collage of images from the 2026 Brewpub Shootout
Chicago Beer Society CBS Event Recaps

BPSO XXVII Recap

Another fantastic Brewpub Shootout is in the books and the chefs & brewers took it to another level – yet again – for this 27th edition of the event.

Each participant brought something special to this special event, but after the votes were tallied these competitors stood out as crowd favorites:

BEST PAIRING:

1: @flossmoorbrewco
 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie w/ Double Barrel Aged Almond Joy Pawn & The King (Barrel Aged Stout)

2: @oldirvingbrewing
Chorizo Smashburger w/ Walking West (Mexican Vienna Lager)

3: @duneyrr_wine_beer x @chicagosecretburger
Al Pastor Smoked Hot Dog w/Pineapple Plush (Tepache-style Pineapple Pale Ale)

BEST FOOD:

1: @cruzblancachi
Carnitas Taco: Pork shoulder slow cooked in lard, fresh made yellow corn tortilla, salsa cruda verde, onions, cilantro

2: @morebrewing
Tonkatsu Curry w/ Basmati Rice & Furikake Pickled Cabbage

3: @duneyrr_wine_beer x @chicagosecretburger
Al Pastor Smoked Hot Dog w/ Crispy Chihuahua Cheese, Pineapple Relish, and Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

BEST BEER:

1: @cruzblancachi
Agent Tepache Piña (Mixed Culture Saison)

2: @industryales
Jazz Pipe (West Coast IPA)

3: @haymarketbeer
Secret Alley (Belgian-Style Tripel)

~~~~~

Many thanks to everyone who came out to support this event (including the volunteers who helped with hours of setup & teardown), and especially to our wonderful hosts @halfacrebeer – we’ll see you all again next year!

🍻

Flossmoor Station
Old Irving Brewing
Cruz Blanca
Duneyrr Wine & Beer Co. with Chicago Secret Burger
Industry Ales
More Brewing
Haymarket
Double Clutch Brewing
Off Color with Superdawg
Alulu Brewpub
Obscurity Ales
Half Acre
Chicago Beer Society CBS Event Recaps, General CBS News

2025 FALL TASTING RECAP & VOTING RESULTS

jockey boxes and beer list
cruz blanca champion beer
hop butcher favorite beer
half acre favorite beer
black bean and mushroom slider

BIG thanks to all the attendees, the amazing staff at @uneannee and all he participating breweries for making the 48th Fall Tasting & Dinner another one for the books!

The food was incredible, and we had a unique lineup of beers for everyone to sample. After the blind tasting concluded and all beers were revealed, there were certainly a few surprises!

But before that, attendees voted on their favorites by tap number only, so without knowing the brewery, beer name, style, or even ABV, these were the favorites amongst the crowd:

CHAMPION:

#14 – Cruz Blanca – Champurrado (Willett BA Stout w/ Oaxacan Chocolate & Spicy Mexican Cinnamon – 13%)

FAVORITE:

#11: Hop Butcher – Be Alert For Foul Balls (Hazy IPA  – 6.75%)

FAVORITE:

#2: Half Acre – Ridge Tree (Dark Czech Lager – 4.6%)

~~~

Thanks again to everyone involved for making this another special night, and stay tuned for details on our next two upcoming events:

Saturday, January 31, 2026: THE BREWPUB SHOOTOUT

Saturday April 18, 2026: LEGENDS of LAGER 3

crowd enjoying beer festival
Chicago Beer Society CBS Event Recaps, General CBS News

LEGENDS of LAGER 2 Recap

On Saturday, April 26th we welcomed 23 breweries, 2 food vendors, 1 cheesemonger and about 150 lager-loving attendees to the 2nd annual LEGENDS of LAGER festival & competition.

The food from Alo Arepa Co. and Chicago Secret Squares was incredible, but as with any CBS event, the beers were the true stars of the show.

With many, MANY great options on hand, the competition was fierce but in the end a few standouts took home the hardware.

CHAMPION BEER:

Goldfinger x Pollyanna – Back of the Rhine (Alsatian-style Lager)

FAVORITE BEERS:

Homewood Brewing Company – Conversations (Mexican Lager)

Cruz Blanca – Tequila Barrel Aged Lime + Salt Chelada (Mexican Lager)

BOARD AWARD (beer that best represented the true spirit of the event):

Cruz Blanca – Vienna Lager (Gravity Keg)

Huge thanks to everyone who came out, to the participating brewers whose generosity helps make these events possible, to the SUPERB food vendors, to our great host Duneyrr Wine & Beer Co. and especially to the amazing volunteers who helped throughout the day!

We truly can’t do it without y’all ❤️

See you next year at LoL3!

brewpub shootout attendees enjoying their beer and food pairings inside Metropolitan Brewery
Chicago Beer Society CBS Event Recaps

BPSO XXIV – RECAP & WINNERS

On Saturday we welcomed around 300 of the most knowledgeable, dedicated beer enthusiasts in the area to crown the best beers, foods, and pairings around at the 24th annual Brewpub Shootout.

The quality on offer this year represented the most impressive spread we’ve had in many, many years and the tight results of the vote reflected that; everyone involved truly brought their “A game” and we can’t thank enough all of the brewers and chefs who made it possible.

Special thanks also go out to our devoted attendees, our hosts Metropolitan Brewing, and the CBS volunteers and board members who put in many hours of work to make this event so special once again.

With all that being said, here are the winners:

BEST PAIRING

Champion: Eris Brewery and Cider House

Favorite: Off Color Brewing / Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings

Favorite: Flipside Brewing

BEST FOOD

Champion: BrickStone Brewery

Favorite: Half Acre Beer Company

Favorite: Revolution Brewing

BEST BEER

Champion: Off Color Brewing

Favorite: Double Clutch Brewery

Favorite: Flipside Brewing

Chicago Beer Society CBS Event Recaps, General CBS News

45th Fall Tasting & Dinner Recap

The 2022 edition of our annual Fall Tasting reminded us how much fun sampling blind can be!

The venue was incredible (BIG shout-out to Double Clutch Brewing and their amazing staff), the food was tasty, and the wide variety of beers on offer kept tasters on their toes!

While there were many excellent options pouring throughout the night, the top 3 favorites (voted on blind by attendees) were:

CHAMPION: Goose Island (Clybourn Brewhouse) – Big News 1 (Imperial Stout aged on coconut & pecan – 13%)

FAVORITE: Revolution (brewpub) – Party Britches (Rye Dunkel – 6%)

FAVORITE: Ike & Oak – Woollysicle (Milkshake IPA w/orange, vanilla, lactose – 6.3%)

Many thanks once again to our host venue, and the volunteers & board members who helped with everything from hauling kegs to check-in to draft system maintenance to cleanup and tear-down! See you again next year!

FULL BEER LIST:

BREWERYBEERSTYLEABV %
1) Revolution (Brewpub)Party BritchesRye Dunkel6
2) Ike & OakWoollysicleMilkshake IPAw/orange, vanilla, lactose6.3
3) HaymarketOscar’s PardonBelgian Pale Ale4.5
4) Off ColorBeer for the Top ShelfVienna Lagerw/maple syrup5.5
5) TightheadWe Be Yammin’Sweet Potato Ale6.9
6) DuneyrrScarlet WynterRosé Vineyard Aleco-fermented w/ riesling grapes, blood orange, red currant & elderflower4.8
7) Double ClutchHellesHelles Lager5.1
8) Goose IslandBig News 1Oatmeal Stoutaged on toasted & raw coconut, and roasted pecans13
9) MaplewoodModified ConceptDDH IPA7.2
10) Casa HumildeMesita C2CMixed-FermentationTable Beer3.4
11) Half AcrePretty StreetsLime Lager4.8
11) Roaring TableAccordanceCzech Dark Lager4.6
13) Printer’s RowDark AdaptationStout w/ Cacao Nibs & Peanut Butter8.6