5 Beer Events To Check Out This February
By Ben Kramer in Food on Feb 1, 2016 7:27PM
There are a ton of great beer events this month, and since we've already covered the best wine events of February, now it's time for the brewers to have their chance.
Off Color Tap-Takeover at Kuma's Corner
Burgers take a backseat at this event, as Off Color Brewing will be taking over Kuma's from 6 to 10 p.m., Feb 3. On tap, they'll be featuring adored beers such as Dinos'mores (Imperial Stout), sessionables like 15 Feet (Applewood Smoked Wheat), and the Finnish with Bare Bear (Sahti). There's no cover, just pay for the beer. As an added bonus, Kuma's and Off Color collaborated on a Beer Cheese appetizer made with Scurry, OC's dark, honey ale, paired with pretzel nuggets from Highland Baking.
Kuma's Corner is located at 2900 W. Belmont Ave.
Tasting Tuesday's At Beermiscuous
Every Tuesday, between 5:30 to 8 p.m., Beermiscuous hosts a free sampling of beers, coming in at 2 oz pours. Sometimes they highlight a local brewery, pouring their beers with a member of the brewery there to chat with drinkers, or they highlight certain styles. Whatever the theme, it's a night of education, where you can leave with a new brewery, or beer, to keep in mind or take home (they sell packaged beer). And again, it's free.
Beermiscuous is located at 2812 N. Lincoln Ave.
Uppers and Downers Festival of Coffee Beers
Celebrating coffee and beer (get the name now?) Uppers and Downers, held at Thalia Hall (Feb. 20), features an impressive list of breweries and roasters teaming together to make unique coffee beers. Solemn Oath with Intelligentsia, 5 Rabbit with Gaslight, Half Acre with Dark Matter, the list goes on, and the complete copy is included in the link above. Created by Michael Kiser (Good Beer Hunting) and World Barista Champion Stephen Morrissey, the event will also feature a multi-roaster espresso bar to showcase the coffee companies themselves, and small food dishes to snack on as the day goes by. There are two sessions, one from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the other 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $55.
Thalia Hall is located at 1807 S. Allport St.
Cider Summit Chicago
Ok, this is not a beer event - this one is for the cider enthusiasts of Chicago. The 4th Annual Cider Summit, on Feb 27, will be home to over 140 ciders, including ciders from the US, France, Scotland, England, and Spain. Taking place at the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom, attendees will be treated to 4 oz samplings, along with food pairings and a fruit cider challenge where the consumer gets to vote and decide who will win the challenge. General admission is $35, and VIP is $40. Designated driver tickets go for $5. There are two sessions to choose from, with the first being 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the second 4 to 8 p.m.
Navy Pier is located at 600 E. Grand Ave.
Darkside
Happening at Emporium on February 28th, this day, as the title suggests, is all about dark beer. Porters, Stouts, Imperial Stouts, Black IPA's, Black Saisons, they're all going to be there, along with pinball and old arcade games. Revolution, Pipeworks, Ballast Point, Three Floyds, and several others will be on deck with beers ranging from 6-11.5% ABV, so be careful. There's food to munch on as well as Johnny Van's Smokehouse will be providing BBQ to go alongside these heavy brews. In case you're wondering (I'm sure you are) Darkside will run from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. with tickets marked at $25.
The Emporium is located at 1366 N. Milwaukee Ave.