Chicago Beer Classic Review – Lots of Beer in the Home of the Bears

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100 different (and friendly) breweries were on hand

Chicagoans are a diverse group, but no matter if they are from the northside, the southside or the westside there are two things that all Chicagoans can agree on:  beer and the Chicago Bears.  And that is where the Chicago Beer Classic comes in:  the Chicago Beer Classic is the city’s largest beer festival celebrating great beer on the grass of Soldier Field.   That’s right, the attendees of the Beer Classic can sample beer from over 100 different breweries on the same grass that the Monsters of the Midway play.

Locker Room Tours

The big draw of this fest was Soldier Field itself.  The fest offered behind the scenes tours of Soldier Field which included getting a chance to go inside the visitor’s locker room.  There were also local food trucks, lawn games and merchandise from local vendors.

But more so than that, just getting to be on the field were the Bears pass, tackle, score touchdowns and (mostly) punt was a really neat experience for everyone there.  The field was still painted as if it were game day so it felt even more authentic.  To be on the field was one thing, but to be to the field AND drink so many great beers…it doesn’t get any better than that.

Drinking on Historic Soldier Field

As a dedicated journalist, I did my best to try as many of the beers as I could.  In my humble opinion, the best brew I tasted was Stone Brewing’s (out of Escondido, California) Coffee Milk Stout.  This dark beer was a delicious combination of roasted coffee and creamy milk, sugary stout all in one.  Almost tasted more like a milkshake than a beer.  It was a delicious offering that I had to sample more than once.

 

Having fun tasting all the beers

Since I am at venerable Soldier Field, I also have to give a shout out to a local brewer, Finch’s Beer Company from right here in Chicago, Illinois.  The beer that made an impression on me was called Sungasm, which is a Belgian Pale Ale.  It was nicely hoppy, with hints of citrus.  It leaves you refreshed, so it would be a perfect ale for the summertime.

While I have many hours of drinking beer under my belt, I am hardly qualified as a beer connoisseur. Here’s the great thing about a beer fest like The Chicago Beer Classic, if you disagree with my beer choice than you can just move on to the next stand and try a different beer!

The field was still painted

The Chicago Beer Classic is definitely something you should put on the calendar for next year.  The variety of the beers involved plus the cool venue of Soldier Field is a perfect way to try out a bunch of new beers and have a great time doing it.

For more information on The Chicago Beer Classic check out their website.

Photos by K. Joseph Fotos.

1 Comment

  1. The Chicago beer classic was a disappointment this year. We paid for the Saturday session 4:30 -7:30 they stopped serving at 7:12 that’s not what we paid for. My family and friends have participated in this this event since it has started. We have invited many friends and our group has grown from five to fifteen. This year they changed the size of the plastic cups to a smaller size which gave the person pouring the beers and ciders no room for foam. So instead of two once’s of beer maybe one ??? They also removed the pretzel station which was my wife’s favorite thing of the whole event because she really doesn’t like the beers but will snack during the time we are on the field. Thank you The Kramer Family

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