At the well-traveled bend in the road at 2529 5th Ave. in Downtown Rock Island, you’ll find a not-so-typical neighborhood brewery. And that’s exactly the point. Founded in 2017, Wake Brewing blends bold craft beers with a doom metal chaser, creating a space that feels part taproom, part community hangout and part-time music venue.
“We chose this spot because it’s unique,” said owner Justen Parris. “It had the right layout for the brewery and is one of the first businesses you see heading into downtown. The gateway, so to speak.”
For Parris, brewing was a natural extension of a lifelong creative pursuit. After years of playing in local bands, homebrewing became another way to experiment, collaborate and create something interesting from scratch.
“Rock Island has always supported hyperlocal businesses,” Parris said. “When my brother and I were looking for locations in the Quad Cities, Rock Island was at the top of the list. The support from the City and the programs offered to help revitalize the downtown area have been essential in helping us feel welcome.”
What started as a passion project for the brothers soon grew into a vision for a small, intentionally focused brewery that serves up everything from hazy IPAs and rich stouts to saisons and smoked porters. Names like Blood Hex, Hand of Doom and Pagan Holiday keep beer aficionados coming back for more.
Stop by Wake’s spacious patio on a warm weekend afternoon and you’ll find popular food trucks, neighbors (human and canine) and cyclists coming from the nearby bike path to fill the picnic tables. The Wake vibe is one-of-a-kind and the customers are loyal.
“It’s all about showing the community what we have to offer,” Parris said of the nearly 10-year-old business. “We do a diverse set of events throughout the year - from live wrestling, pop-up markets, food pairing collaborations with other local businesses, live music events and our weekly Wax On Wednesdays, where our patrons get to play vinyl records.".
Wake Brewing has carved out a niche that feels authentic to the people behind it, the customers and the city they call home. It’s proof that when passion leads the way and community comes first, success follows.
“Sharing this thing we built here in Rock Island with other parts of the country and even abroad brings more interest in what Rock Island has to offer when people come through to visit.”
Parris said for anyone looking to open a business in Rock Island, now is the time. “With the renovations happening downtown, there are plenty of new opportunities and programs to help a business get going.”