Illinois Craft Beer Week runs May 9-16: Busy times for enjoying good brews with Beer Under Glass, the Summer Passport program, Pint Day and more

By Ray Stout
Executive director of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild is excited to announce the return of Illinois Craft Beer Week May 9-16, 2025. This year we’re focusing our weeklong celebration on the enduring impact craft breweries have on our communities and neighborhoods with unique opportunities throughout the week for our members, partners, fans, retailers and followers to experience and support our awesome craft beer industry in Illinois.

This year, we’re opening Illinois Craft Beer Week with our cornerstone event — hosted once again outdoors in the city of Chicago — under the glass-clad skyline overlooking Millennium Park on the rooftop of the Harris Theater. Please join us for an exploration of Illinois craft beer at our signature festival and fundraiser, Beer Under Glass (BUG), on Friday, May 9.

This one-of-a-kind evening pairs samples from breweries from across Illinois in a setting that can’t be beat. Guests will go on a statewide craft beer adventure, mingling with brewers from their favorite craft beer spots, sampling timeless favorites, and discovering new treasures. Beer Under Glass will celebrate the collaborations, partnerships and connections that define the Illinois craft beer industry and the brewers, supplier, and supporters who are instrumental to our community.

For more information and tickets to Beer Under Glass, head to Illinoisbeer.org/ICBW. As a reminder, our ImBIBE members get a free VIP upgrade at Beer Under Glass with the purchase of a ticket. To find out more about ImBIBE or to join this awesome program (and get Illinois Brewing magazine delivered to your home each quarter), please visit Illinoisbeer.org/imbibe. Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but ImBIBE members get that same VIP upgrade for FoBAB.

This year, we’re opening Illinois Craft Beer Week with our cornerstone event, Beer Under Glass, on May 9 under the glass-clad skyline overlooking Millennium Park on the rooftop of the Harris Theater.

Summer Passport program

Illinois Craft Beer Week also marks the beginning of our Drink Illinois Summer Passport program. Coming off an amazing outpouring of support, we are excited to bring our passport back in 2025. Last year passport holders spent an estimated $208,000 at independent craft breweries across the state, and we are ready to exceed that total in 2025. Most importantly the summer passport program is about the experience and exploration it encourages. After all, there are 275 breweries across our state!

As an introduction (or a reminder), here is how our Summer Passport program works: Starting during Illinois Craft Beer Week, swing by a participating Illinois craft brewery to pick up your Summer Passport. Hurry, Summer Passports are available while supplies last, and breweries will not receive extras, so get yours early. For all the details, head to Illinoisbeer.org/ICBW

Pint Day, support & advocacy

Finally, with Illinois Craft Beer Week comes the return of Pint Day. This is our fourth annual Pint Day, where brewers from across the state will offer customers a chance to grab a limited-edition pint glass. This year’s glass was designed by artist Matt Pennetti from Ashleigh Road Design Studio and we love it, and we are sure you will too. You can find a full list of participating breweries at Illinoisbeer.org/ICBW. Make sure to grab one before they are gone.

We’re pushing to modernize Illinois liquor laws from the 1930s that make it harder for today’s breweries to open, operate and grow. During Illinois Craft Beer Week, we’ll mobilize our craft community, becoming one voice as we advocate for our future.

At its core, Illinois Craft Beer Week is a reminder of our duty to advocate in support of our industry. This year, we’re pushing to modernize Illinois liquor laws from the 1930s that make it harder for today’s breweries to open, operate and grow. During Illinois Craft Beer Week, we’ll mobilize our craft community, becoming one voice as we advocate for our future through direct contact with members of the Illinois General Assembly and through a high-impact social media campaign. Keep an eye on Illinoisbeer.org  for ways you can help breweries fight for the modernization of Illinois liquor laws.

Finally, do you know what makes visiting our Illinois breweries even better? Buying the beer, keeping the glass AND supporting the industry… all at once! Kicking off during Illinois Craft Beer Week, visit participating breweries to purchase our limited-edition 16-ounce pint glasses designed especially for Illinois craft beer drinkers. A portion of every sale supports the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild’s mission of education, promotion and advocacy. You can find a full listing of participating breweries at Illinoisbeer.org/ICBW.