Chicago Beer Society

The 11th Annual Brewpub Shootout is over!

There were 12 participants this year (with the area Rock Bottoms pairing up in North/South and East/West teams; two scheduled brewpubs couldn’t make it at the last minute due to extenuating circumstaces) and the usual sellout of some three hundred CBS members. Awards are presented in three categories (Favorite Beer, Favorite Food, Favorite Beer/Food Pairing) , with the top three in each taking home an attractive trophy. The attendees vote and submit their ballots before the event is over and the awards were presented near the end of the event.

To see what you missed, check out the program (PDF) listing all of the featured beers and food items.

By the way, the awards as announced at the Shootout were presented as 1,2,3 when they should have been 3,2,1. So, the list below is correct and apologies to all for the mix-up. The 1st and 3rd place plaques will be swapped at the February meeting of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. We promise to be much more careful about this next year!

11th Annual Chicagoland Brewpub Shootout Awards:

Beer
1. Rock Bottom E/W (Chicago & Warrenville)
2. Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery
3. Rock Bottom N/S (Orland Park & Lombard)

Food
1. Rock Bottom E/W (Chicago & Warrenville) – Seared Kobe Beef Medallions with Andouille Potatoes, Spinach, Balsamic-Chipotle Glaze, Tomato Emulsion and crispy carrots.
2. Gordon Biersch – Ahi Tuna marinated in Sriracha, soy sauce, toasted black and white sesame seeds. Served on a fried wonton topped with namasu.
3. Rock Bottom N/S (Orland Park & Lombard) – Seared Barley-Encrusted Lamb Chop and Porter Marinated Sea Scallop served atop Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro-Lime Pesto and Chipotle Mango Sauce, topped with crispy onion slivers and fried carrot strings.

Pairing
1. America’s Brewing – Bol Le Hautes Terres with Peat Smoked Scotch Ale.
2. Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery – Killer Chocolate Silk Tart with Killer Kapowski Baltic Porter.
3. Rock Bottom E/W (Chicago & Warrenville) – Seared Kobe Beef Medallions with Andouille Potatoes, Spinach, Balsamic-Chipotle Glaze, Tomato Emulsion and crispy carrots. Paired with CBS Düsseldorf Alt.

As always, this was a spectacular event. Thanks to all of the Brewpubs, Brewers, Chefs and their Assistants for coming out to support us. And, of course, thanks to our great members who continue to make the Shootout such a popular and enjoyable day.

For the fifth consecutive year, CBS will be sponsoring the region’s largest celebration of cask-conditioned ales, with some 40 casks of real ale from Chicagoland breweries and some very special guests. As always, this promises to be a big firkin deal for area real ale enthusiasts. Attendees will be able to sample the beers and then vote for the 2009 Champion Real Ale of Chicagoland. Last year, Surly Brewing swooped in from Minnesota and nicked the title with their Tea-bagged Furious (Hoppy). Will a local brewer take back the honor in ’09? You decide!

Last year we attracted a record crowd, but it was often uncomfortably crowded. As a result, we’ve split the event into two sessions and limited attendance to only 250 people for each session.

Day and Night of the Living Ales will be held at Goose Island Wrigleyville, 3535 N Clark St, Chicago, over two spirited sessions: 1-5 pm and 6-10 pm (9:45 last call). Admission includes a tasting glass, beer samples and appetizers (artisanal meats and cheeses). You must be 21 or older to be admitted. As of Tuesday evening, March 3, both sessions are now sold out. Thanks!

Thanks once again to all our members and guests for your continuing support of this event. Extra thanks to the Brewers Supply Group for their sponsorship this year.

As always, we recommend that you take public transportation or arrange for a designated driver. Goose Island Wrigleyville is located approximately 2 blocks west of the CTA Red Line Addison station (one-half block south of Wrigley Field). The CTA 22 Clark bus runs past the front door all night; taxis are also an easy option.

Come out and enjoy the best beers and best foods from Chicago area brewpubs and microbreweries. Sample a bunch of beers and each brewery’s food item and then vote for your favorites (beer, food item, and beer-food combination). Winners will be announced at the end of the event. Support your favorite brewery or brewpub – or discover a new favorite. Either way, you get to taste the very best beer and food that Chicago has to offer.

The Shootout runs from 1-5 pm at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave, Chicago. Tickets are $45 for members, and – due to the overwhelming demand – nonmember tickets will not be available. You must be 21 or older to attend this non-smoking event. NOTE: due to the enormous demand for tickets, the following policy is in effect:

• An event flyer and ticket order form will be mailed to members only (membership must be valid as of December 1, 2008). Each individual member is allowed to purchase one ticket. Couple members may purchase two tickets. Please do not include orders or requests for additional tickets. Ticket requests must be postmarked no earlier than Monday, December 15th.  Please do not mail your request early. Ticket requests not meeting these criteria will not be honored.
• Orders will be filled based on postmark date. Once we reach capacity, all unfilled orders will be returned and a sellout will be posted here.
• If you are unsure of your membership status, please send an email inquiry to membership@chibeer.org (you can use the form on the Contact Us page). If you are not a member, join by December 1, 2008 to be included in the Shootout mailing.

We’re sorry that we have to enforce such strict guidelines, but space is extremely limited and the demand is extremely high. We cannot even guarantee tickets for all our members. Thanks for your unbelievable support for the Shootout. Best of luck with your ticket orders and hope to see you at the IAHC!

As of Monday, December 22, the Shootout is completely sold out. Tickets, or returned checks for orders we were unable to fill, will be sent shortly by postal mail.