Skip to main content

High on Hops: Chicago Beer Festival

Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History is an impressive venue to visit. The heavily columned exterior guards a wealth of the world’s scientific knowledge that stays with guests long after the daily tours have concluded.

Sue, the 42-foot long Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in the Field Museum’s Main Hall, welcomes over two million visitors a year to view the interactive exhibits, research materials and immersive installations on topics ranging from meteorites to biodiversity and to the lives of indigenous peoples.

Recommended Videos

On March 26, 2016, Sue will also be presiding over the Chicago Beer Festival.

Related Post: The 4 Best Bars in Chicago That You Can’t Get Into

The development of alcoholic beverages, be it wine, beer, mead, or early in-between concoctions has long been heralded as a defining point in cultural and social evolution. Through that lens, the Field Museum of Natural History is the perfect venue for gathering of like-minded enthusiasts to sample beers from some of the world’s most eclectic and highly regarded breweries.

The festival’s museum takeover begins at 7:00 PM on March 26 and lasts until 11:00 PM. VIP ticket holders get the initial hour to themselves, with first pick of the more limited beers. Ales and lagers from at least seventy different breweries will be poured, including beloved Chicago-area brewers like Vice District Brewing Co, Moody Tongue Brewing Co and Half Acre Brewing Co. Spring seasonal releases promise to highlight the festival’s offerings. Attendees will receive 40 tasting vouchers, which should make for a very fine evening indeed.

The Chicago Beer Festival is an advance ticket only affair and entry cannot be purchased at the door. Buy your ticket online now at the Chicago Beer Festival website.


Photo by Connie Ma – Sue, the world’s largest and most complete dinosaur skeleton. CC BY-SA 2.0

Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…
Think beer can’t age like wine? Think again
The best styles of beer to cellar over time
Moody Tongue beer pours.

You've probably heard it before: Beer is for near-immediate consumption. While freshness is paramount for certain beers — fresh hop IPAs, for example — some styles not only age well but can improve over time. But which styles and what sets them up well to go the distance?

We reached out to Moody Tongue for some answers. The Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant specializes in beer and food and has plenty of experience on the subject. Jared Rouben is head brewmaster there, and we called on him to debunk the myth that beer can't age.

Read more
Six new beers from a beloved East Bay brewery
IPAs, sours, Maibocks, and more
Headlands Alcatraz IPA.

Headlands Brewing is giving the people what it wants. The northern California brewery just released a half dozen new beers, ranging in styles from IPAs to sours. It's an intriguing lineup that may have us rethinking our favorite summer beers.

What's come through the pipeline? First up, a west coast IPA dubbed Alcatraz. It's part of the label's Golden Gate Parks series, carried out in tandem with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Part of the beer's proceeds support the organization and the beer itself has a nice balance of fruit and pine on the palate and is 6.5% ABV.

Read more
Baerlic’s latest beer release is made with Oregon sea salt
A subtly briny beer for beach days
A glass of beer on a beach

Portland's Baerlic Brewing is ringing in the summer season with a refreshing new beer. The west coast brewery just released the latest batch of Nice & Easy, a gose style beer made with salt harvested from the Pacific Ocean. The slightly briny beer has roots in Germany and is an excellent option for those who like a little salty marine air in their beer.

The brand rightfully calls it the Gatorade of beer, thanks to that slight saline aspect. The nose reminds of sweet oats and there's brightness about the beer thanks to a tart finish. If you need some suds for the beach or just the makeshift pool in your backyard, this is your beer.

Read more