Review: Sheffield's Beer School Festival of Beer

(Chuck Sudo)

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Wanting to enjoy the thaw a bit, we attended Sheffield's "Beer School" festival Saturday afternoon. It was the second time in a year we braved the cold to visit Sheffield's; for the second time in a year it was also worth it. Under the direction of Phil Kuhl, the Lakeview tavern's special beer events have begun to rival Map Room's beer school for breadth and scope. When we briefly spoke with Sheffield's owner Ric Hess, he seemed to agree.

Kuhl has transformed Sheffield's back room into a comfortable back bar stocked with selections not found in the main bar. For the festival, Kuhl upped the ante, tapping the kegs on some nice barrel aged and odd selections like a sour brown ale from Goose Island; slow pour IPAs, rye ales, and stouts in an unheated outdoor tent, and our favorite selection of the day — Sprecher aged scotch ale.

The "Beer School" is open every night except Sunday and to get on Kuhl's mailing list, e-mail him here.