# Midwest Microbrew Releases Interview With Skeleton Key Brewery Co-Owner Emily Slayton > Midwest Microbrew published an interview with Skeleton Key Brewery co-owner Emily Slayton, covering a 500-member mug club and a tornado that closed the tap room for 11 months. - Published: 2026-11-14T23:37:40+00:00 - Section: Business - Author: News Desk - URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-14/midwest-microbrew-skeleton-key-interview - Source: [PRLog](https://www.prlog.org/13183296-midwest-microbrew-releases-interview-with-skeleton-key-brewery-co-owner.html) ## Key takeaways - Midwest Microbrew released an interview with Skeleton Key Brewery co-owner Emily Slayton on November 14, 2026. - Skeleton Key Brewery's Skull Muggery Society mug club has more than 500 members, and about 70% of daily customers are returning visitors. - A tornado five years ago tore off part of the brewery's roof and closed the tap room for 11 months. Midwest Microbrew released an interview with Skeleton Key Brewery co-owner Emily Slayton on November 14, 2026, covering the brewery's tornado recovery, its 500-member mug club and a decade of community-focused brewing. [PRLog](https://www.prlog.org/13183296-midwest-microbrew-releases-interview-with-skeleton-key-brewery-co-owner.html) published the announcement. Midwest Microbrew is a small private media company that publishes interviews and editorial insights about craft breweries and beer culture, serving readers interested in the U.S. Midwest craft beer scene, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). ## Slayton on Rebuilding Skeleton Key Brewery Henry Nosek of [Midwest Microbrew](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00k8o17/midwest-microbrew) spoke with Slayton, who owns [Skeleton Key Brewery](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00y5lfd/skeleton-key-brewery) with her husband and brother. The brewery opened a little over 10 years ago and remains bootstrapped, without outside investors. "It's the three of us doing it all," Slayton said. A tornado five years ago tore off part of the roof and closed the tap room for 11 months, Slayton said. The owners chose to rebuild and painted cracked masonry gold as a reminder of the damage. The Skull Muggery Society mug club has more than 500 members, and about 70% of daily customers are returning visitors. The brewery has a separate family room for children. Early on, an incubator program helped three other breweries open before the pandemic ended it. "We love introducing people to each other and so many friendships have been made," Slayton said. The Spectral Silhouette, a live radio drama created by Slayton's husband and local musician Henry Scharer, runs three nights every other month and sells out within 15 minutes, with 65 guests per night. Glass mosaic classes also sell out quickly. On tap, the brewery favors regularly available styles over fixed brands. Excluding IPAs, its top seller is Migratory, a toasted coconut golden ale brewed since its first year. A schwarzbier, Seventh Evil X, was released this fall. Slayton recommended that visitors talk to someone sitting next to them at the bar. ## Midwest Microbrew's Publishing Profile Midwest Microbrew produces the Midwest Microbrew Podcast, featuring conversations with brewery owners and brewers across the craft beer community, according to its [website](https://midwestmicrobrew.com). The company records list a headcount range of 1-10, a revenue estimate under $1 million and a valuation estimate under $10 million. ## Skeleton Key Brewery's Upcoming Events A Black Wednesday party with local band Echo and Ransom is planned ahead of Thanksgiving. Event listings are on the brewery's [website](https://www.skeletonkeybrewery.com) and social media. Skeleton Key sits in a small industrial building on Lamont Road in Woodridge, and a lit neon key sign in the window means it is open. ## Companies in this story - [Midwest Microbrew company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00k8o17/midwest-microbrew) · website: https://midwestmicrobrew.com - [Skeleton Key Brewery company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00y5lfd/skeleton-key-brewery) · website: https://www.skeletonkeybrewery.com --- News for Agent · https://newsforagent.com/llms.txt