Before he was a brewer at some of Chicago’s best breweries, Jared Rouben was a chef at MICHELIN-Starred restaurants in New York and Napa Valley. At South Loop’s Moody Tongue, Rouben combined those passions to create the world’s only two-MICHELIN-starred brewery and tasting-menu restaurant.
It all started in 2014, when Rouben opened Moody Tongue Brewing Co. with his cousin Jeremy Cohn and began selling perennial and limited release beers every year, including current favorites like the Juiced Lychee IPA and Shaved Black Truffle Pilsner.
In 2016, Rouben added a dining component, first in the former glass factory space in Pilsen before moving to its current larger South Loop home. Rouben wanted to embrace what he calls “culinary brewing”—using a chef’s mindset to brew beers with unique flavors and aromatics that are created with top-notch ingredients. “All I am doing is taking those same culinary lessons from great restaurants and applying those to brewing,” Rouben says.
The payoff was massive when Moody Tongue received two MICHELIN Stars for the first time in 2021. “There’s a strong love and knowledge of beer and fine dining in Chicago and to bring these two worlds together was always the vision,” Rouben says.
Moody Tongue remains one of Chicago’s hottest destinations, and you can head to the bar for a formidable a la carte menu in a casual setting or the dining room for a hyper-seasonal, 15-course (or thereabouts) tasting menu paired with beers in handblown crystal glasses.
Read on for inside tips on both menus, the work that goes into making Moody Tongue’s longest-selling beer, and make a booking on OpenTable.
What do you think your X factor is?
Jared Rouben: Our team. Everyone brings something different to the table. Everyone has a high standard of excellence that they are going for every single evening. It’s wonderful to be part of that. There’s a rush when you are working with people who push really hard and have the same standards and expectations that you have.
What did it feel like when you first got two MICHELIN Stars?
The best part was being able to sit down and exhale and smile and look at each other and say, ‘wow, we did this.’ That felt really good because what we did was recognized and it was wonderful, especially during a time of great chaos with Covid.
What’s one dish you’ll never remove from the menu?
The 12-layer German chocolate cake. When I was at the Culinary Institute of America, I started a brew club that focused on using beer as a pairing item. One of the founding members and one of my best friends was Shannon Morrison. When we started Moody Tongue, she showed me how well beer and desserts worked together and opened my eyes to that. Before we opened, I asked her to make the most perfect piece of cake to pair with beer. Since then, it’s always been with us. This iconic cake will forever live in this restaurant.
What makes Moody Tongue’s tasting menu different?
When ingredients are coming in season, what’s wonderful about the tasting menu [James Bingham leads the kitchen] is not only will you see it on the plate, but you also will get an example of it in the glass. You are going to get the interpretation of the ingredient from the brewer and the chef. That’s exciting, especially because your beer is being created on site right below you.
Moody Tongue’s beers change each year but is there one you’d like to highlight?
The Pressed Asian Pear Saison has been with us from the beginning. Asian pears are fantastic. We go out to the farm with our brew team and pick our pears. We juice them, and then the pear juice ferments in stainless steel for one year. This base beer sits in Chardonnay barrels for one year. Then we blend the two together. You get all the characteristics of vintage Champagne.
What’s a standout dish from the current tasting menu?
We have this wonderful golden osetra caviar with brioche, panna cotta, potato chip, sauternes gel, and pickled mustard seeds. We pair that with the Asian Pear Saison. I love caviar and Champagne, and this is our version of it.
What about from the bar menu?
The grilled prime strip steak with potatoes au gratin, mornay [sauce], and seasonal vegetables. I love this dish because for me it screams ‘Chicago.’ We do a lot of things fantastic here, including beer, sports, and beef. Having a steak for me is celebratory and to have that with our chefs creating it, it feels like a treat.
How has Moody Tongue changed over the years?
We opened a sushi restaurant in the West Village with a 15-course beer and sushi pairing menu. It was a completely different challenge. The pairings have to be meticulous and tight, so the beer doesn’t overwhelm the delicate fish and, if anything, highlights it. For me, beer is such a fantastic pairing beverage because like Champagne you have these beautiful bubbles that cleanse the palate, so every bite is a fresh one. At both of our establishments, every pairing must have a purpose. If you are going to bring these two worlds together, the sum has to be better than the parts. That’s my favorite part of this challenge.
What’s your favorite award you’ve won?
Earning a MICHELIN Star was the mission of this establishment from the beginning. Our first year, we went for it. We didn’t speak about it as it wasn’t necessary. We just wanted to do great food, beverage, and service. We kept the standards of excellence high. For me, having worked in MICHELIN establishments, this was always the dream to be able to showcase beer in a fine-dining establishment. We were fortunate to get our name called. We don’t take it for granted.
Lisa Shames is a writer focused on travel and food culture in Chicago, IL. She has covered Chicago’s restaurant scene for publications including CS, Chicago Tribune, and Time Out and is the U.S. contributor for Sogoodmag.
