On Saturday, February 21st from Noon to 5pm, Delilah’s hosts its eleventh annual vintage beer festival. More than 100 beers, primarily strong ales, from over 50 breweries will be tasted – side by side, for the first time ever in Chicago – many in multiple vintages.
Regionally, Three Floyds, Goose Island, Greg Browne Brewing, Capitol, Two Brothers, Rock Bottom, Flossmoor Station, Flatlander’s, Bell’s & Lakefront Brewing will be represented, and many of these brewers will be in attendance.
Strong ales have been traditionally brewed during and for the winter and early spring months and are quite suitable for aging – often being brewed a year before release. Many of the ales for this tasting will be sampled in vintage with a few vintage verticals and there will be an emphasis on barrel aged beers – the J.W. Lees Harvest Ale, for instance, will be available from the 2004 vintage aged in used Lagavulin Scotch Barrels. There will be a King & Barnes Christmas Ale from 1999 plus eight vintages of Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Barley Wine.
A very unique experience to sample all these strong beers together – along with vintage dated brews including: Anchor Old Foghorn, Avery Hog Heaven, Thomas Hardy’s Ale, Harvey’s Elizabethan, Skull Splitter, Portland Brewing Adam Barley Wine, Dog Fish Head Immort Ale, Lucifer, Trois Pistoles & La Fin Du Monde from Unibroue, Malheur Millennium, Capitol Blonde Dopplebock – multiple vintages, Two Brothers Bear Tree Weiss Wine, Maredsous Triple, EKU 28, and the French Belzebuth, Rogue Ales Old Crusty and Young’s Old Nick. Admission is $20 for a sampling of the offerings. Information concerning each product will be available. This tasting is a must. Contact us for more info.
