NOBLE SQUARE — Those hoping to get a taste of beer from Forbidden Root, which has been fighting to open its botanical brewery in East Village, will soon get a chance starting with a neighborhood event on June 4.
Unite Urban Grill, 1450 W. Chicago Ave., is hosting a free meet-and-greet for neighbors complete with food from the grill and drinks from Forbidden Root, Cream Wines and Wirtz Beverages from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
The hopeful East Village brewery will be giving out a 5-ounce pour of its Sublime Ginger brew for free that night, and guests get to keep the tasting glass, according to a spokeswoman.
Forbidden Root, which has so far brewed limited editions of its herb-based beer wherever it finds the space, has faced a number of roadblocks in opening its brewery and taproom at 1746 W. Chicago Ave., including a liquor ban in the area, zoning laws and opposition from a neighborhood organization.
The company recently won over the neighborhood group and hopes to bust through the rest of the barriers in order to open sometime in 2015.
In the meantime, the brewery plans to unveil a line of "botanic beer" with various events and appearances at local restaurants in June.
“Forbidden Root’s philosophy of recipe development is truly unique," BJ Pichman, Forbidden Root brewer and operations manager, said in a statement. “We craft our brews around herbs, roots and spices. Most breweries start with a conventional style of beer and add a little flavor. Our beers take it a lot further."
After June 4, Forbidden Root will be at a "Meet the Brewer" event at Franklin Tap, 325 S. Franklin St. on June 5 and at Kegs for Kidneys, 4780 N. Milwaukee Ave., on June 6.
The beers will be also available at Two, Bad Dog Tavern, Little Goat, SmallBar Division and Farmhouse Evanston, and the company plans to expand to other locations this summer, according to the statement.
The initial lineup of brews include Forbidden Root, Sublime Ginger and Shady Character along with special beer series Divine Mud and Hive-Minded.
The Divine Mud series is made with cacao, while Hive-Minded, as its name suggests, includes a variety of honeys.
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