What: The Chicago Beer Festival

When: Saturday March 21^st

Session 1: 1-4pm

Session 2: 6-9pm

Where: The Great Hall at Union Station

How Much: $40 Buy Tickets Here

Website: www.thechicagobeerfestival.com/

 

Twice a year since 2012, beer lovers flock to The Great Hall at Union Station to take part in The Chicago Beer Festival. On March 21^st over 60 breweries will be pouring their brews and those in attendance will have their choice of over 150 beers to sample.

Those interested in attending can purchase tickets for $40 plus fees and get to choose between the early session 1-4pm or the late session 6-9pm. Each person in attendance will receive 40 taster vouchers to use amongst the different breweries.

Held once in the spring and once in the fall, the event allows the breweries to showcase their well-known regular beers, but also their seasonal varieties as well. While a majority of the breweries are located in Illinois, the breweries are from more than just Chicago. From the city to the far suburbs and beyond, the wide variety of breweries allows those in attendance the opportunity to sample breweries they might have never heard of before.

A handful of breweries are from outside Illinois though. While many will recognize familiar names like Bell’s and Founders, Drewry’s from South Bend, Ind. just began distributing in a handful of stores in Chicago and around northern Illinois.

The brewery with roots the farthest outside of Illinois is Crabbie’s. Started in the United Kingdom, Crabbie’s will be on site sampling their original alcoholic lemonade as well as their cloudy variety.

This year’s lineup includes some familiar names from past festivals like Local Option, Transient Artisan Ales and 3 Sheeps Brewing Company, but it will also have more than 15 new breweries.

Newcomer Moody Tongue Brewing, which specializes in “culinary brewing,” will feature three beers including their sliced nectarine IPA as well as two other beers. Triptych Brewing from Savoy, Ill. will also be making its first appearance at the event. Triptych is a small microbrew that got its start with the help of a Kickstarter campaign.

A list of what each brewery will be pouring can be found below. Please note that this list is subject to change and does not include every brewery at the festival. Every brewery was contacted to provide its pour list but not everyone responded.

Brewery:	City:	State:	What Are They Pouring:	ABV:
Ale Syndicate	Chicago	IL	Trinken Lowen – Citra-hopped Altbier	4.7
			Seven Flowers – Double IPA	8
			Petrillo – Pale Ale	4.8
Illuminated Brew Works	Chicago	IL	Pazuzu’s Pedals – Belgiun Porter	5.8
			Kallistic – Golden Ale	7.4
			Hasselhopf – Belgian Pale Ale	5.8
Smylie Brothers Brewing Company	Evanston	IL	Smylie Brothers IPA	7
			Smylie Brothers Farmhouse	5.5
			Applewood Porter	8
Pollyanna Brewing	Lemont	IL	Eleanor – Porter	6.8
			Mazzie – American Pale Ale	5.4
			Behind Abbey Doors – Belgian Brown Ale	6.4
Lagunitas Brewing Company	Chicago	IL	Lagunitas IPA	6.2
			Lagunitas Pils	6
			TBA Seasonal
Bucket List Brewing	Chicago	IL	Breaking 80 – American Pale Ale	4.7
			Hellfire Club – English Brown Ale	7.5
			East End – Extra Special/Strong Bitter	6.2
Iron Spike Brewing Company	Galesburg	IL	Flatback IPA	6.5
			Dark Territory – Chocolate Stout	8.5
			TBA
Middle Brow Beer Company	Zion	IL	Milk Eyed Mender – Stout	8
			Summer In Pain – Belgian IPA	6.5
			Australian Galaxy Hops	N/A
Carson’s Brewery	Evansville	IN	Red Dawn – Amber Wheat	5.5
			Brown Cow – Brown Ale	5
			RIPA – Red IPA	7
			Eville – Pale Wheat Ale	5.1
Noon Whistle Brewing	Lombard	IL	Bernie – Milk Stout	5
			Face Smack – Berliner Weisse	4
			That Lady – Belgian Pale Ale	5
Mercenary	Chicago	IL	The Charlatan – Pale Ale	5.9
			Fat Pug – Milk Stout	5.6
SlapShot Brewing	Chicago	IL	Pale Ale	N/A
			Triple Deke – Belgian	8.2
			1926 – Rye Pale Ale	5
JT Walkers	Mahomet	IL	Grand Chief – Imperial IPA	10
			Crazy Gals – Rasberry Ginger Saison	5.2
			Walker’s Original Cream Stout	5
Urban Legend Brewing Company	Westmont	IL	Sweet Lacey’s Revenge – Farmhouse Ale	4.7
			Scylla’s Grasp – Mosaic Pale Ale	5.2
			The Creature – Imperial Black IPA	8.5
Atlas Brewing Company	Chicago	IL	Triceratops Rodeo IPA	7.4
			Farmhouse Wheat	5
			Freight Handler Milk Stout	5
Triptych Brewing	Savoy	IL	Book’em Brettano – IPA	N/A
			2nd Anniversary Imperial IPA	10
			Belgian Tripel	N/A
51st Ward Beer Company	Westmont	IL	Intermediate Clerk Typist – IPA	7.7
			Krispy Kaream Cream Stout	7.8
			TBA
Local Option Bierwerker	Chicago	IL	Sweet Leif – Biere de Garde	6.5
			Outlawger – Pilsner	5
Vice District Brewing Co.	Chicago	IL	TBA – New Double IPA	N/A
			Habitual – Black IPA	7
			Arianna – Belgian Blonde	5.2
Crabbie’s	United Kingdom		Crabbies Original Lemonade	4
			Crabbies Cloudy Lemonade	4
Baderbrau	Chicago	IL	Chicago Pilsner	4.8
			Red Velvet	6
			Naked Selfie	6
Destihl Brewery	Bloomington	IL	Abbey’s Single – Beligan Pale Ale	4.9
			Black Angel Stout	6.7
			Counter ClockWeisse – Berliner Weisse	3
			Weissenheimer Hefeweizen	5.2
Small Town Brewery	Wauconda	IL	Not Your Father’s Root Beer	TBD
Rolling Meadows Brewery	Cantrall	IL	Abe’s Ale – Double Brown Ale	8.5
			Springfield Wheat – Hefeweizen	5
			Lincoln’s Lager – Pale Lager	6.5
Pig Minds Brewing Co.	Machesney Park	IL	Sweep The Leg IPA	5.5
			Vanilla Bitch Slap – Red Lager	5.5
			Joe Daddy Imperial Coffee Stout	8.2
Arcade Brewery	Chicago	IL	Dubbeltime – Belgian Dubbel	8.3
			Final Level – Extra Special/Strong Bitter	6.3
			Grapefruit IPA	6.3
Brickstone Brewery	Bourbonnais	IL	APA – American Pale Ale	6.25
			HopSkipNImDrunk – Double Pale Ale	7.75
			Right Swipe – Session Pale Ale	5.25
Cademon Brewing Co.	Genoa	IL	Highland Memory – Scottish Ale	5.8
			Demonic Stout	6
			Vanilla Demonic Stout	6
Wild Onion Brewery	Lake Barrington	IL	Misfit IPA	7
			Chinwaggin’ Irish Red Ale	4.8
			Phat Chance Blonde	5.2
Rude Hippo	Chicago	IL	Bee’s Sleaze – Golden Ale	6.5
			Honey Basil – American Amber	7.4
			Black Card Stout	N/A
Begyle Brewing	Chicago	IL	Hophazardly American IPA	7.1
			Free Bird American Pale Ale	5.5
			Flannel Pajamas Oatmeal Stout	5.4
Lake Effect Brewing Company	Chicago	IL	Espresso Gone Stout	7
			Bitchin’ Blonde – Belgian Style Ale	7.5
Drewrys Brewing Company	South Bend	IN	Drewrys Premium Lager	N/A
Crystal Lake Brewing	Crystal Lake	IL	Beach Blonde Golden Lager	5.3
			Slalom King Rye IPA	7.5
Lena Brewing Company	Lena	IL	Coffee Caramel Pecan Stout	5.5
			Bloodshed ESB	N/A
			Uncle Tyson’s Dunkelweizen	4.4
Blue Nose Brewery	Hodgkins	IL	True Justice Pale Ale	6
			World War – Lager	N/A
			Mystery Stout	N/A
Church Street Brewing	Itasca	IL	Crimson Clover Red Irish Ale	5.5
			Bob’s Your Dunkel	4.9
			Fire IPA	6.2
Brothers Griff Brewing Co	Naperville IL		Viking Spring – Belgian Witbeir	11
			Beet It! – Munich Helles	5.5
			Silky Drawers – Belgian Speciality Ale	7.5
Aquanaut Brewing Co	Chicago	IL	Maiden Voyage – Rye IPA	6
			The Search – Extra Special/Strong Bitter	5.4
			Misterioso – Coffee Porter	5
Moody Tongue Brewing Company	Chicago	IL	Caramelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter	7.7
			Dehydrated Tangerine Cacao Wheat	5
			Sliced Nectarine IPA	6
Founders Brewing Co.	Grand Rapids	MI	All Day IPA	4.7
			Imperial Stout	10.5
			Rubaeus	5.7
Cahoots Brewing	Oak Park	IL	No S’more Imperial Stout	9.1
Bell’s Brewery	Kalamazoo	MI	Special Double Cream Stout	6.1
			Oarsman	4
			Two Hearted Ale	7
Rogue Ales & Spirits	Newport	OR	Rogue Fruit Salad Cider	6.4
			Rogue Brutal IPA	6
			Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar	5.6
Banging Gavel Brews	Chicago	IL	Chicanery Russian Imperial Stout	10.1
			Red Handed Irish Red Ale	7.1
			Legit IPA	5.6
One Trick Pony Brewery	Lansing	IL	Spotted Saddle – American Pale Ale	6.2
			Storm Cat – Amber Ale	6.7
			Marsh Tacky – Stout	6.2
			Major – Scotch Ale	8.6
			Brabant – Belgian Golden Strong Ale	8.1
			Christmas Stallion – Imperial Spiced Porter	10
			Spurs In My Flanks – Imperial Red Ale	7.8
			Chestnut – American IPA	7
			Lordoso – Belgian Pale Ale	6
			Black Beauty – Smoked Porter	6
3 Sheeps Brewing Company	Sheboygan	WI	Really Cool Waterslides – IPA	6.2
			Baaad Boy Black Wheat – Black Wheat Ale	5.5
Ten Ninety Brewing	Chicago	IL	IPA	6.3
			Apricot – Pale Wheat Ale	5.9
			ReplicAle – Amber/Red Ale	7.5
Brooklyn Brewery	New York	NY	1/2 Ale Session Saison	3.4
			East IPA	6.9
			Cuvee La Boite – Spiced Grand Cru	8.2
			Hammarby Syndrome – Swedish Strong Ale
Scorched Earth	Algonquin	IL	Hickster – American Cream Ale	5.5
			Foraging Swine – Smoked Ale	5.2
			The Bitter Chocolatier – Imperila Stout	9.1