Oak Park Micro Brew & Food Review

I just bought my ticket for the 2016 festival and realized I don’t have a review for this! So here it goes–
I love a good Craft Beer festival in the Summer and OP Micro Brew & Food Review is one my favorites in all of Chicagoland. I’ve been going for 4 years now and Imo it keeps getting better and better.
With the sheer amount of breweries at this festival, me and my Craft Brew buddies always find new brews that we haven’t had before. There’s a great mix of well established breweries like Goose Island, to smaller breweries like Arcade or Pipeworks that you can only find in or around the city or small up and coming breweries you’ve never heard off. Chances are you’ll find more than a couple that wets your whistle.
The location is perfect since it’s literally steps away from the Greenline or Metra, a short jaunt from the Blueline or I-​290, or in my case only a short bus ride. The crowds which have been getting bigger the last 2 years always seems very well behaved and the brewers are always very nice and love talking to the people.
If you enjoy Craft Beer, good food and just a great Saturday afternoon in downtown Oak Park grab your tickets and bunch of friends and get ready to update your untappd app for this awesome Craft Beer festival.
A couple of tips for the uninitiated–
–Take public transportation or have a DD.
–Bring water or sports drinks.
–Pretzel necklace
–A small backpack
–Comfortable shoes.

Great times. Super nice crowd, awesome selection. The rain just made it more fun. I met many brewers but by the end of the day my stay outlasted my conversational prowess so expressing my appreciation in verbal terms at least might have suffered. Lake Effect, Flesk, Imperial Oak, 5 Rabbit all brought some stunning offerings. Midwest brewing is the real New Belgium.

I don’t get the negative reviews from this year (2015)… whatever happened to supporting local business? Admittedly, this is my first year attending (but not my first beer fest), but what an amazing time we had! The rain couldn’t keep the joy away from people, there were TONS and TONS of beer vendors with short lines for getting samples, free food samples, lots of food options to buy, ample portapotties, music… what wasn’t to enjoy?! I was made aware of many more local beer options and my list of breweries I want to go to is now through the roof. This was definitely my favorite brew fest I’ve ever been to! And mad props to them for being environmentally conscious and all about having no waste. Excited to return again next year!

We have attended this event for the last several years and enjoyed the variety of midwestern beer offerings. Sadly, there were primarily Illinois beers offered this year, rather than beer from surrounding states. It was disappointing.

This is NOT what I signed up for, and NOT what this event was up until now. Intending NO disrespect to aspiring brewers in the Illinois area, this event has NOT been a showcase for them to introduce themselves to the public rather it was an opportunity for beer enthusiasts to sample established beers. This years’ format makes me seriously question whether I would attend again.
Things the event did right, the food, lots of offerings from the area to soak up the suds; but can’t beg beyond the fact that there was no Three Floyds, nothing from Michigan other than Saugatuck, nothing from Wisconsin or Indiana and other than a a couple of double IPA’s (most notably Half Acre and Tribes) most of the pours were just eh. In fairness, maybe my disappointment outweighed my objectivity and I wish all of those who attended all of the best in the future, but if you’re going to make it a showcase for up and coming Illinois brewers, advertise it as such.

I could be biased as I live merely blocks from the downtown Oak Park location where this is held each year. After attending for the past 3 years I’m going to join my wife as a volunteer. Work in the morning, free beer in the afternoon with friends. No brainier.
I’ve attended many other beer fests in the Chicago area and this one is larger enough that most of the brewers are in attendance themselves. It’s not just a bunch of local volunteers wearing a shirt of the brewery, pouring their beer, and unable to really answer much about it outside of «I think it’s a dark beer?»
AS the majority of breweries in attendance are local than most of the tents have actual employees staffed inside. Could be their marketing guy, brewpub waitress, or the head brewers themselves. PIpeworks, 5 Rabbit, Half Acre, Metropolitan, Haymarket, they are all there. So if you like beer this is a great event to attend, or if you really don’t know much about all these great Chicago area breweries here’s your chance to check them all out.
The lines have gotten longer each year so I suggest making a plan to visit your favorites first as some will run out of beer before the end. The ReplicAle event is interesting, but the tickets typically sell out before they ever announce the style so it’s a bit of a gamble. I opted for that ticket last year and lucked out as they did a Red Ale but honestly after drinking about 15 samples of the same thing (generally) I was chomping at the bit for some smoked porters or Begian IPAs.
You also get a cool commemorative glass to take home that works great for having your own mini tastings at home.

One of the most fun events in Oak Park. An insane amount of breweries present with lots of great beers to taste. Don’t forget to make your own pretzel necklace, but you can always buy one once you’re there. On top of everything else, you get a fun commemorative glass to take home. The only issue is that it is so crowded you have to wait in some lines and moving around can be a bit tough. Just means you should plan out your day and bring a lot of friends!

Great beer selection and a great cause! The location is awesome in downtown Oak Park, right by the train and the L so no one has to worry about driving. I have volunteered and the people who run the show are extremely kind and dedicated to making this a great experience for everyone. I wish this was held more than once a year!

This is my favorite beer fest. I’ve gone every year for the past 4 or so years and it never gets old. There’s always something new to try, and there’s always some old favorites as well.
Protip: Bring a backpack full of pretzels and Gatorade.

Come just before the beer starts flowing. The doors open early and then you can be in line for your #1 choice. Great time!

Now in its 7^th year, the Oak Park Micro Brew & Food Review was a pleasure to be involved in. I volunteered at the event, which benefits Seven Generations to promote healthy eating in schools, and sustainable communities. While I had a fun interactive volunteering job of pouring cider and beer to happy review-​goers, others made sure this was as close to a Zero Waste festival as possible.
74 breweries were a part of the 2014 review, with some taking part in a Replicale challenge, which gave them very specific guidelines for a red or amber ale. The 4-​hour festival allowed plenty of time to drink and get your money’s worth, and it takes place on the streets of downtown Oak Park, so you can take the Green Line in and not drive! (If you don’t already live in lovely Oak Park).
I «Untappd» so many beers I lost track, especially since so many of the Replicales weren’t even on the grid yet. My favorite Replicales were by Lake Effect and Dryhop Brewery. My favorite regular brews were by Lake Effect, the Blind Pig, and Virtue Ciders.
The festival had plenty of bathrooms, water stations to fill up your water bottle or wash out your tasting glass, but as far as being a «food review», a little more could be done to provide more, and more affordable food options. (ie. the $ 7 «half bratwurst» was more like ballpark prices!)
This is definitely a festival to consider if you love Craft Brews in the summertime!

I’m a big fan of beer fests. There are so many microbreweries popping up these days, that it’s hard to keep up with all of them. What better way to get introduced to new beers and breweries than a beer fest!
I found out about this fest through the Chicago Beer Geeks Facebook page. By the time I read up about it and went to the ticket site, a lot of tickets were already gone. My beer buddy and I got the general admission tickets for $ 50 each. By the day of the fest, it was sold out.
The fest is in Oak Park, right off the Metra stop. We weren’t really sure where to go until we were told we had to go around a set of buildings to find the entrance, which was weird since we were standing right in the middle of the fest when we got off the train. We finally got to the main entrance, got wristbands and tickets, and a comprehensive list of the breweries that were in attendance, along with their booth and what beers they had, as well as a map. This is all well in good but it was A LOT of paper, which is ironic considering there was a lot of sustainability promotion at the fest. My beer buddy and I didn’t both need all of this, so I recycled mine and used his. Seriously, the booklet was so thick that you can’t really put it in your pocket (or my fanny pack).
On to the beers. There were way more breweries than I was expecting. We tried to hit up the breweries that we hadn’t heard of before and skipped the ones that we’ve had multiple times. One ticket for a 4-​ounce pour which is pretty damn generous. I promise, you’re not going to get through all your tickets. You get 30 tickets. That’s a lot of beer, not to mention some people are very generous with their pours. There are also water stations set up throughout, so make sure to stop by to clean out your glass and to fill up your water bottle (please bring one, otherwise you’ll be wasted with all that beer).
Too many breweries to name, but they brought their A-​game. We had some delicious beers with ginger, some interesting offerings from Goose Island which featured their more expensive beers that we’ve never had, and many more. Definitely marking some of these places on my list of breweries to visit.
Besides beer, there are some tents with food. Nothing heavy, just light bites. There is also music at one end of the fest and a DJ at the other end, depending on what you’re in the mood for. The glasses are made out of glass, so be careful not to drop it. I saw quite a few people shatter theirs. Mine luckily made it safely home with me.
I would love to come back to this fest again. They have great breweries showing up, and it’s a good and fun atmosphere. Taking public transportation is your best bet, but be aware of the times your train leaves if you’re taking Metra so that you don’t miss it. Cheers!

MicroBrew is August 18, 2012 this year! Sales begin in May, ticket rates are lower if you purchase tickets early, make sure to check out

Don’t even bother asking for a tiny sample because they will all make sure to fill your little glass. There were 40 or so beer booths and I made it to 20 of them. Unfortunately, I can’t even remember half of them. I just know that Crispin Cider was and always is the highlight of my brew experience. I was also a fan of Two Brothers and a cherry beer. Next time I’m taking notes, bringing some snacks and making a pretzel necklace.
Only bit of advice for the event planners, please put out buckets and water for dumping beer and cleaning the glass out.

We definitely got our money’s worth.
A fun event, tons of booze, and in a downtown that’s got some sweet shops to explore between beers.
I found this event through Crispin Cider’s website, and I have to say, their batch was probably my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, TONS of great brews, but my personal favorite was Crispin. Rockstar had a couple great offerings, Two Brothers, of course showed well, and several others. There were many stouts, for which my friend Michael, whom I saw in passing, gave rave reviews. Of the 40 breweries that were present, we ended up tasting roughly 20… and I was pretty buzzed by that point.
There were a few places there offering food, you did have to pay for that, but it wasn’t ridiculously expensive, and there was some great food. There was a cupcake shop in the event area that had some great deserts.
My only major beef was with the attendees, not the show… I saw way too many expecting mothers, infants, toddlers, and young children there. I mean I’m all for starting them early, but I draw the line at toddlers!
I think if there had been more seating, one could spend an entire day there without a problem. Next year’s plan: Buy early for best pricing, spend whole day at event, bring pretzels.

The Oak Park Micro Brew Review is the midwest’s largest zero waste craft beer festival. I attended the 4^th annual gathering (2011). Put on by Seven Generations Ahead and the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, the Micro Brew Review features tastings of over 90 craft beers from more than 30 microbreweries across the Midwest. The tickets are sold at different levels, including Master’s Choice (6-​hours of tastings), Crafter’s Choice (5-​hours of tastings), and Taster’s Choice (4-​hours tastings). All tickets include unlimited beer tastings and a specialty beer tasting glass, however, food is sold separately. I did the Master’s choice which actually also had an hour of food pairings from Marion St. Cheese Factory, which was very nice and the cheeses and hop-​fudge chocolate cookies were delicious. In addition, I had an extra hour to taste the special Illinois Craft Brewer’s Guild «Replicale» project. beers. This annual project features a different beer style each year brewed with nearly identical ingredients by 15 or more Illinois brewers to showcase the nuances in brewing technique and system design. This year’s style was American Belgo Pale Ale and all of the offerings were delightful. It truly displayed how nearly identical ingredients can yield completely different styles of beer in the right hands.
A few other really cool perks besides taking place in beautiful downtown Oak Park.
1. Proceeds from the event help fund SGA’s non-​profit work to build healthy, environmentally sustainable communities in the Midwest.
2. Food tastings incorporate organic food from local farmers.
3. The festival models Zero Waste best practices so minimal event waste is sent to the landfill
4. Transportation: Public transportation to this event is conveniently located less than a block away at the Harlem/​Lake stop on the CTA Green Line or the Metra Oak Park stop. So NO excuses for drinky and drivey!
Instead of describing such a great event in detail, Ill highlight some of the best tests (that I was able to imbibe in), considering the devastatingly enormous number of rare and specialty offerings. Needless to say, i had a great time, met some amazing people, including homebrewers that know a heck of a lot more than me. The entire event is more of a fading arrow at this point, so here goes:
5 Rabbit Cerveceria Inc. My first tastes of the new chicago latin-​style brews, I really really liked both the Lizard and Rabbit A LOT!
The Blind Pig Brewery — CHERRY SOUR, wow what a treat, specially concocted just one week prior after unveiling at the Great Taste in Madison, WI
BrickStone Brewery — Hop Sinner Double IPA
Emmett’s Tavern and Brewing Co.- Funky Fresh Saison
Goose Island Beer Co. Brought the thunder with their raspberry saison and Dream-​Italian Farro
Half Acre Beer Co. — Galactic Double Daisycutter… drooling
Hamburger Mary’sBlack Widow Cascadian Dark Rye-​PA
Haymarket Pub & Brewery — came thundering down on mere mortals with Mathias Imperial IPA, Angry Birds Belgian Rye-​PA, Raisin Belgian Dark Ale
Limestone Brewing Co. — Flying Pig IPA — everytime I go to a beerfest these guys show up and I end up loving this beer more and more, this time they dry hopped it, WOW, great idea, i will keep ordering this wherever it shows up
New Belgium Brewing — Heck yes, they tapped an entire keg of La Folie sour and Super Cru bombers.
Revolution Brewing — collaboration beer with haymarket — Coup detat