Chicago Beer Society

How could the area’s greatest beer & food event get any better?

Well, for starters it could be in a larger venue so more people and breweries could attend; then the brewers and the chefs could top almost everything they’ve served for the last 13 years.  Amazingly, for the 14th edition of the Chicagoland Brewpub & Microbrewery Shootout, that’s exactly what happened!

The Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport provided much greater room for breweries and patrons alike. There was more seating and it was definitely a lot easier to move around. Attendance was at an all-time high, and there’s still room for more people next year.

There were 15 participants, including a few first-timers: Finch’s Beer Company/City Provisions, Limestone Brewing Company, and the Goose Island Fulton Brewery (paired up with Urban Belly). As always, awards were presented in three categories (Best Beer, Best Food, Best Beer/Food Pairing) , with the top three in each taking home an attractive trophy. The attendees cast their ballots and the awards were presented towards the end of the event.

Flossmoor Station, Revolution, and Three Floyds all garnered multiple awards this year, but clearly there were no losers – everything was outstanding, so congratulations, all!

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

14th Annual Chicagoland Brewpub Shootout Awards:

Beer
1. Goose Island Beer Company (Fulton Street)
2. Revolution Brewing Company
3. Three Floyds Brewing Company

Food
1. Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery
2. Three Floyds Brewing Company
3. The Lucky Monk Burger, Pizza, and Beer Company

Pairing
1. Revolution Brewing Company
2. Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery
3. Three Floyds Brewing Company

As always, this was an unbelievable event. Thanks to all of the Brewpubs, Brewers, Chefs and their Assistants for making this possible; to the staff at the Zhou B for their assistance;  to our sizable crew of volunteers who assisted with set-up and break-down; and, of course, to our great members who continue to make the Shootout one of the best beer events in the world.

For the eighth 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 2012 Champion Real Ale of Chicagoland. Last year’s winners were:

1. Goose Island Beer Company Skully (saison aged in oak barrels with fresh strawberries, honey, and Champagne yeast)
2. Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout
3. Three Floyds Zombie Dust

Will a local brewer earn repeat honors in 2012? You decide!

Casks settling prior to a past event

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. Tickets are $40 for CBS members, $45 for nonmembers. To order tickets, mail in this order form with your payment (check, money order, or cash). Tickets are also available online (nonmember ticket price only) on Brown Paper Tickets.

As of February 2, the day (1 pm) session is sold out. A limited number of tickets remain for the evening session.

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 14th 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 at a completely new venue, the Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W 35th St, Chicago. An event flyer and ticket order form for this members-only event was mailed in December. Orders were processed beginning on January 5. As this is a larger venue, we still have a limited number of tickets available to valid CBS members. If you are still interested in attending and did not already order tickets, contact us immediately via the Contact Us page.

Important note: it appears that the event tickets have last year’s date (January 22). The Shootout is definitely this coming Saturday, January 21.  Please make sure to come on the correct day!

While the Zhou B Art Center has a large free parking lot, we encourage everyone to take public transportation to and from the event. The center is located approximately 1 mile west of the CTA Sox-35th Red Line station. The CTA’s 35 bus offers regular service directly to and from the venue. If traveling westbound (from the Red Line or Green Line stations or the Metra Rock Island stop at 35th), exit at Morgan. If traveling eastbound (from the CTA Orange Line stop at 35th and Archer), exit at Aberdeen.

The Chicago Beer Society’s 35th Annual Fall Tasting Dinner’s in the books. Thanks to our host and the staff at Klas Restaurant for a great meal, all the brewers and breweries, The Map Room, Paramount Merchants, Louis Glunz Beer Inc., and 10th & Blake for the excellent beers. Hope all those attending had a good time!

The 2011 winners were:

First Place (tie): Revolution Brewing Co. Rise (American hoppy stout)
First Place (tie):  Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. Big EddyRussian Imperial Stout
Third Place: 5 Rabbit Cerveceria Hibiscus Belgian Golden Holiday Ale

Filling out the rest of the impressive field were (in alphabetical order):

• Boulevard Brewing Co. Nommo Dubbel
• Czechvar Premium Czech Lager
• Goose Island Beer Co. Lolita Raspberry Ale (aged in wine barrels)
• Goose Island Clybourn Brewpub Midway IPA
• Haymarket Pub & Brewery Peg Leg Smoked Porter
• Lakefront Brewery “Dan” Baltic Porter
• Metropolitan Brewing Dynamo Copper Lager
• Mickey Finn’s Brewery McFinn’s Wee Heavy
• New Holland Brewing Co. The Poet Oatmeal Stout
• North Coast Brewing Co. Red Seal American Amber Ale
• Wild Onion Brewing Co. Hopslayer Double IPA

Regards,
Frank Patino
Fall Tasting Organizer

Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 Chicago Beer Society Spooky Brew Review Homebrew Competition. Not only was this our 20th anniversary, but we also had 353 entries this year, the most ever! Thanks to all the brewers who entered beers in this year’s competition.

Congrats to BOS winner Ray Gonzalez, who grabbed the honors with an excellent Kölsch. Rodney Kibzey was BOS runner up with his now-famous Black IPA, Blackened Hops. First place in Samuel Adams Longshot, only Second Place at Spooky Brew 2011? What’s up with that?!

In our “special” categories, Alexis Jansky (Brixie’s Brewers) won the Witches’ Brew with a fine Berliner Weisse (also took 3rd place in Sour Ales with the same beer); Calvin and Tara Rowland (UKG) earned their second Spooky Brew ribbon in a row, following up their “delectable” Kitty Litter with a much-scarier Aunt Flo’s Ale; Robert Kay (UKG) grabbed the Smashed Pumpkin award with his repulsive Spider Spit Cider.

The complete competition results are available here.
Thanks to our great – and sizable – group of judges and stewards who plowed through our record number of entries so professionally and effciently. Special thanks to Pete Crowley and all the staff at Haymarket Pub & Brewery for their unbelievable hospitality. Pete’s beery expertise was displayed all day, and not just via the taps! Pete judged Belgian & French Ale, Belgian Strong Ale, and served on the Best-of-Show panel. Yay, Pete! Haymarket Manager (and Judge) Janna Mestan was particularly helpful, corralling all the drop-off entries and handling multifarious duties throughout the day of the competition. All right, Janna!

Looking forward to the next 20 years of the Spooky Brew Review,
Matt Mayes and Meghan Rutledge, Organizers

Join us at KLAS Restaurant (5734 W Cermak Rd, Cicero, IL) on Saturday, November 19 for the 35th edition of the country’s oldest tasting of commercial beers.

This will be a blind tasting to allow you to judge the specially procured beers strictly on their own merit. When the formal tasting ends, all the beers will be available for your enjoyment. There are a limited amount of seats available. Reservations are due by November 12 and pre-payment is required. Everyone must be 21 or older to attend. NO REFUNDS.

KLAS, established in 1922, is the oldest operating Czechoslovakian restaurant in the country. This famous Chicago landmark is renowned for its one-of-a-kind atmosphere and hearty, Old World cuisine. The Fall Tasting menu will include:

• Goulash Soup, Tossed Salad
• Roast Chicken, Roast Polish Sausage, Breaded Pork Tenderloin
• Roasted Baby Red Potatoes with Rosemary, Green Bean Almondine, Sauerkraut, Bread Dumplings
• Kolacky

Of course, you can count on over a dozen superb craft beers to sample before, during, and after your meal. As always, we aim to get a few choice surprises!

Tickets are $45 for CBS members, $55 for nonmembers. As always, nonmembers who sign up for CBS when making reservations get to pay the member rate. Check out the official event flyer for all the tasty details and use the attached form to reserve your tickets. We look forward to seeing you on the 19th! Note that the event is sold out as of November 12. Thanks!

The Chicago Beer Society emphasizes responsible consumption and recommends public transportation or the use of a designated driver for all our tasting events. KLAS  is only a 10-11 minute walk from the CTA Pink Line station at 54th and Cermak; the CTA 21 Cermak bus also stops right outside the restaurant door.

The Chicago Beer Society Spooky Brew Review homebrew competition is now celebrating its 20th year!

Our host this year will be the Haymarket Pub & Brewery at 737 W Randolph Street (SE corner of Randolph and Halsted) in Chicago, conveniently located in the West Loop where all roads, trains, and buses converge.

As usual, SBR will feature judging in all categories of the BJCP Style Guidelines. But a highlight is always the judging of the special Spooky (scariest) and Smashed Pumpkin (Worst of Show) categories, which definitely should not be missed. And for the fifth year in a row, we’ll also include Witches’ Brew, an open category for beer, mead, and cider brewed only by women.

NOTE: All entries for the Spooky and Smashed Pumpkin categories must be drinkable. Anything deemed otherwise by the Competition Committee will be DISQUALIFIED, and that’s very hard to do.

So, please plan on entering, judging, or stewarding Spooky Brew Review 2011. After 20 years it’s still here and we’re damn proud of it!

The competition package (including rules & regulations, entry forms, bottle labels, and a style chart) is now available for download here in PDF format. The entry fee is $7 per standard entry (2 bottles) and $2 for Witches’ Brew, Spooky Brew, and Smashed Pumpkin (1 bottle). Entries with fees can be dropped off from October 10-21 at Haymarket, The Brewer’s Coop in Warrenville, Brew and Grow on Kedzie (Chicago), and The Homebrew Shop in St. Charles, the regular CBS First Thursday gathering on October 6 at Goose Island Clybourn, or the UKG Picnic on October 8.

Judges and Stewards – we need you! If you are interesting in serving as a judge or steward on October 29, please contact competition organizer Matt Mayes (matt @ chibeer.org). All general questions can also be directed to him or co-organizer Meghan Rutledge (meghan @ chibeer.org).