The 14th Annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers
Chicago’s most revered festival returned to UIC Forum for a third consecutive year. Gone were the overhead lights that gave the space a sterile, tradeshow vibe. They were replaced with a warm, globe string light design. The 2016 edition of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild’s signature event saw Seattle Cider …
Hopping the Penguin Hops
On Tuesday, October 10th, Chicago Beer Geeks went behind the scenes to experience the hopping of Penguin Hops. Created through a collaboration with the Shedd Aquarium and Revolution Brewing, Penguin Hops is a limited-release harvest pale ale hopped with the Shedd’s homegrown hops. You might be surprised that the Shedd …
A Sunday in Bohemia
Last Sunday, we finally had the opportunity to visit the fabled Band of Bohemia, a culinary brew-child of Alinea alumni Michael Carroll and Craig Sindelar. This waywardly bohemian brewhouse serves up comforting yet fanciful fare and unique beers in a reclaimed Ravenswood Oreo factory. The team at Band of Bohemia …
CBG Podcast: Episode 2
We discuss Darkness Day, Dark Horse Brewery, FoBAB, and many other random things
CBG Podcast Episode 1
Tour de Fat: Shining Like a Rainbow Over a Waterfall of Ho-hummity
10,000 people spanning all ages, styles, races, and generations convened at Tour de Fat on July 9th in Palmer Square Park. New Belgium Brewing Company has put on this innovative circus-themed festival for 17 years now. This traveling collaboration of artists, carnies, and performers will bring its spectacles to 9 …
Iceland: Brugghús Steðja and Hvalur 2
CBG Ali visited the Land of Fire and Ice and returned with tales of waterfalls, fjords, sheep, and gnomes. But, the most interesting story of all involved drinking the most controversial beer in the world: Hvalur 2. First of all, one would think that a Nordic country like Iceland would …