FoBAB Time! Plus Other Beer Events & Social Updates
Powered by the prospect of FoBAB
Hi, friends!
As you read this, I am comfortably ensconced in an AirBnB on Chicago’s North Side, prepping for a quick jaunt to a few nearby breweries before getting my beauty sleep in advance of tomorrow’s FoBAB celebration.
Anyone heading to Session #1 tonight? If so, please comment below what you liked so the rest of us attending tomorrow can benefit from your wisdom. I am once again participating in ABV Chicago’s Fantasy FoBAB Draft, which I have never, ever come close to winning but it’s fun nevertheless.
Here’s my team this year:
Werk Force
Wicked Weed
Phase Three
Benchtop Brewing
Solemn Oath
Other Half
If you’re attending tomorrow’s afternoon session and this sounds like something you’d like to try doing with your friends, the ABV Chicago team will get you started here. It adds a little bit of extra excitement to an already fun day.
And don’t forget the Fan Favorite voting this time! Tag @FoBAB on your socials and include #FoBABFanFav - let’s see if the very first winning pick from the crowd aligns with the judges. (I’m guessing no.)
See you in the Lager Lounge, probably. And now, onto some other upcoming…
This Weekend:
FoBAB, duh. You going? You should go. Tickets are here.
You can also stop at Off Color’s Mousetrap to celebrate their 7th birthday with a quadruple beer release.
Celebrate ten years of Sketchbook beers all weekend long with the beer that started it all for them: Grodziskie is back.
Tomorrow, Half Acre is having a Clothing Swap, aka “a free, all inclusive, all welcome, clothing swap meant to help people find gender affirming clothing & refresh their wardrobe without judgement,” but you can drop stuff off now if you want to pass along some clean, gently-worn wardrobe pieces today.
The Beer Temple hosts a Friendsgiving potluck on Sunday. Bring a dish to pass.
Later This Month (and Beyond):
Black Friday at Binny’s appears to be a little different this year - they’re hosting a BCS tap takeover in Lincoln Park, and tickets are available here.
In spite of their bankruptcy procedings, Urban Chestnut is still hosting their Lager Fest conference on December 7.
Also on December 7, if you want to try like, a hundred Christmas and Winter beers at one of Chicago’s coolest bars, get to Delilah’s for their annual winter beer festival.
And if you need some holiday presents on December 7th before you head to Delilahs, is/was brewing is hosting their very first Holiday Market from noon to 6pm.
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If you missed their Soaked in Oak event, Phase Three has some more barrel-aged beers available as we prepare to FoBAB.
District Brewyards has a new motto. I dig it.
Job alert: Goldfinger is looking for a full-time production assistant and delivery driver.
Crafted1979 put out the call for Kick the Keg charity entries, so I figured I’d do the same.
This Old Irving Brewing Krampus sweater is awesome.
We featured the MORE Brewing Imperial Falling Colors Pumpkin Pie Porter in a recent label email, and it’s out now - who wants to grab me some?
The latest brewery to add a LUKR side-pull handle is Hinterland.
Skeleton Key is offering 50% off their Skullmuggery Society memberships on Black Friday, but really, knowing that it’s called the Skullmuggery Society should sell itself.
Vanilla, banana, cinnamon and more, all in a milk stout? Wolfden calls it Banana Fiasco. (“Banana Fiasco” would be an amazing drag name. Dibs!)
Looking to try a barrel-aged series of beers you probably haven’t sampled yet? Ike and Oak’s Kodiak’s Revenge is out now, along with five other variants.
In case you need nearly 20oz. of 10% ABV beer in a single package, Maplewood now has stovepipes of Super Son of Juice available.
I know it’s all about the barrel-aged beers this weekend but this Old Irving pilsner brewed with the band Front 242 also sounds pretty great.
Also sounding pretty great? This Belgian-style Holiday Ale from Brother Chimp. I can already taste the spices and sugar.
If you want to geek out on barrels this weekend, apparently Evan Schulenberg from Midwest Barrel Co. will be at FoBAB for all your questions about staves and … other cooper-y stuff.
Aren’t able to make it into the city this weekend? Afterthought is pouring some fun looking lambics this weekend (plus saisons, of course).
Let’s take Spiteful’s cue and make this winter all about the amber lagers.
Cans are back at Blue Island Beer Company.
Some stuff I’m excited for at FoBAB:
Sketchbook’s Malort-barrel-aged pilsner
Revolution’s 3.8% BA English Mild
Destihl is bringing a Mexican Hot Chocolate version of their award-winning Dosvidanya stout.
Thank you all for being here! Have a great weekend.
~Karl, a Guy Drinking Barrel-Aged Beer