Oak Park Microbrew Review

The zero-waste Oak Park Microbrew Review festival is Aug. 22

On Saturday, Aug. 22, Oak Park’s Microbrew Review will be celebrating its 19th year as the largest zero-waste craft beer festival in the Midwest. It also happens to raise funds for the environmental nonprofit, Seven Generations Ahead.

To make the event zero waste, all food vendors utilize compostable food-service wares, and brewers are asked not to use any materials that are not compostable or recyclable. Tasting glasses eliminate the tremendous volume of plastic cups that most festivals use, Zero Waste Stations are used to educate patrons on the importance of recycling, and the festival is purposefully located a half block from the CTA green line and Metra, helping better than 80 percent of attendees join the fun via foot, bike or public transit. Together with WasteNot Compost, the festival regularly diverts more than 600 pounds of waste from landfills each year.

But let’s not forget about the great brews and entertainment too. The event features 40-plus breweries offering a diverse range of beers, ciders, seltzers, spirits and NA options. Enjoy food from local vendors, catch live music on four different stages, and explore local businesses in downtown Oak Park.

VIP access is from 12-2 p.m., and general admission is from 2-6 p.m. To get tickets and learn more about the Microbrew Review and the work of Seven Generations Ahead, visit SevenGenerationsAhead.org/events

Streetz Artz Alliance

Streetz Artz Alliance summer shows

Sip and shop this summer with the Streetz Artz Alliance at one of many different breweries in the Chicagoland area, where you can enjoy an expertly curated artisan market, food options and some tasty craft beer. Here is a list of upcoming shows, and more information is available at StreetzArtzAlliance.com

6/26 — Prism Market at Maplewood Brewing & Distilling (Glen Ellyn,)
6/27 — Midsummer Artisan Market at Phase Three Brewing (Lake Zurich,)
6/28 — Sunny Fun Artisan Market at More Brewing (Villa Park)
7/12 — State Street Artisan Market (Geneva)
7/18 — Makers Market at Hopvine Brewing (Aurora)
7/19 — Crafted & Amplified Market (Brookfield)
7/25 — Summerween Market at Soundgrowler Brewing (Tinley Park)
7/26 — Flurry Market at Hailstorm Brewing (Tinley Park)
8/1 — Horizon Handmade Market (Willowbrook)
8/1 — Cards, Comics & Vinyl (Naperville)
8/9 — Tighthead Brewing Summer Bazaar (Mundelein)
8/16 — Metal, Magic & Mystery Market (Willow Springs)
8/22 — Comics, Action Figures & Games Market (Tinley Park)
8/29 — Fright Market at Camp Lake Zurich (Lake Zurich)
8/30 — Hoptoberfest at Hopvine Brewing (Aurora)
9/6 — Flurry Artisan Market (Tinley Park)
9/13 — Hot Ghoul Summer at Noon Whistle Brewing (Naperville)
9/20 — Flipside Brewing’s Beers, Burgers, Bazaar (Tinley Park)

Buffalo Creek Brewing Sausage Fest July 31-Aug. 1

Buffalo Creek Brewing invites you to Sausage Fest — The Wurst Type of Festival on Friday, July 31 from 4-9 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 1 from 1-9 p.m. in the Lager Lane outdoor beer garden.

This two-day celebration of European food, beer and culture will feature authentic European sausages, giant German pretzels, traditional biergarten games including Hammerschlagen and stein-holding competitions, live performances by Alpine Thunder and the Windy City Alphorns, and new European-style beer releases.

Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

360 Historical Lane in Long Grove. BuffaloCreekBrewing.com

Park Ridge Market After Dark

Park Ridge Market After Dark events continue July 25 and Aug. 22

The fun-filled recent addition to near NW suburban Park Ridge is back — and even better — for its third year. Market After Dark, located in the same area as the Park Ridge Farmer’s Market (15 Prairie Ave.), was a huge success in the first two years of existence, as well as the earlier May 30 event this year.

Featuring a variety of food and art vendors, mixed with small-business pop-ups, live entertainment and a large, handpicked rotation of local guest wineries, distilleries and more than a dozen breweries (like Mikerphone, Uné Année, Old Irving, Eris, 93 Octane, Haymarket, Maplewood and more), this is the type of summer street party everyone can enjoy.

This summer’s remaining two Market After Dark events will take place from 4:30-9:30 p.m. July 25 and Aug. 22 — and tasting tickets will be available for the various distilleries, breweries and wineries. For more information and updates, visit MarketAfterDark.com

Ravenswood on Tap

Ravenswood on Tap July 18-19

Malt Row is one of the most prolific craft brewing communities in the country — and it’s right here in the Ravenswood neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. Each year, the community celebrates this cultural ferment with Ravenswood On Tap, a two-day outdoor festival that is all about local. Enjoy beers from Malt Row breweries (Begyle, Hop Butcher, Half Acre, is/was, Spiteful, Demo, Dovetail and Cultivate by Forbidden Root), KOVAL Distillery cocktails, special tappings, incredible live music, delicious street food, local artisans, games and more.

Location: Ravenswood and Berteau Avenues in the Ravenswood Corridor.

Date and time: Saturday, July 18 (Noon-10 p.m.) and Sunday, July 19 (Noon-8 p.m.).

More info: RavenswoodChicago.org

Maplewood Public House opens in Glen Ellyn

About a year after Maplewood Brewery & Distillery added a kitchen and expanded their Chicago taproom (larger sidewalk patio too), they expanded to west suburban Glen Ellyn, opening Maplewood Public House to rave reviews this spring.

The beautiful new venue, located at 486 Pennsylvania Avenue in the former Two Hound Red Brewery, boasts a 15-barrel brewhouse, outdoor patio, expanded food options, exclusive small-batch beers, cocktails, morning coffee service and more.

“The energy around opening Maplewood Public House has been remarkable,”  founding brewer and CEO Adam Cieslak tells Illinois Brewing. “We’ve received overwhelming support from Glen Ellyn and the surrounding communities, whose enthusiasm has kept us very, very busy. We’re deeply grateful for this warm welcome and are working hard to continue refining and expanding our service to meet this demand and grow with the community.”

Burning Bush Brewery opens Feather & Tail cocktail and darts bar on Chicago’s north side

Brent Raska and Mike Decker, the founders of Holiday Weekend Hospitality, the group behind Burning Bush Brewery and the River Room event venue alongside the Chicago River in the city’s North Center neighborhood, added yet another establishment — a speakeasy type of cocktail and darts bar — on their property this May.

“We wanted to create a space that balances the refined craft of a cocktail lounge with the high-energy, social atmosphere of a neighborhood bar,” Decker says.

Besides Burning Bush beers, the menu features a dedicated selection of martinis, a curated wine program, smoked old fashioneds and a snack menu with items like shrimp cocktail, crab dip with crackers, charcuterie boards and roasted nuts.

Located behind Burning Bush Brewery at 4020 N. Rockwell Street in Chicago. FeatherAndTailChicago.com

STC Six Belgian beer competition this August to benefit the St. Charles History Museum

This summer, as part of the annual STC Six release and in celebration of St. Charles’ Belgian heritage, the participating breweries will be hosting a Belgian beer competition. Each St. Charles brewery will create a specialty Belgian-style beer, with $1 from every beer sold benefiting the St. Charles History Museum.

Throughout August, patrons will be encouraged to visit all six breweries, sample each beer and vote for their favorite. Those who visit all six locations will earn a commemorative prize from the History Museum. The winning brewery will be announced at Pollyanna’s Blues & Brews Fest on Aug. 29. Festival attendees will also have the opportunity to sample the beers and cast their votes there.

Participating breweries:

• 93 Octane Brewing (golden strong)
• Alter Brewing + Kitchen (dubbel)
• Broken Brix & Brother Chimp Brewing (witbier)
• Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling (fruit beer)
• Riverlands Brewing (saison)

Brother Chimp Brewing’s full operation shifting to St. Charles

Brother Chimp Brewing, which has called North Aurora their primary home since opening the doors in 2020, will be moving their entire operation to their St. Charles space over the next month. The North Aurora taproom will remain open through July 26, and the food trucks, musicians, friendly vibes and award-winning beers will continue flowing until then. After that, the focus will be on its popular St. Charles location (303 N. 4th Street), which happens to boast one of the more underrated patios in the area.

Follow along on Brother Chimp’s social media for more details on all the fun they will be packing into their last few weeks in North Aurora.

The Tinley Park Ale Trail trolley returns on Wednesdays through Aug. 26

The Ale Trail is back for another year in south suburban Tinley Park. On Wednesdays from 5-10 p.m. through Aug. 26, you can hop on a trolley that takes you around the local Ale Trail, making stops at a total of six different venues along the way, including craft breweries like the Vogt House by Banging Gavel Brews, Flipside Brewing, Hailstorm Brewing Co. and Soundgrowler.

The route is continuous, so you can get on or off at any stop along the way, and there is free parking available at the Oak Park Avenue train station. Trolleys will arrive at each stop about every 30 minutes.

For more information, visit TinleyPark.org

Old Irving Brewing creates a pair of beers for Billy Goat Tavern

The talented team at Old Irving Brewing recently took over the role of brewing a pair of beers — the Billy Goat IPA and Billy Goat Pilsner — exclusively for the iconic Billy Goat Tavern, and they’re now available on draft at Old Irving’s taproom on the city’s NW side and all seven different Billy Goat locations across Chicago, as well as in canned 4-packs at your favorite beer store.

For the pilsner, the goal was “something simple and clean and steeped in brewing tradition,” says co-founder and head brewer Trevor Rose-Hamblin. And, of course, a beer that would pair well with Billy Goat’s famous cheeseburgers.

“For the IPA, we utilized classic hops like Columbus that will give piney and grapefruit-like flavors,” according to Rose-Hamblin. “We aimed for a nicely balanced bitterness that keeps you wanting more.”

The production of Billy Goat’s beers previously belonged to Miskatonic and Baderbrau Brewing.

Black Lung Brewing shifts focus to Grayslake location

Black Lung Brewing has made the decision to not re-sign the lease at their original Round Lake Beach location and, due to ongoing issues with their Fox Lake building that were beyond their control, they were forced to close that lakeside taproom indefinitely in late May. The good news is, the focus has shifted to the company’s popular brewery, taproom and restaurant in downtown Grayslake (2 S. Lake Street), and the staff will also be pouring at the Friday Night Concerts by the Lake in Fox Lake all summer, so don’t forget to swing in for a pint or two.

Hickory Creek Brewing Company to close in New Lenox

After eight years in business in southwest suburban New Lenox, Hickory Creek Brewing owner Gary Meyer is retiring and will be closing operations sometime this summer (they have beer to last into July, we’re told) and make way for Pizza di Farfalla’s expansion.

Brewery deals not to be missed

The popular Crust Brewing, located in the heart of Rosemont’s Parkway Bank Park entertainment district, has expanded its happy hour in a big way. It now runs from 2-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and includes $5 drafts, $7 wines, $10 cocktails and half-price pizzas.

Flipside Brewing in south suburban Tinley Park offers some great daily specials, including half-price appetizers on Tuesdays and a $5 rotating beer special.

Mad Hatchet Brewing in SW suburban Shorewood has a fun Tuesday-night deal that includes one pizza and two pints of your choice for $25.

Bubblehouse Brewing in west suburban Lisle offers up $5 featured pints on Tuesdays.