Combine a beer festival with green and odds are it’s a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. But the Oak Park Micro Brew and Food Review, taking place 2-7 p.m. Aug. 15, isn’t about the wearing of the green, but about being green.
The festival, which takes place on Marion Street and is now in its eighth year, bills itself as the largest zero-waste craft beer event in the Midwest. The inspiration for the event was to “combine the then-emerging interest in craft beer with our sustainability mission,” says Gary Cuneen, founder and executive director of Seven Generations Ahead, a co-producer of the Micro Brew Review with the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, both nonprofits. “The (event) strives toward the goal of producing zero waste, and requires vendors to use compostable service ware that we supply and provide resource recovery stations that collect recyclables and food scraps for composting. We also work with food vendors to use local, sustainable food.”
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The Oak Park Micro Brew and Food Review is a fundraiser for both organizations, with all proceeds earmarked for the Seven Generations Ahead’s sustainability efforts and the Illinois Craft Brewer Guild’s craft beer advocacy.
Among the major Seven Generations Ahead initiatives include PlanItGreen, the implementation of Oak Park and River Forest’s sustainability plan, and which involves education and projects related to energy, waste, food, transportation, water, green infrastructure, education and green businesses, Cuneen says.
The group also facilitates the Illinois Farm to School Network, which promotes healthy eating and environment awareness through education and local food sourcing.
Tickets to the Micro Brew Review are $50 in advance and $60 at the gate. Admission is good for up to 40 beer samples in a 4-ounce tasting glass. Among the more than 70 breweries scheduled to participate this year include Andersonville Brewing, Goose Island Brewery, Half Acre Beer Company, Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Miskatonic Brewing Co., Moody Tongue Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, Oak Park Brewing Company, Revolution Brewing, Solemn Oath Brewery and Two Brothers Brewing.
For a fledgling microbrewery such as Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, exposure at the Micro Brew Review is “huge, critical,” says Adam Cieslak, one of the brewers and co-owners. “This is the first summer we’ve been doing beer fests. I’ve attended (the event) as a customer. It’s one of the better fests around. The list of the brewers, especially this year, is pretty damn awesome. We didn’t want to miss the chance of being a part of it.”
A special feature of the Micro Bew Review is ReplicAle, in which participating brewers are charged with following the same recipe for a specific style of beer. This year, 59 of the brewers will be creating their own incarnation of a saison. ReplicAle tickets are $60 and available only in advance.
Along with the beer, the event features a full lineup of live music and food from eateries including Kinderhook Tap, Khyber Pass, Mancini’s Italian Bistro, Marion Street Cheese Market, Maya Del Sol and Puree’s Pizza and Pasta.
As the popularity of craft beer has grown, so has the Micro Brew Review. The festival’s first year attracted 550 people, Cuneen says. Last year, 4,500 people attended.
That alone makes it “a phenomenal opportunity” for vendors, says Amanda Piskor, bistro manager at Marion Street Cheese, which has participated in the last six events. “So many people come to the neighborhood (for this) and we try to support our community and its businesspeople. This is a brilliant, wonderful and fun way to do that.”
She adds with a laugh, “Cheese goes very well with beer.”
For his part, Cieslak looks forward to interacting with a mix of microbrew enthusiasts and those looking to expand their beer horizons. “You get a good mix of people,” he says. “You get those who want to talk to you about (the process); what goes into each beer, the different styles and hops. And you get people who are just getting into craft beer. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Oak Park Micro Brew and Food Review
When: 2-7 p.m. Aug. 15
Where:
Advance tickets can be purchased via the Brown Paper Tickets website (www.brownpapertickets.com). Designated drivers and those who don’t drink are allowed to attend the festival without a ticket, but anyone caught drinking without a wristband will be asked to leave the event.