The South Loop is not particularly known as a drinker's paradise, so the arrival of Vice District Brewing's taproom (1454 S. Michigan Ave., 312-291-9022) a few weeks back was quite the blessing. The upstart brewery's tasting space is a lively space that's perfect for hopheads.

Right now, Vice District has just six proprietary beers available (mostly the essentials, like an IPA and a brown ale), but eventually the crew will be able to have sixteen on tap at a time, and they'll branch out into more offbeat fare. For now, the plan is to keep things community-minded, making the industrial-chic space welcoming for thirsty neighborhooders.

Here's what we saw when we stopped by this past weekend.