The Business of Craft Beer Program at the College of DuPage offers a variety of summer and fall beer classes

The College of DuPage, located in west suburban Glen Ellyn, offers a highly regarded Business of Craft Beer program that has a full slate of events and classes this summer and fall. Now in its ninth year, this short-term career training program offers professional courses taught by those working in the craft beer industry. 

The summer beer series includes: 

Historic Beer Styles Every Beer Professional Should Know — This four-part series delves into the classic European beer styles that laid the foundations for the American craft beer movement and the current U.S. beer scene. Tuesday and Thursday, July 9 to July 18, 7-9 p.m.

The fall beer series includes:

Foundations of Beer — Designed primarily for the weekend beer hobbyist and the budding enthusiast. Tuesday and Thursday, Aug. 8 to Aug. 15, 6-9 p.m.

Inside Track to the Craft Beer Industry — Learn about the professions within the craft beer industry and the skills needed to be successful in different areas. Tuesday and Thursday, Aug. 20 to Sept. 12, 6-9 p.m.

Beer Sales and Distribution — Learn all the aspects of selling and distributing beer from those experienced in the industry. Tuesday, Sept. 17 to Oct. 22, 6-9 p.m.

The College of DuPage is hosting a casual information session about their Business of Craft Beer Program on Tuesday, July 16 from 7-8 p.m. at Pollyanna Brewing in Lemont.

Promoting Beer as a Brand Ambassador — Develop promotional, branding and messaging skills you can use in the taproom, at events and online. Thursday, Sept. 19 to Oct. 24, 6-9 p.m.

Front of House Beer Management — Learn essential skills for superior taproom service and management. Monday, Oct. 28 to Dec. 2, 6-9 p.m.

Advanced Beer Knowledge — Take your knowledge of all things beer to the next level, covering the highest industry standards in knowledge of beer styles, production, evaluation, and service. Thursday, Sept. 12 to Nov. 7, 6-9:30 p.m.

Craft Beer Entrepreneurship — Learn from experienced entrepreneurs in the industry about what strategies and infrastructure are needed to start your own craft beer-focused business. Monday, Sept. 9 to Oct. 14, 6-9 p.m.

Business of Craft Beer Capstone — Complete your training with this final capstone course, which will synthesize previous coursework into a final product and allow you to gain hands-on experience in the industry. Wednesday, Oct. 30-Dec. 4, 6-9 p.m.

Testimonials from recent students: “Visiting various breweries and listening to owners tell us about their brewery was fantastic. To hear the struggles, rewards and vision was extremely helpful.”

“The instructors were knowledgeable and super excited each and every class. They gave off such a positive feeling that was infectious and helped promote conversation and questions. … They showed us how exciting local craft beer is, but also explained some of the challenges.”

Looking for more information? The College of DuPage is hosting a casual information session on Tuesday, July 16 from 7-8 p.m. at Pollyanna Brewing in Lemont. Note: Illinois Craft Brewers Guild members receive a 25% discount on all courses. For more information about the Business of Craft Beer and its class schedule, visit COD.edu/craftbeer 

Evanstone Homebrew Club

The Evanston Homebrew Club is celebrating its 16th anniversary

If you live on the north side of the city or north suburbs and you dabble in homebrewing — or have at least thought about it — you should check out the Evanston Homebrew Club, which meets at Sketchbook Brewing’s Skokie taproom once a month to sample and evaluate home-brewed beers, share knowledge and experiences, and provide constructive feedback feedback.

We all bond over stories about the best beer we made, the not-so-best beer we made, and our toughest brew day. … It’s a hobby that you never stop learning about and never stop sharing information.”

“Throughout our 16 years of existence, we’ve continued to promote ongoing education about homebrewing and an appreciation of various beer styles, and we haven’t stopped having fun and making friends,” says founder Ted Perez, who has taken part in numerous brewery competitions and festivals and met homebrewers from all over the U.S. and countries like Brazil, Japan and Canada. “It’s not hard to speak passionately to folks about the nuances of these hops, that yeast, water composition, barrel-aging — you name it. We all bond over stories about the best beer we made, the not-so-best beer we made, and our toughest brew day. … It’s a hobby that you never stop learning about and never stop sharing information.”

To learn more about the Evanston Homebrew Club, you can follow them on Facebook (Evanston Home Brew Club) or Instagram (@etownhomebrew)

New in town: Chicago Walking Brewery Tours

This new tour company is based around Malt Row in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago, which has a large number of breweries, a distillery and a winery. The tour includes a visit to at least three different breweries with historical information and fun facts about the city’s brewing scene along the way. Reserved seating, exclusive discounts and recommendations are included for most of the tour stops. Located conveniently close to the Irving Park brown line, the tour is very easy to get to via public transit or Uber.

“Adam is such a knowledgeable and charismatic tour guide,” offers one Trip Advisor reviewer. “Not only did he provide great information and context about the breweries and the city of Chicago, but he also tailored certain aspects around our group’s flavor palettes.”

For more information, visit ChicagoWalkingBreweryTours.com

Brewery specials around the state

Every Thursday is discount to-go day at Bent River Brewing Co.’s two locations in the Quad Cities. Get $5 single cans or $19 four-packs of Happy Water and $3 off all 4-packs of 16-ounce beers. Side note: Keep an eye out for their strawberry rhubarb wheat!

What’s better than beer and app specials in the middle of the day? Une Année’s happy hour in NW suburban Niles runs weekdays from 2:30-5:30 p.m. and includes $4 pints of select core lower-ABV beers (Pils, Fresh IPA, Irish stout, etc.) and discounted appetizers. 

Art History Brewing in west suburban Geneva has half-price drafts on Mondays from 6 p.m.-close. 

Eris Brewery and Cider House on the northwest side of Chicago offers up $5 house cider and beer and half off select appetizers from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Hailstorm Brewing Co. in Tinley Park has half off beer flights from 3-9 p.m. on Mondays. Looking for to-go savings? You can also score a $10 discount on full cases of cans (any mix/match) when you order online for pickup at the taproom. 

One of the largest and most underrated beer gardens in the burbs belongs to Wolfden Brewing in Bloomingdale, where they have $5 beers all day on Wednesdays.