Whiskey Hill Brewing Co. Don Hardy Founder of the Chicago Area Microbreweries group on Facebook Favorite breweries: With running a Facebook group with almost 20,000 members, this is a really difficult question. Whiskey Hill Brewing Co. is one for sure since I live in Westmont and I started this group 13 years ago, when it ...

Illinois Craft Beer Week returns May 8-15; Beer Under Glass is back at Millennium Park May 8 Clear your calendar this spring because Illinois Craft Beer Week is back May 8-15. That means a full week filled with a quality lineup of festivals, events, beer releases and specials to engage craft beer enthusiasts throughout the state. Beer Under Glass (BUG), the cornerstone event for the ...

Ryan Walker Head brewer at Roaring Table Brewing Co. Lake Zurich, IL RoaringTable.com The last really good beer I drank was… Sierra Nevada Brewing’s Celebration IPA. It never disappoints. Every year seems to be better than the last. We did an homage beer to Celebration this year (called “Jubilation”) with a similar grain bill and ...

Amanda Steinbraker Church Street Brewing Itasca, IL Favorite breweries: Besides Church Street Brewing Co., I love my lager friends! Close to home we love Roaring Table and Buffalo Creek. When we are out and about, I always try and make it to Skeleton Key, Bubblehouse, Art History and Brother Chimp. In Chicago, Old Irving Brewing ...

This year’s Beer Under Glass festival tops my list for the summer. The new location at Millennium Park was terrific, as was the variety of breweries available. The flow was great for guests, and we got to see a lot of folks we’ve talked to on the show. Kudos to the Illinois Craft Beer Guild ...

Macushla Brewing’s patio Brad Pulver Macushla Brewing Glenview, IL The last really good beer I drank was… Bell’s Brewery’s Two Hearted IPA. We took the kids out to Shabbona Lake State Park out near DeKalb. We did a fishing and camping trip, and it just hit home. It’s a great beer and a classic pale ...

The following version of our magazine’s popular Last Call section is from a special digital Oktoberfest issue we published in early September. Check it out here. The question: What’s your favorite Oktoberfest or fall beer? Every Oktoberfest beer is a good beer! The ones I make sure to grab every year are Lager Town from ...

Sketchbook Brewing Company The following are some of the event listings from our special digital Oktoberfest issue. Check it out.   Sketchbook Brewing’s Oktoberfest Sept. 19-21 Sketchbook Brewing’s annual Oktoberfest celebration will take place Friday, Sept. 19-Sunday, Sept. 21 at both the Skokie and Evanston taprooms. The free event will have live music, stein hoisting ...

Maplewood Brewery’s new smash burger Maplewood Brewery & Distillery unveils new kitchen and expanded lounge at their Chicago taproom A new lounge and kitchen were officially opened for business in early June at Maplewood Brewery & Distillery in Chicago, and we came away impressed during a media sneak peek of the expanded space (larger sidewalk ...

Spooks and Spirits Check-in Challenge on the Lake County Libation Trail runs through Oct. 31 You have another week remaining to enjoy this spine-tingling adventure with the Lake County Libation Trail’s Spooks and Spirits Check-In Challenge. All you have to do is visit five or more participating locations to enter for a chance to win ...