According to Reader Beer and Metal columnist Philip Montoro, “Not remembering shit is a common side effect of FOBAB.” That’s because a lot of the assertive beers poured at the annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer have been brewed to withstand the time they’ll spend languishing in repurposed liquor barrels prior to pouring. And the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild doubled FOBAB’s mind-erasing potential when, beginning last year, it expanded the event from one day to two. Over the course of a Friday and Saturday, 90 breweries will pour 300 wood-kissed beers and compete to medal in 12 categories, from barleywine to fruit beer to wild sour. Last year’s medalists included Off Color, Revolution, and Pipeworks.
11/20-11/21: Fri 6-10 PM, Sat1-5 PM and 6-10 PM, UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt, illinoisbeer.com/events/fobab.