Day & Night of the Living Ales (Sold Out)

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.

11th Annual Chicagoland Brewpub & Microbrewery Shootout (Sold Out)

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.

32nd Annual Fall Tasting & Dinner (Sold Out)

Join us at Rock Bottom Chicago (1 W Grand Ave, Chicago) for the latest edition of the country’s oldest tasting of commercial beers. This will be a blind tasting – beers are served in souvenir CBS glasses to allow you to judge the beers strictly on their own merit. When the formal tasting ends, all the beers will be available for your enjoyment.

Renowned chef Charles Fegert has returned to RB Chicago and is preparing a great meal for us. Check out the official event flyer for all the tasty details, and use the attached form to reserve your tickets.

As of November 13, the Fall Tasting is sold out.

The Chicago Beer Society recommends public transportation or the use of a designated driver for all our tasting events. Rock Bottom is located directly above the CTA Red Line stop at Grand and State. It’s also within walking distance or a short cab ride from all Metra downtown stations.

Spooky Brew Review 2008 Homebrew Competition

The Spooky Brew Review homebrew competition is celebrating its 17th consecutive year.

Our host this year will be the famed Goose Island Clybourn brewpub, in what sadly may be the swan song at this venerable location. As usual, SBR will feature judging in all categories of the BJCP Style Guidelines. But the highlight is always the judging of the special Spooky (scariest) and Smashed Pumpkin (Worst of Show) categories – these should not be missed. For the second 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 unconsumable by the Competition Committee will be DISQUALIFIED.

So, please plan on entering, judging, stewarding, or just attending Spooky Brew Review 2008 — it definitely doesn’t get any crazier than this!

The competition announcement, entry forms, bottle labels, judge registration/waiver forms, and the latest BJCP Style Guidelines are all available in PDF (Portable Document Format).

Entrants, Stewards and Judges: if you have additional questions, contact competition organizers Roger Deschner (roger @ chibeer.org, 773-363-1407) or Brad Reeg (beej @ chibeer.org, 773-384-5888).

Bus Trip to Great Taste of the Midwest (Sold Out)

The Great Taste of the Midwest at Olin-Turville Park in Madison, WI is always one of the country’s best beer festivals. It’s become so popular that the limited (5000) tickets sell out WAY in advance. This year is no exception – the event was declared a sellout almost as soon as tickets went on sale in early May. But – as has been the case for many years – CBS offers its members an exclusive festival package that includes a coveted ticket to the Taste and round-trip bus transportation from either Chicago or Warrenville. Tickets were sold via a members-only mailing. Not surprisingly, these soldout in record time.

Here’s the 411 for those who have scored tickets:

  • City bus departs from Goose Island Clybourn (1800 N Clybourn) at 9:30 am, returns ~9 pm
  • Suburban bus departs from Rock Bottom-Warrenville (Winfield Rd & I-88) at 9:30 am, returns ~9 pm
  • No smoking or glass containers on the buses
  • You must be at least 21 years old to attend
  • Festival tickets will be distributed on the buses
  • Don’t be late for the ride home – most hotel rooms in Madison are already booked!