Monarch Brewing Company came to life over a couple of pints of homebrew in a kitchen here in Monticello. Our plans for a brewpub were underway but we needed a name. We agreed to call it “Monarch” in honor of the official butterfly of Illinois and also for the Monarch’s distinguishable colors that are resemblant in our beers.

We discovered this building and envisioned it becoming a unique brewpub. The building was previously home to the United Methodist Church of Monticello for 105 years (1911-2016). As the congregation moved to a new home, we moved in and began the transformation. Over the course of nine months, we performed an extensive remodel of the building. This included leveling the dining room floor. We pulled up every piece of hardwood, removed the old floor joists and reinstalled all of the original hardwood. The table tops and the bar top are made out of the old white pine floor joists. The wood from the original subfloor lines the surfaces of the bar. We maintained the existing pendant lights and stained-glass windows that are prominent fixtures in our brewpub.

Our kitchen and brewery are located in the basement of the building. This is where we make all of your food and beer fresh every day. We currently brew on a 3.5 barrel (BBL) system and serve all of our beer in-house only. Someday we plan to distribute our beer but for now, our focus is on serving the best beer possible to our guests here at Monarch.

Thank you for visiting us today. We hope Monarch becomes a gathering place for your friends and family to enjoy.