This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Tom White.
Being a fan of craft beer can get expensive and this week we give you a couple more reasons to burn a hole in your pocket. As summer winds down, there’s plenty to keep you occupied so get out there this weekend and enjoy this weather while it lasts!
In this week’s Hoplinks, tickets are on sale, a local beer guru does a great thing, the Band is coming together, and we find out yet again just how big this US craft beer idea is. Let us know what else we missed in the comments!
CHICAGO – Looking for another reason to spend your hard earned money on beer? Tickets for FoBAB went on sale today and are, as of the time of this writing, still on sale. You can also pick up tickets for the Goose Island 312 Urban Block Party, a two day music and beer festival that takes place at the Fulton brewery. [Universe, Goose Island]
LINCOLN PARK, CHICAGO – One of the city’s most respected beer experts is headed out of town and left the local beer community a parting gift. Adam Vavrick, the long-time beer manager at the awesome Lincoln Park Binny’s, is headed to Wisconsin brewery Octopi Brewery. Before hitting the road however, he opened his beer cellar up to anyone willing to donate $15 or more to his favourite charity. [DNA Info]
RAVENSWOOD, CHICAGO – There’s more news from the quickly approaching Band of Bohemia this week. The soon-to-be “culinary brewhouse” from the minds at Alinea announced they hired Matt DuBois, former chef at Lake Bluff’s Inovasi. We’ll definitely be keeping our eye on the Band of Bohemia project as it gets closer to opening.
USA – Take a closer look at the state of craft beer in the US with this interactive map. It does a great job of showing established brewing hotbeds, the states that are quickly catching up, and those who still lag far behind. [VinePair]
USA – Another publication takes a shot at picking the 20 best breweries in the US (there are nearly 4,000 so good luck with that). Some interesting choices here and good to see some of the smaller guys stand out, including one of Chicago’s own. [TimeOut]