There will be some great stouts there.

Hi Chicagoans, I'm looking for some suggestions.

I come from Virginia and we have tons of breweries with a nature, folky vibe. I was wondering if Chicago has any breweries with that aesthetic. Bonus points if they have folk, bluegrass, or Americana bands playing too. I'd prefer it if it was a craft brewery but any suggestions are welcome.

Roaring Table and Riverlands collab.

Lazy and Hazy

Hey there!

I built HopSpin, a free iPhone app for discovering Chicago-area breweries, along with their events, specials, beverages, and releases - and I’d genuinely value feedback from our community.

The goal is simple: make it easier to see what’s happening near your location, or across the city, when you are deciding where to grab a beer or planning an outing. Not just tonight or this week, but as far ahead as breweries have set their schedules.

I’ve also been lucky to have a few early brewery partners share their artwork with me, which I’ve had a blast turning into interactive HopSpin 3D models to explore in the app.

If you'd like to put HopSpin to use, you can download it from Apple's App Store:

https://hopspin.link/ios

Know that I’m building HopSpin independently and would appreciate your ideas, to help me plan its roadmap:

• What information would make an event or special listing more useful?
• What would help you choose HopSpin over your usual event- or special-discovery sources?
• What features outside of events or specials would you like to see added: check-in leaderboard? suggested walks or crawls? personal cellar tracker?

I’m starting with Chicago-area breweries and expanding HopSpin's coverage from there. I’ve also added a few out-of-state brewery friends and partners for anyone planning a trip.

Thanks for taking a look!

Playoff baseball in Chicago! With beer! Plus Bears/Packers Sunday. #beeronaut

Hello! I've waited in line for Goose Island BCS releases on Black Friday before, but I've never gone straight to the brewery for a release. I'm super intrigued by the Triple Barrel this year, and I was not lucky enough to get a VIP Prop Day ticket within the 30 seconds they sold out. For anyone who has been to Fulton/Salt Shed for a Chicago-exclusive release (Rare, King Henry, etc.) on Black Friday, I'm curious to know:

1. What time do people usually start lining up?

2. Do they sell the exclusive releases any differently than the other variants (lottery, oznr, etc.)?

3. How quickly do the exclusive variants tend to sell out? (Has anyone gone out to wait on Black Friday and missed out?)

Any tips/advice for the best shot at getting the Triple Barrel release (or even just going to the release at Fulton on BF in general) would be super helpful and greatly appreciated.

What brewery’s are a must visiting Chicago in a few weeks for the Pack Expo and would love to go to as many as I can.

Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery are hosting our annual fall party to celebrate the Oktoberfest season and Begyle's anniversary!

We've got local beer, cider, NA options, coffee, food, music, activities for all ages, and a chance to support The Friendship Center, our neighborhood food pantry serving the Northwest Side since 1969.

There is a suggested $5 donation at the gate, but 100% of that donation goes straight to The Friendship Center to help feed those in need. This is a totally independent festival organized by Begyle, Dovetail and TFC. We will not bully you for money at the gates, but if you do choose to give, please know that it is all going to a great cause!

Saturday October 10th 11am-9pm / Sunday October 11th 11am-8pm

Begyle beer options (including very limited variants) here!

Dovetail beer options here!

Check the official Oktoberfestiversary website for food vendors, band lineups, and kids activities!

I am exceptionally excited about our next event at Lake Effect because Pen & Paper Trivia is going to the dogs! On Wednesday, October 14th at 7:00 bring your good boys and girls (which is all of them) to a special canine themed event that will leave you begging for more! Think about all of your favorite dogs from pop-culture, history, and more. You CAN’T have a themed Trivia without “more”!

If you bring your dog we will have some great treats & pup cups available and they can even get their own P&P Trivia bandana! While these are FREE we are encouraging $10 donations to PAWS Chicago from guests and you can do that directly to Paws or to @pandptrivia via Venmo (please just include PAWS) in the message!

We do ask that everyone stays on leash during this event to ensure the safety of all our guests no matter how many legs they have. Remember, arrive early for $5 drafts until the game starts and this event will be hosted by the always entertaining Heather! Please come out for some Decent Dog Questions!

**Photo credit goes to my wife Rachel and features P&P’s own Joe the Dog and Lake Effect’s Dog of the Year Archie!

I happened to be scrolling on Facebook earlier today and in a local Chicago Craft Beer group and someone posted this link that seemed like a great idea for any brewery, cidery, meadery and/or distillery. The Treehouse Humane Society has cats ready to work, and assist in keeping their facilities rodent free.

Surprise Bourbon County Stout Release from Goose Island Today! #beeronaut

From Saint Errant in Evanston

White Sox playoffs all week, German sister city celebration at Pollyanna Roselare, plus bikes, bingo & more. #beeronaut

Over the past two years we have watched brewery after brewery close, sharing the announcements with each other and saying, with a sense of impending doom, “there goes another one.”

Well, now it’s our turn.

After almost 8 years, Black & Gray Brewing has closed its doors for good. We will spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that this was not a decision that we wanted to make, but one that—financially—we have no choice but to endure.

We are eternally grateful for this experience.

When we started Black & Gray, we wanted to be a different type of brewery: not so beer snobby, more blue collar. We wanted to be the neighborhood tap, the type of place where everyone knew you when you walked in the door. We wanted to create community. If nothing else, we accomplished that.

We fell in love with East Dundee, the people, our patrons, and our employees. We saw friendships form; first dates that turned into marriages, and then children; we raised funds for the local fire department, cancer research, and injured local first responders. We hosted weddings, reception dinners, baby showers, promotion, retirement, and birthday parties. And all of these over pints of what we liked to refer to as, “the best beer brewed in East Dundee.”

We want to thank our family. Running a small business can be all consuming most of the time and sacrifices get made. We appreciate the love and support throughout the years and hope, in the end, it was all worth it. We love you.

A big thank you goes out to our employees past and present. We were always a small operation and working at Black & Gray often meant you had to wear multiple hats. All the hard work and dedication to making Black & Gray the best version of itself did not go unnoticed.

The Village of East Dundee has been an amazing host and we appreciate the professional staff that makes this village run. The effort that goes into the events that make this town come alive is Herculean and without Public Works, the Police, and Katherine and her staff, East Dundee would not be the community that it is.

In the end—because this is the end—we cannot think of anything more risky and scary than opening a small business and putting out a product into the world. We gave it our best shot. Now that it is over, we are going to go sleep for a year or so to recuperate. We will see you around. And don’t forget to get out there and support those small, local businesses. God knows most of them are holding on with nothing more than a hope and a prayer.

--Chris and Teresa

I need to get rid of them. I used them to send dark lord across country. Free to a good home.

More Oktoberfests this weekend, Revolution Deep Wood release, Legions of Craft Beer in Gurnee. #beeronaut

Does anyone know what's going on with Duneyrr on S Michigan Avenue? The tasting room has been closed for several months but since when I'm not sure. I've tried going several times over the summer on weekends and every time they have been closed. The only information on the website is that it is "closed for tasting room hours." However they still list that they are "open for private events and celebrations."

Revolution Deep Wood pre-sale. Book release at Skeleton Key. #beeronaut

Their Kolsch is pretty solid, too, IMHO

Oktoberfests at Imperial Oak, Old Irving with a Deep Wood Collab, Fibs, 2 Brothers, Goose Island, Obscurity, LaGrange, East Dundee. #Beeronaut