Beer Blogging

Sunday, 10:23 a.m. Apologies for the radio silence; had a train to catch after the "Review" wrapped up. It will be interesting to learn how many people bought tickets to the 2011 event, which expanded this year to the parking lot off Marion Street between North Boulevard and  the train tracks. The new set-up made it much easier to navigate.

For what it's worth, I ran into Oak Park Police Deputy Chief Anthony Ambrose on the way out — one of several uniformed officers walking around the grounds. He said the crowd was well-behaved and no major problems were reported.

6:25 p.m. You just can't deny Midwestern sensibility. It's on full supply this afternoon, as most of the breweries hail from parts of Illinois and the Midwest.

Which brings me to an enounter with Katheryn and Mark Tilley. Mark is an assistant brewer with DESTIHL brewery in Normal, Ill.; Katheryn is a front-of-house manager there. The gastropub has two locations, one in Normal and another in Champaign.

"There's not a whole bunch [of breweries] downstate," Kathryn Tilley said.

Yet the team at DESTIHL is cranking out beers from their six taps to thirsty Chicagoans and suburbanites. They're almost all impressed with the brewery's six tap selections.

Next week, they'll head to Plainfield the Midwest Brewers Fest. After that, it's off to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival.

You may think it's all beers and smiles, but it's folks like these — Tilley and her husband, along with their 3-year-old – that make events like this happen. 

"It's a little strenous at times, but it's all about that work-life balance," Mark Tilley said.

5:04 p.m. I've seen one person fall down so far. Tumbled over an organge snow fence, actually. But I remain convinced it was purely an accident and not beer-related.

4:45 p.m. Michelle Woehrle, 30, and Andrew Cooper, 34, both of Forest Park, say they've volunteered for event sponsors in years past. But this year, they're stepping away from volunteerisim in favor of sampling craft brew.

"We've taken this year off to fully enjoy the event as patrons," Woehrle said.

4:21 p.m. Today is about beer, of course. But it's also about sustainability. Noticeably absent are plastic cups, paper plates and other forms of harmful garbage that typically permeate big, festival-like events like this.

In fact, as I write this, there are two private contractors on clean-up duty next to me. They're eating ice cream. There's really not that much to sweep up.

4:10 p.m. IPAs, Rye PA's and Double Daisy Cutters. The beer geeks (myself included, though I'm a novice) are out in force, taking big whiffs of fresh pours. Some are sipping; others are gulping.

3:28 p.m. The bagpipes have sounded, the kegs are tapped. First up? "Gillian" by Chicago's Goose Island Beer Co., which contains honey and champagne flavors. It's going to be an awesome day.

3:10 p.m. Morning and afternoon thunderstorms have given way to blue skies and sunshine, just in time for the Microbrew & Food Review in Oak Park. (For a bit of background on the event, check out .) A limited number of tickets are still available for $45 at the gate.

We'll be live blogging throughout the day, so check back for some pictures, updates and shenanigans.