Attention, Chicago: summer is here.
Outdoor dining, concerts and movies in the park, THE BEACH, I mean come on, what’s not to love about summer in the city? Whether you just finished a nice bike ride along the lake or find yourself hanging out on a rooftop patio, here are some summer beers to accompany you along the way.
For Ben and John Saller, getting into the beer industry wasn’t just about making their home-brewing hobby a means of income—it was about proving something. “I was tired of working for causes that I didn’t care about,” says Ben as he and his brother John show me around their production facility, a former Jay’s Potato factory on Chicago’s South Side. “I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder because you hear people talk shit about home-brewers who try and ‘go pro.’ I think it’s certainly true some of the time but we’re the biggest critics of our beer. I’m determined to not give up on having this be a career for me.”

Last year’s Goose Island Sunday Funday was one of our favorite events of Chicago Craft Beer Week. This year’s third annual installment promises to be even better.
These days, enjoying craft beer in a can is pretty common. And let’s be honest, there are plenty of benefits: The beer is protected from light to avoid becoming light-struck or “skunked” as it’s often referred to. A can is a bit easier to pack and take with you on-the-go, be it on a hike or picnic. Cans also have a larger surface area for artwork and branding so a brewery can have more liberties with the design.
Just in time for warm weather comes the latest offering from SweetWater Brewing’s “Catch and Release” series: Goin’ Coastal IPA laced with pineapple.