Chicago is a drinking town. And why not? It’s an essential companion to pizza, long winters, and every sporting event. The special symbiosis between Chicago and its beers will be celebrated later this week with the kickoff of Chicago Craft Beer Week.
The second annual Chicago Craft Beer week runs May 19 – 27. Organized by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, Craft Beer Week toasts the craft beer culture of Chicago, including its breweries, vendors, and fine ale establishments.
Over 60 venues will host tastings, dinners, brewery tours, discussions, and special draft lineups. To navigate the multi-day, multi-draft event, purchase a $10 passport at a participating bar or restaurant. While a passport isn’t required to participate in most events, they do allow access to 14 restricted events as well as the chance to win Craft Beer Week swag and the chance to be a guest brewer at one of Chicago’s breweries. Craft Beer Week apps are also available for iPhone and Droid users.
I get thirsty just looking at the events list; and while I’m not sure where my stumbling will lead in the quest to soak in as much locally brewed goodness as possible, I will be on-hand for the Beer Under A Glass kickoff event at the Garfield Park Conservatory. The nerd in me is yearning to join the Chicago History Museum on one of their History Pub Crawls or trolley tours. I’ll need to step up my mid-week drinking game (summer is coming after all), and you should too because there are well-crafted pints waiting for you. Cheers Chicago!
For Further Exploration:
my four favorite things: haymarket pub & brewery
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
