Festival Of Wood And Barrel Aged Beer Tickets Go On Sale Saturday

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Aug 27, 2012 5:20PM

Even at the festival's most crowded, the wait for a beer was never longer than about 90 seconds.

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild’s annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer is far and away the best beer festival in Chicago, but there have been some complaints about moving the festival this year from the Plumbers Union Hall to the Bridgeport Art Center.

There are advantages to moving the fest out south. It’s easier to access the Bridgeport Art Center via public transportation— the 35th Street stops right in front of the center for north side craft beer geeks traveling via Red, Green and Orange lines. I’m also convinced once guests see the view from Bridgeport Art Center’s skyline loft—a breathtaking combination of downtown skyline and tree-lined neighborhood streets—even the coldest hearts will be melted and everyone can get down to the business of drinking the largest lineup of barrel-aged beers found under one roof.

Last year’s FOBAB featured 172 wood-aged brews from 62 breweries in 22 states, some with names like “Shart Pants.” As Alex Hough wrote in his recap, it’s an embarrassment of riches in both quantity and quality. I’m happy I’ll be able to walk home from it this year.

Tickets to this year’s 10th annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer on Nov. 17 go on sale online at 5:01 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 1 at Brown Paper Tickets. There are two tasting sessions at 1-5 p.m. and 6-10 p.m.