Local Event

24th Annual Festival Of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer

Cost: $85-$250

The Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer returns to Chicago November 13-14, 2026, convening the nation’s top barrel-aged brewing programs for a showcase of brewing craftsmanship and innovation that only happens here.

Credit Union 1 Arena: 525 S. Racine Ave. | Chicago, IL 60607

Session 1 | Friday, November 13: 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. (ImBIBE entry at 5:00 p.m.)

Session 2 | Saturday, November 14: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. (ImBIBE entry at 12:00 p.m.)

General admission tickets are $85 plus processing and go on sale Thursday, September 17. Festival space is limited, so purchase tickets quickly to reserve your spot!

NEW THIS YEAR: FoBAB VIP GREEN ROOM EXPERIENCE:

A limited-availability ticket that includes private access to the Green Room, cans of crisp lager from the Lager Lounge, a private water station, a concession food stipend, an exclusive 2026 FoBAB Green Room glass, a FoBAB bag, and a FoBAB taster koozie, plus access to a private fire pit area outside. Ticket: $250 each, very limited quantities available.

RAFFLES

EARLY BIRD RAFFLE: Purchase your FoBAB ticket by Friday, September 18 at 11:59 p.m. to be entered to win a special FoBAB drawstring bag filled with items for FoBAB lovers, including glassware, t-shirts, and more. Five winners will be randomly selected and announced on stage during each session. FREE entry with early bird ticket purchase.

SKIP THE LINE: FIVE winners (plus a friend) each session will win a SKIP THE LINE badge good throughout the festival (just can’t hit the same line back-to-back). Winners will be announced on Thursday, November 5. $5 raffle ticket.

ULTIMATE FOBAB UPGRADE: THREE winners (plus a friend) each session will win the ULTIMATE FOBAB UPGRADE prize, complete with one-hour early entry to the festival, a skip-the-line badge, and access to our Brewers and Sponsors Lounge, which are stocked with beer and catered food! Winners will be announced on Thursday, November 5. $10 raffle ticket.

The Tasting Sessions

Experience FoBAB at two tasting sessions, each featuring over 250 expertly crafted beers, ciders, meads, and perries across 13 unique style categories—all of which are thoughtfully hand-crafted and aged in contact with wood or wood barrels, and many of which are brewed exclusively for the festival. Concession-style food will be available for purchase throughout the venue.

2026 FoBAB style categories include:

Strong Porter/Stout

Specialty Strong Porter/Stout (adjunct stouts)

Barleywine/Wheatwine/Ryewine

Blended Beer

Other Pale Beer (beers under 7.5%)

BA Lagers

Other Dark Beer

Fruit beer

Specialty & Experimental Beer

Wild Beer-Brett

Wild Beer Mixed Culture/Acidic

Wild Beer Mixed Culture/Acidic with Fruit

Cider/Perry/Mead

The Lager Lounge

Tickets include access to the second-floor Lager Lounge, which is stocked with lighter pours from dozens of local breweries. Sip on the latest pours and trending brews from across Illinois while enjoying a bird’s-eye view of the festival floor and a reprieve from the traditional higher ABV samples poured at FoBAB. 

The Competition

The FoBAB Awards recognize the innovators and risk-takers—brewers who push the boundaries of what’s possible to create some of the most complex, time-intensive, and meticulously crafted barrel-aged beer, cider, mead, and perry in the world.

A panel of expert judges and industry professionals evaluates every FoBAB entry, awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals, along with coveted ‘Best in Show’ honors across 13 unique style categories.

The excitement culminates during Session #2, when the FoBAB Awards ceremony takes place live at the festival and is livestreamed on the FoBAB Facebook page and the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild YouTube channel, giving beer lovers near and far a front-row seat to the celebration. The results will be published on www.fobab.com. 

FAN FAVORITE AWARD: For the second year, attendees are invited to step into the judging seat by voting for their favorite FoBAB entry. Ballot boxes will be positioned throughout the venue, so once you’ve identified your favorite pour, submit your written nomination to the ballot box. The ‘Fan Favorite’ award will be announced at each session. 

Tags

• event
• Chicago beer event
• chicago beer tasting
• chicago beer pairing
• chicago beer fest
• chicago beer festival
• Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer
• Things to do in Chicago, IL
• Illinois Wine & Food Events
• Chicago Wine & Food Events