While Naperville has been known for such events as their Ribfest and other festivals for years, this was the sophomore outing for their young Ale Fest. Thank goodness this hasn’t stopped them from roping in some of the heavy-hitter breweries to bring along a selection of great brews.
We arrived shortly after doors opened and while waiting in line to enter, we were greeted by a group of horns and drums marching down the line. Once access to the festival grounds was granted, we immediately headed for the tents to begin our experience. We were unable to attend the first festival, so we can’t speak to what has changed or improved since last year, but overall the festival was well organized and allowed us to easily locate the beers we wanted to try. This was in part thanks to the program that included a map of the festival grounds, along with a list of all breweries and beer offerings.
The ticket system used for samples was a pleasant surprise compared to other ticketed festivals. Rather than having to worry about dropping and keeping track of them in your pocket, you received a lanyard to hang around your neck. This made it much easier to keep track of everything.
Throughout the day, every half-hour marked the tapping of a special brewery release. This kept us on our toes to look out for the ones we wanted to try as the lines would grow quite rapidly. Urban Legends had a Russian Imperial stout that, once released, was tapped out in ~8 minutes. Even with the more rare beers tapping out quickly, there were still plenty to go around. It was also great to see some of the more recently established breweries giving you a chance to try their offerings. Grouping the cider selections around the corner from the main section of the fest was also a great escape from the crowds. With ciders increasing in recent popularity, it was nice to give many of these crisp and tart selections a try. With them being located near the food, it was also a much quieter area to relax and enjoy the scene.
The food court at the festival was also an aspect that really added to the overall selection at the festival, and made sure we had a good base for the highh ABV draughts we were certain to be sipping. A great selection of varying foods and desserts was available to choose from, and you could easily find something to eat that fit a variety of budget options. We tried out Sharko’s BBQ and had some great food that paired very well with the beers we just so happened to have in-hand at the time. Another not-to-miss food vendor was Dukes Smoked Meats. We first had the chance to check them out at last year’s Midwest Brewers Fest, and knew we had to get our hands on some more while here. Good thing we got ours early, as they were sold out well before the fest ended.
So, while certainly remiss in missing last year’s festival ourselves, we won’t be missing it again next year. We highly recommend you do the same. If you haven’t gone yet, or even if you have, make sure you get your tickets early next year. (But save some Duke’s for us!)
