Celebrating Two Years Of Stoned Chicago

By Paul Schneider in Food on Mar 9, 2012 8:00PM

Stone Brewing's provocative co-founder and CEO Greg Koch will be in town later this month to celebrate the second anniversary of his beer's distribution to Chicago. Koch will be in attendance at Timothy O'Toole's on Saturday, March 31, and he's bringing along 50 Stone beers. Packages including samples and a keepsake glass are available for $15, or select the "hardcore" $50 option with more samples, transportation, and buffet included. Full details and ticket information are available here.

The self-proclaimed "asshole of craft beer," Koch's record in Chicago has been checkered. His comments in an interview with Crain's Chicago Business about the dirty pay-to-play tactics that plague our local beer industry drew criticism from locals who took his comments as unfair jabs at a growing and improving craft beer scene. Koch has since clairified his stance and proclaimed his love for the city and its beer culture, but at the same time leveled accusations that an unnamed local establishment with a strong reputation for its craft beer offerings illegally and unethically demanded discounts and freebies in exchange for hosting a book signing. We wonder whether the proprietors of that establishment were shaking in their pants when they saw Koch's comments, or when their bar was later called out by name.

Will Koch pipe up again about pay-to-play, or will this be an all-out love fest? Either way, there will be beer. Follow Stone Brewing in Illinois's Facebook page for more Stone events, including two suburban appearances by Koch while he's in town.