Headquarters Beercade To Throw One 'Firkin' Beer Festival
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Mar 4, 2014 4:10PM
Headquarters Beercade is best known for their functioning museum of arcade classics from the 1980s and 90s but they’ve quietly lived up to the “beer” portion of their name with a nice list of bottle and draft selections and events like their upcoming “What the Firk?” festival March 30.
Cask-conditioned ales are favorites among beer geeks and their smooth mouthfeels and the flavors imparted by the wood housing the beer can turn even the staunchest non-beer drinker into a convert. These beers are not pasteurized, cold filtered or carbonated by outside equipment and preserve their flavors while the active yeasts inside the barrels help the beers’ flavor profiles evolve the longer they stay in the casks.
Hedaquarters has teamed up with our pals at Chicago Beer Geeks to bring 25 offerings for the festival. Participating breweries include Two Brothers, Bell’s, 5 Rabbit, Ale Syndicate, Local Option, Half Acre, Surly, Jolly Pumpkin, Tallgrass, Brooklyn Brewery, Vandermill, Oskar Blues and others.
“What the Firk?” will feature judging from both industry experts and local beer bloggers; the latter includes Chicagoist’s very own Lorna Juett. Tickets for the fest went on sale Monday. Admission is $60 for a VIP ticket, $40 for general admission. VIP tickets include 25 firkin samplings, a souvenir sampling glass and catered food by DMK Burger Bar. General admission tickets include 20 firkin samplings and a souvenir sampling glass. Purchase your tickets here.
Headquarters Beercade is located at 2833 N. Sheffield Ave.