Chicago Beer Pass

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, the time has finally arrived for the Oktoberfest throwdown! Brad Chmielewski and Nik White are joined by their buddy Sergio Salgado to tackle this epic lineup of Oktoberfest beers. Luckily Sergio was able to join the guys because this was really too many beers for two people to tackle. With this years lineup being even bigger than last years, it seems like every brewery is now doing an Oktoberfest. You’ll have to watch or listen to the episode to see who was at the top and bottom but there were some big surprises this time around. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (96.8 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on Spotify.

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White take on two Evanston Oktoberfest beers head to head. As the guys come closer to their big Oktoberfest tasting for the year they decided to open two malty treats from Evanston; the Temperance Oktoberfest & the Sketchbook Brewing Oktoberfest. Although both these Oktoberfest beers are rather similar they each are slightly different. It’s fun to see everyones take on this classic style. As the guys throw back these cans, Nik shares a couple stops from the past week. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (66.9 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on Spotify.

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White have a double whammy coming from Double Clutch Brewing. The guys drink the Oktoberfest and the Oktober Festbier from Double Clutch. It’s perfect timing for them to dive into these since Double Clutch won an award at the Great American Beer Festival. As Brad and Nik crush these cans, they chat about Burning Bush, Spiteful, Double Clutch, and Phase Three. The guys also discuss the latest news that Metropolitan Brewing filed for bankruptcy. At the time of the recording, both Brad and Nik knew little about what it might mean for this excellent lager brewery. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (52.6 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on Spotify.

Chicago Beer Pass: Surviving Oktoberfest Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White have some classic cans of Oktoberfest from Metropolitan Brewing. As the guys knock back these cans they chat about a wild weekend they had with stops at Temperance, Alarmist Brewing, Goose Island’s 312 Block Party, Metropolitan, Ravinia brewing, and Maplewood. Plus the guys share a wild rumor that they heard about Goose Island. As Oktoberfest season keeps going in Chicago, the guys find themselves with a lot of events still to attend in the next month. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (89 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White are heading to Lager Town! Last year during their Oktoberfest run the guys somehow missed Half Acre’s Lager Town. Now, with some fresh eyes and a slew of Oktoberfests under their lederhosen they can really get a sense of what Half Acre is doing here. The guys also get ready for a big weekend with 312 Block Party and Metropolitan Brewing’s Oktoberfest event. Prost! Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (63.2 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White start their Oktoberfest off with a bang by having some cans from Spiteful Brewing. Brad picked these up on a recent stop where he got sucked into the Oktoberfest season with Half Acre’s Lager Town and Spiteful’s Oktoberfest. There are events for Oktoberfest happening for the next couple weekends, so grab your Lederhosen and meet up with Brad and Nik for a liter or two. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (63.2 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White are joined by their buddy Steve Wyatt for a stout showdown. This showdown has been planned for awhile and it was a big task requiring an extra hand. The three guys put Goose Island and Revolution up head to head to see which ones reign supreme. With Goose Island’s Black Friday right around the corner and Revolution’s Deep Woods about to start up again for the season, stout fans here in Chicago are in for a real treat this year; especially as these two crews keep putting their best foot forward. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (88.5 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White have some cans of Junior Astronaut Juice from Illuminated Brew Works. It’s been awhile since the guys have made it to Illuminated Brew Works and honestly it often slips their minds when they think of the Northside Chicago breweries. Brad and Nik venture all across the state to visit breweries and they often overlook gems like Illuminated Brew Works right in their backyards. As the guys crush this DDHIPA, Nik shares a bit about his recent trip to BiXi Beer. Oktoberfest events are right around the corner, we hope everyone is ready! Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (66.9 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik White crack open some cans from Alarmist Brewing. Although it might not seem like a killer idea to have a smoked beer in the summer, Alarmist did a crazy good job with this one. As the guys knock back a few of these, Brad recaps what Nik missed at the Oak Park Micro Brew Review the other weekend. The guys also go over a ton of events happening this coming September as Oktoberfest season is now in full swing. Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (67.1 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on

Welcome to the Chicago Beer Pass: Your ticket to all the great beer events happening in and around Chicago. On this episode of Chicago Beer Pass, Brad Chmielewski and Nik Whiteare on location in downtown Oak Park. The guys are joined by two old friends to talk about Oak Park Microbrew Review & Seven Generations Ahead happening this weekend. Hopefully, Brad & Nik will see you there as this is one of their favorite beer festivals! Having issues listening to the audio? Try the MP3 (70.5 MB) or subscribe to the podcast on