In celebration of the 35th anniversary year of the Chicago Beer Society, we bring you – for one night only – the triumphant return of the Blues & Brews Cruise.

Join us aboard the fabulous Kanan (Navy Pier) for an evening cruising Lake Michigan, with specially selected craft beers, a whole roasted pig dinner, plus live music and dancing against a backdrop of the beautiful Chicago skyline and summer fireworks. Performing for the evening will be Bloodshot Records recording artist Charlie Pickett (“…a trashed-out mix of dark, scuzzy blues and earthy country stomp…” UNCUT Magazine).

The all-inclusive price is $98 for CBS Members, $115 for nonmembers, paid in advance. Nonmembers who join the Beer Society at the same time can pay the member price. Tickets can be purchased by filling out and mailing in the reservation form (already snail mailed to current members) or online (nonmember price only) via Brown Paper Tickets. You must be 21 or older to attend.

Boarding will be from the Kanan Cruises dock at Navy Pier at 7:30 pm, with departure at 8 pm sharp (no stragglers!). Return is at 11 pm.

Directions, parking options, and public transit information are all available at the Kanan Cruises website.

You are cordially invited to the annual celebration of the American Homebrewers Association‘s Big Brew Day (albeit one week later since many of our guys were  at the Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego). Homebrewers all across the country will be brewing batches of beer at the same time, including some of us. There are even some standard recipes (which we rarely follow).

The Chicago Big Brew Day will be held Saturday May 12 at Camp Norris/Phillips, 3717 N. Kenneth, Chicago.  Randy Mosher, Nancy Cline, and their long-time friends will be on hand to help host. Tim Norris and Dave Phillips will be here too, unless Tim is called in to work. There will be room for brewing outdoors, there will be water, perhaps filtered. A smoker will be set up, etc.  All attendees can bring beer and food as usual. The big differences are that there is an alley for drive by unloading, and more grass/dandelions to frolic around in.

Of course, the party is mostly non-brewing participants, thank god, as we’d burn down the neighborhood otherwise. It functions as a warped open house event. Doors will be open from 8 am.  As far as food and drink, this is totally a pitch-in. We usually have a ploughman’s lunch (cheese, cured meat, pickles, etc.) midday, then get the smoker fired up and eat a hot meaty dinner later. We’ll have grills available as well as the smoker. Don’t show up empty handed.  Beer, meat, sides, snacks, and desserts are all welcome. The club will supply plates, forks, glasses. etc.

You might bring a lawn chair with you if you care what you sit on.

Date & Time: May 12, 2012, 8 am-until Roger leaves.

Location: Camp Norris/Phillips, at 3717 N Kenneth Ave,  Chicago, just north of Milwaukee Ave. The site is easily accessible via public transit. The Metra Milwaukee District North line train stop (Grayland) is just around the corner, and the CTA #56 Milwaukee bus stops there, too (Kilbourn). The closest CTA train station is Irving Park on the Blue Line, less than a mile to the east and easily walkable. 773-545-4004.

We look forward to seeing you at Haymarket on October 29.

The Spooky Brew Review winners list is now available here.

Let’s be Frank(lin) – Ben probably never said ”Beer is Proof that God Loves us and Wants Us to be Happy,” and Patrick Henry definitely didn’t say “Give me Liberty, or a Beer would be nice…” And while we’re still waiting for someone to brew a palatable version of George Washington’s small beer (hint: the recipe says hops to taste), thankfully a homebrewer revived Sam Adams’ recipe and one could argue, started a craft beer revolution.

So here we are 236 years later, with the craft beer revolution in full swing, enjoying the fruits of our brewers’ independence and imagination. Join us for Brewed in the U.S.A., featuring a wide selection of American-made craft brews that exemplify the independent spirit that makes our country, and our beer, the greatest!

The event will be held from 1-5 pm on Sunday, July 10 at DANK Haus, 4740 N Western Ave, Chicago. We encourage you to use public transportation to and from the event, and it couldn’t be easier! The venue is located just north (across the street) from the CTA Brown Line station at Western and is convenient to Metra (15 minute walk from UP-N Ravenswood Station). The CTA 49 Western and 81 Lawrence buses can also drop you almost literally at the front door.

Admission is $40 for CBS members, $50 for nonmembers, and includes a tasting glass, BBQ from Smokin’ Woody’s, and American cheeses. As always, anyone who joins CBS when ordering tickets can also pay the member price. Attendees must be 21 or older to attend. Please, no children. No refunds.

To purchase tickets, print out and mail in this form. You can also purchase tickets online (nonmember pricing only) at Brown Paper Tickets. Tickets will also be available at the door.

You are cordially invited to the annual celebration of the American Homebrewers Association’s Big Brew Day. Homebrewers all across the country will be brewing batches of beer at the same time, including some of us. There are even some standard recipes which you are encouraged, but not required, to follow.

Brewers, if you’re planning on coming, contact Randy Mosher so he can save some room.

Of course, the party is mostly non-brewing participants, thank god, as we’d burn down the neighborhood otherwise. It functions as a warped open house event. Doors will be open from 8 am (brewers earlier by special arrangement). As far as food and drink, this is a pitch-in. We usually have a ploughman’s lunch midday, then get the smoker fired up (usually by Joe Preiser, Pitmaster) and eat a hot meat dinner later. We’ll have a grill available as well as the smoker. Don’t show up empty handed. Beer, meat, sides, snacks, and desserts are all welcome.

We will have a big pile of firewood for the firepit. You might bring a lawn chair with you if you care what you sit on.

Date & Time: May 7, 2008 8 am-until Roger leaves.

Location: Chez Mosher-Cline, at 1604 W. Lunt Ave, Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. (Lunt is 7000 north; that’s 4 blocks from the lake, 2 blocks east of Clark, about a 5 minute walk from the Morse Ave Red Line CTA stop.) 773-973-0240.

For the seventh consecutive year, CBS will be sponsoring Day of the Living Ales, a walk-around real ale tasting featuring the best cask conditioned ales from Chicagoland breweries and some very special guests. We’ll also be serving fine meats, cheeses, and other appetizers to help you consume responsibly.

As always, DotLA will feature the region’s largest selection of real ales (40+ casks), all of them coddled by our own staff of experienced cellarmen, trained in the UK to care for and serve real ale. Remember, a properly served real ale is neither cloudy, flat, nor warm; rather, it is bright, with a gentle carbonation and served at cellar temperature. Accept no substitute!

Attendees will be able to sample the beers and then vote for the 2011 Champion Real Ale of Chicagoland. Last year’s winners were:

1. Flossmoor Station Bourbon McElroy Imperial Stout
2. Goose Island Beer Company Oaky Rose Flemish Brown
3. Surly Brewing Darkness

Will a local brewer earn repeat honors in 2011? You decide!

Casks settling at 2010 DotLA

Day of the Living Ales will be held at Goose Island Wrigleyville, 3535 N Clark St, Chicago, over two sessions: 1-5 pm (4:45 last call) and 6-10 pm (9:45 last call). Only 250 tickets per session will be sold. Admission includes a tasting glass, beer samples and appetizers (artisanal meats and cheeses). All attendees must be at least 21 years old. Note: as of January 31, the event is sold out. Please do not call or email, or ask to change sessions, as there are no additional tickets available, and none will be available at the door.

Occasionally some tickets may be made available via our CBS-HB listserv. If you do not already subscribe, you are encouraged to do so.

Thanks once again for your incredible support of this event!

Come out and enjoy the best beers and best foods from Chicago area brewpubs and microbreweries as CBS presents the Chicagoland Brewpub & Microbrewery Shootout for the 13th consecutive year. 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 in the Erin Room at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave, Chicago. An event flyer and ticket order form was mailed to members (valid as of December 1, 2010) in early December. As of Saturday, December 18, orders have been processed and the event is now officially sold out. There will be no ticket sales to nonmembers. If your order arrived after the sellout was reached, your check will be returned. Tickets will be mailed in early January.

If you weren’t lucky enough to score a ticket, your best bet is to monitor our CBS-HB listserv, as occasionally tickets become available due to cancellations.

To our members who we could not accommodate, we are very sorry. We’re still exploring the possibility of expanding the event, but to do so will require a larger venue and the breweries must be amenable to serving a bigger crowd.