CHICAGO — A giant beer fest featuring 20-plus South Side breweries is set for May 20 in front of Baderbrau Brewing Company, 2515 S. Wabash Ave.
The inaugural South Side Craft Beer Fest will feature more than 50 hand-crafted beers and is presented by Baderbrau, the Southside Brewers Association and the South Loop Business Exchange. General admission tickets are $45 and VIP tickets are $60, which includes $8 in food tickets provided by participating food trucks and VIP catering. Tickets can be bought here.
The event "provides a unique opportunity to procure and sustain an event by brewers that focuses on the South Side brewing community," Baderbrau spokesman Justin Maynard said. "What makes this event so special is that it is a beer festival that is ran by brewers. ... The Southside Brewers Association is looking forward to growing this event for years to come, and creating awareness about the South Side and who we are."
Participating breweries include:
• 51st Ward Brewing Company
• 350 Brewing Company
• 5 Rabbit Brewing Company
• All Rise Brewing
• Around The Bend
• Arrowhead Brewing Company
• Baderbrau Brewing Company
• Banging Gavel Brews
• Blue Island Brewing Company
• Blue Nose Brewing Company
• Burnt City Brewing
• Evil Horse Brewing
• Gino's Brewpub
• Hailstorm Brewing
• Haymarket Brewing
• Horse Thief Hallow Brewing
• Lo Rez Brewing Company'
• Midwest Meadwerks
• Moody Tongue Brewing Company
• Motor Row Brewing
• One Trick Pony
• Soundgrowler Brewing
• Vice District Brewing
• Whiner Brewing.
"Banging Gavel is looking forward to an event that will showcase craft beers from the South Side of the city," Banging Gavel president Jim Richert said. "There is an ever-increasing number of outstanding breweries emerging on this side of Madison Avenue, and to have them all available at a single event is pretty exciting stuff."
Added Alan Cromwell of Blue Island Beer Company: "A fest like this great because when its focus is on a local area and audience, you have a chance to really meet people who you'll see again in your taproom. Customers can truly meet the men and women making their beer."
For more information on the event, click here.
