Delicious Event: Beer Under Glass 2015, Garfield Park Conservatory

DryHop beer, Beer Under Glass at Garfield Park Conservatory — DryHop’s Violet Beauregarde in my tasting glass

I’ve wanted to attend Beer Under Glass, the kick-off event for Chicago Craft Beer Week, for basically as long as I’ve lived in Chicago, and finally bought tickets this year. An impressive 98 participating craft breweries, plus a few food vendors, were all scattered through the indoor and outdoor areas of the Garfield Park Conservatory. The event was well-organized and brilliantly combined the visual beauty of the conservatory’s greenery with the complex flavors of unique craft beers.

Yellow umbrellas, Beer Under Glass at Garfield Park Conservatory — Yellow umbrellas and bright spring colors made this a breathtaking room

Here are my beer tasting notes, in order of sampling:

5 Rabbit Paletas, Beer Under Glass at Garfield Park Conservatory — 5 Rabbit’s Paletas beer poured from a cart to mimic their popsicle inspiration

Brickstone Brewery | One Night Blonde Session IPA – bright, hoppy start to the night.
Lunar Brewing Co. | Raspberry Cream Ale – juicy and refreshing fruit beer.
Tighthead Brewing Co. | Boxcar Porter – a classic roasted, full-bodied porter.
Vice District Brewing | Habitual Black IPA – the kind of chocolatey, crisp IPA I could drink year-round.
Moody Tongue Brewing Co. | Shocked Apricot Belgian Pale – boldly fruity without being too sweet. I also tried Steeped Emperor’s Lemon Saison, whose lemon flavor was pungent but still refreshing.
Around the Bend Beer Co. | Silk Road American Pale Ale with Galangal – huge fan of the Thai-style flavor profile, and could see this being great with food.
Goose Island Brewery | Fulton Street Blend Coffee Ale – the coffee aroma alone was enough to wake me up! I loved getting a java kick in a lighter ale.
Begyle Brewing | Barrel Aged Neighborly Stout – powerful, delicious stout that was brewed in Koval whiskey barrels.
DryHop Brewers | Violet Beauregarde Lavender & Blueberry Saison – vibrantly colored, and likely the most balanced blueberry beer I’ve had.
Rude Hippo Brewing Co. | The Bee’s Sleaze Honey Steam Ale – easy-drinking ale with honey sweetness at the end.
Temperance Beer Co. | Manhattan Barrel Aged Might Meets Right Stout – a pleasantly boozy imperial stout with all the notes of a manhattan.
5 Rabbit Brewery | Paletas #1 (Guava) – had the bubblegum pink shade and sweet creaminess of its popsicle inspiration.
Empirical Brewery | Gamma-Ray Ginger Wheat – zingy ginger and spices made this the perfect beer to end on.

Koi pond, Beer Under Glass at Garfield Park Conservatory — This might be my favorite spot in the conservatory: the koi pond.

Spring tulips, Beer Under Glass at Garfield Park Conservatory — The tulips in the outside areas were even more beautiful in the rain

Night lighting in the Palm Room, Beer Under Glass at Garfield Park Conservatory — Night lighting in the Palm Room

The details: Beer Under Glass, Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago.

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