After originally brewing at the brewery incubator, Pilot Project, in Chicago, Duneyrr Fermenta opened its doors in the South Loop. We spoke with their owner, Tyler Davis, about how Duneyrr started, what is up next for them, and about their upcoming three year anniversary!

PorchDrinking (PD): Tell me a little about Duneyrr—how you started brewing and the brewery’s history.

Tyler Davis (TD): I’ve been in the brewing industry for 16 years now, and it’s been quite a journey. I started out working at various breweries in the northern suburbs before joining Revolution Brewing when they opened their Kedzie Brewery. That was a big moment in my career. Afterward, I spent six years at Lagunitas Brewery, which was an invaluable experience brewing at that magnitude. Being part of such a large operation gave me insight into every aspect of brewing. Over the years, I’ve done everything from sales, assistant brewing, packaging, to being head brewer. I’ve pretty much worked every role in the brewing industry.

Duneyrr Fermenta / Moderne Dune was born out of a desire to do something different. I wanted to create a space where the boundaries of what craft beer and wine should be, didn’t really apply. We’re all about blurring the lines between styles and even creating entirely new ones. I wanted to move away from the typical brewery or winery classification and instead focus on fermentation as an art form. That’s where the name Duneyrr Fermenta comes in. It’s inspired by Norse mythology. Duneyrr is one of the four stags that represent the seasons and elements, and it specifically symbolizes spring and the winds of change. That felt fitting for us because we take what’s been done before and create something new from it, something that feels like a fresh start from the traditional.

PD: How was the transition from an incubator to your own place? Why the South Loop?

TD: The transition felt like a natural next step for us. We had been brewing out of an incubator space, but the timing was right to move into our own location. Interestingly, I didn’t go searching for the South Loop. It found me. Right around the time we were getting started during the pandemic, which as you can imagine was great timing to launch a business, I was introduced to the owner of MotorRow Brewing. He was looking to transition out, and we negotiated the takeover.

The South Loop was a huge win for us because the neighborhood is incredible. It’s full of vibrant energy, and yet it’s underserved in terms of food and beverage options, especially for a concept like ours, a blend of brewery and winery. The building itself is beautiful too, with so much character, and I immediately saw the potential. It felt like the perfect home for Duneyrr.

PD: Tell us about celebrating Duneyrr’s anniversary on the weekend of 10/19!

TD: We’re really excited about this year’s anniversary celebration! It marks our third year. We’ve got a lot planned and we’ll be releasing a series of beers from our experimental barrel collection. These are really special beers that represent our passion for pushing boundaries in terms of flavor and technique. Each one is unique and has been aging in a variety of barrels, developing complex layers of taste.

We’ve also invited some of our favorite food vendors, Chicago Secret Burger and Heffer BBQ. These are people we’ve developed close relationships with over the years. They’ll be joining us for the event, offering great food collaborations that pairs perfectly with our beers and wines. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend of celebration showcasing what’s to come, and we can’t wait to share it with everyone.

PD: Where do you see the Chicago craft beer scene going in the next year?

TD: The Chicago beer scene is going through a shift, and I think we’re going to see some interesting trends in the next year. For a while, breweries were pushing the envelope with bold, experimental flavors, which was great. But now, I think a lot of current consumers are feeling a bit fatigued by it all. There’s a shift happening where people are moving into either two categories, some are looking for new, innovative, and most importantly, sessionable styles and some are gravitating back to basics with simple, classic beer styles that haven’t been the focus in recent years.

Younger drinkers, especially, are seeking beer that simply tastes good and is easy to enjoy. It’s less about needing to develop a taste for it and more about having something approachable and enjoyable while spending time with friends. Both groups are basically telling the same story, that they have been over-stimulated the last few years and want their beer to go along with conversation, not be the point of conversation. So, I think we’ll see a move toward more creatively approachable, clean, and traditional-esque styles that you can drink and enjoy, without having to overthink about if not needed.

PD: What’s on the horizon for Duneyrr in the next year?

TD: There’s a lot coming up that we’re excited about! First off, we’ll be adding a kitchen to our second floor space, which is going to be a game-changer. We’re in talks with some great food partners who are interested in collaborating with us, and we’re exploring different options for creating a menu that complements our beers and wines.

We’re also planning a slight refresh of our Moderne Dune brand. After experimenting with innovative ingredients, hop products, and cutting-edge yeasts, we feel like we’ve hit the ceiling of what excites us for now. So, we’re shifting our focus to establishing additional core offerings by reimagining and modernizing traditional styles that we believe are missing in today’s market.

On the Duneyrr side, we’re expanding our Farmhouse Series and diving deeper into our take on Belgian styles, which is a direction I’m really excited about. We’ll still keep our Vineyard Ales in rotation, but they won’t be the primary focus this year. What I’m most looking forward to, though, is the experimentation we have planned with the wine project. We’re going to be pushing some boundaries with dry-hopped wines, non-grape tropical fruit wines, as well as creating botanical forward spritzes and aperitifs. That’s where I think we’ll be doing some of our most exciting work in the next year.

If you are in the Chicago area, make sure to head on over to Duneyrr to taste some fun beers and enjoy their anniversary party on Saturday, October 19th!

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