Introducing the Chicago Beer Society

The Chicago Beer Society was founded in 1977 as a nonprofit educational association dedicated to the appreciation of beer. We are one of the country’s oldest, largest, and respected beer organizations. Our membership includes a diverse group of people united by a love for craft beer and the art of brewing. If you are 21 or over and share our passion, please join us.

Great Beer Events Chicago Skyline

In every month, in every season of the year, CBS offers a chance to gather with friends and experience America’s beer renaissance head on. To put it mildly, we’ve got a lot of stuff going on. Our regular events include:

  • Chicagoland Brewpub & Microbrewery Shootout (January), the region’s premier beer and food event.
  • Day & Night of the Living Ales (March), a celebration of real ales featuring some 40 casks.
  • Day Trip to Madison’s Great Taste of the Midwest (August), board one of two chartered buses for a splendid day at one of the country’s best beer festivals.
  • Annual Picnic (September), featuring an amazing beer selection and hotly-contested rib, chili, salsa, and dessert competitions.
  • Spooky Brew Review Homebrew Competition (October), celebrating its 18th year, this contest also features special Halloween-inspired categories.
  • Fall Tasting & Dinner (November), held annually since 1977, the country’s oldest ongoing blind tasting where the public picks the winners.
  • Monthly Homebrewing and Social Nights: CBS (1996 AHA Homebrew Club of the Year, runner-up in 1997 and 1998) hosts a homebrewers gathering on the First Thursday of every month at Goose Island Clybourn and a club brew-in every May; the Third Wednesday is our regular social night at Map Room, one of the country’s best beer bars.
  • Special Summer Events: This year we’re rolling out A Midsummer Day’s Ales, featuring session beers and summer seasonals, plus a ploughman’s lunch and pig roast. We’ve also run a bunch of special themed events like Curds & Ale (a celebration of beer and cheese), Inspired by Belgium (Belgian and Belgian-style beers and food), Hop to India (IPAs and Indian food), and held a Wurst-Weissbier Brunch. For 17 straight years we held a Brews & Blues Cruise on Lake Michigan. Have your own idea for an event? Let us know – the odds are we’ll actually do it!