If you can believe it, this weekend is even busier with Oktoberfests than last weekend was. (This being the official start to the celebration in Germany probably has something to do with that.) I rounded up over a dozen fests you can check out, and I hope you do!
It’s not just Oktoberfests, though. There are even more …
This Weekend:
Phase Three celebrates their Bushel of Apples Fall Fest today through Sunday.
Logan Square Beer Week also starts today at Union, which is fairly Oktoberfest-y but not entirely, so it lives here.
Tomorrow, Illuminated Brew Works celebrates their 3rd anniversary at their Norwood Park location, so go celebrate with some tarot readings, a witchy collab release, metal bands, and more.
Also tomorrow: middle brow hosts their annual block party from 2-10p with pizza and soft serve and music and certainly a bunch of other fun stuff.
Also tomorrow, Pints by the Pond brings over a dozen breweries to Batavia for a little mid-afternoon beer festival.
Up in Buchanan, MI, the 3rd annual Hop Harvest festival is being held by River St. Joe Brewing on Saturday also.
If you happen to be in Bloomington on Saturday, head to Lil’ Beaver Brewing for the Benjammin Bash, a benefit created to raise money for the Benjamin McAllister Scholarships and cancer research.
Edited to add: Roaring Table’s 7th birthday party takes place Saturday as well!
Skeleton Key kicks off an 8th birthday celebration week on Sunday with a ton of fun stuff on tap through next weekend.
Did I mention that you should also check out our Oktoberfest roundup post?
Later This Month (and Beyond):
The 28th is a big day for birthday parties:
On September 28th, Midwest Coast turns five and will be partying accordingly.
Also on the 28th, Marz Brewing turns ten years old (!) and is hosting their Liquid Dreams festival at the Mothership.
Hammond’s Foreign Local hosts their BURN THE BARREL event to celebrate their 2nd birthday on the 28th as well.
If all that marzen is too much sweetness, The Open Bottle - Tinley is hosting a pickle beer tasting on the 28th as well.
This is pretty cool: Chef Dan Jacobs of Milwaukee’s DanDan (and the most recent season of Top Chef) is apparently the brother of Goose Island brewer Mike Jacobs, so on October 6th, they’re hosting a Family Meal event at Salt Shed.
We’re in the final days of summer, so of course Great Lakes announced this year’s First Taste event for their Christmas Ale, set for October 17.
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Hinterland shared an update about their distribution, and I was surprised to see that some of their beers make it to Japan.
I know we mentioned Spiteful’s Spitetoberfest in our roundup but I also want to call attention to the cute little boot you get for attending.
Downstate Byron’s Hairy Cow Brewing broke ground on their second location in South Dakota.
Lukr is touring the East Coast to train local tapsters how to use their handles properly, and in the evening they’ll take over behind the bar to showcase the pours for the public. Come to the Midwest next!
I know you’re here for beer news but I’m pretty psyched to see a hand-stacked trompo of al pastor in the kitchen at Casa Humilde Cerveceria. Kinda like this.
Nightshade and Dark has a new gas meter. Here’s why that’s a big deal.
Premium Subscribers saw a new Leinenkugel’s label on Wednesday, but they’ve also just made Summer Shandy a year-round beer, because why not?
A mliko pour of marzen? Sure, Kinslahger, let’s do it.
I feel like I haven’t seen a ton from Scorched Earth lately - I blame the algorithm - but this new Double Caramel Mocha Chip Coffee Porter sounds pretty damn good.
If the 12’er was too much, Revolution’s Cold Time is now available in sixpacks.
It’s already Halloween at Ten Cat Tavern if this inflatable spooky cat is any indication.
Getting away from their bankruptcy news (see Monday’s email for more on that), Urban Chestnut is also rolling out their first NA beer.
We mentioned that Marz is turning ten next week - they’ve also been telling the stories of how they got started on their Instagram, starting here, and they’re pretty good reads.
This new Wax Wings pale ale looks pretty hazy. I bet
would have something to say about this.We mentioned Great Lakes First Taste up above, and on a similar note, it’s almost time for beer advent calendar orders to go live. Plank Road Tap Room looks to be getting prepared already.
Cans from Bubblehouse Brewing Company are about to enter the world.
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Thank you all for being here! Have a great weekend.
~Karl
Hi. Not sure how you missed Roaring Table's 7th birthday celebration tomorrow from 12 to 10. It's going to be rockin'.
To be fair, they said the Pale Ale is "checkered"