The Corner Pub

The Corner Pub first aired on PBS affiliate WTTW in Chicago, garnered an Emmy nomination and earned some of the highest ratings numbers in its time slot to date for the station. Future episodes would be geared around interviews at popular bars and restaurants while exploring the unique local cultures and customs of each city visited by The Corner Pub.

The show focuses on beer: its brewing and the social customs surrounding its consumption. Historically, people have gathered in public places such as taverns, inns and “pubs”, and this intersection of disparate social and economic groups has played a significant role in our evolution. In today’s fast paced society, the art of enjoying this craft of fine brewing is evident in the explosive interest in micro-brewed, craft and imported beers.

The documentary opens with a brief history of the development of beer by the ancient Egyptians and then takes viewers to sample a microcosm of different cultures through the tradition of brewing. The Corner Pub looks behind the scenes of micro-brewing at Goose Island Brewery; explores the little known tradition of French beers and their use in the creation of fine French cuisine at Bistro 110; crosses the pond to England through the proprietor of Chicago’s Red Lion Pub, a World War II RAF flyer and former POW; visits the century old Schaller’s Pump, where Chicago’s own history is explored through a prohibition peephole; and finally, lifts a stein of German “Gemuklikiet” at Zum Deutchen Eck.