited space and small parking lot we do NOT allow buses. Parties of 12 or more please call ahead.

HOURS

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Mon - Thurs: To-go only

growler and bottle sales by appointment. Please call the brewery at 618-426-1415 or email info@scratchbeer.com to schedule a time to come by

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On-site hours:

Friday: 12 PM - 8 PM

Saturday: 12 PM - 8 PM

Sunday: 12 PM - 8 PM
 

We are CASH ONLY and have an on-site ATM.

ACCOMMODATIONS

 

Below are the closest accommodations to Scratch. There is more camping, and more B&Bs, inns, and hotels in Carbondale and farther south in the Shawnee National Forest and along the Wine Trail.

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Camping

Johnson Creek Recreation Area in Ava

Lake Murphysboro in Murphysboro

Mudline Lodging in Ava

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B&Bs, Inns, and AirBnB

Old Bank Studio in Ava

Renovated 1930s Farmhouse in Vergennes

Oxbow Bed & Breakfast in Pinckneyville

Historic Hull House Inn in Murphysboro

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Cabins

Lost Trail Cabins in Ava

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