CHICAGO, Illinois: The 2023 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FOBAB) turned Chicago’s Credit Union 1 Arena into a hoppy haven on November 10-11, where over 150 breweries unleashed more than 200 barrel-aged masterpieces on thirsty enthusiasts. Picture this: the air thick with notes of bourbon, vanilla, and toasted oak as attendees swirled, sniffed, and sipped their way through rarities like Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Stout variants and Revolution Brewing’s Deep Wood Series bombs. It wasn’t just a tasting—it was a boozy treasure hunt, with lines snaking around for limited pours of coffee-infused porters and wine-barrel sours that could make even a teetotaler reconsider their life choices.
FOBAB 2023 crowned champions in a blaze of glory, with Side Project Brewing snagging Best of Show for their silky-smooth Jammy, a fruit-forward barrel-aged beauty that had judges weak in the knees. Local heroes like Half Acre and Maplewood brought the Chicago pride, while out-of-towners from California to Belgium added global flair. Between sessions, folks geeked out over aging techniques, swapped trading cards for rare bottles, and left with bellies full of liquid art—and maybe a slight wobble. If you’re plotting your 2024 beer bucket list, Google “FOBAB Chicago tickets” now; this fest proves the Windy City knows how to age gracefully, one barrel at a time!
2023 FOBAB Medal Winners
Cider/Perry/Mead
Gold: Final Act – Garagiste Meadery
Silver: Rye Barrel Aged Marion – Superstition Meadery
Bronze: Wealthy Financier – Listermann Fermatorium
Wild Beer Mixed Culture/Acidic W/Fruit
Gold: Peach Horizon – 10 Barrel West Side
Silver: Routes Du Cidre – Idyll Forest Artisan Ales
Bronze: Soiree – Idyll Forest Artisan Ales
Wild Beer Mixed Culture/Acidic
Gold: Oblivion – Wicked Weed Brewing
Silver: Cuvee De Josh – Pretentious Barrel House
Bronze: Polyflora – Brewery Bhavana
Wild Brett Beer
Gold: Oaked Val D’Or – Hidden Hand Brewery
Silver: Palace of Gold – Full Mile Beer Co. & Kitchen
Bronze: Oak Rado – Penrose Brewing Company
Specialty & Experimental Beer
Gold: Mezcal Barrel Aged Beer For Tacos – Off Color Brewing – Production
Silver: Astral Predator – Cerebral Brewing – Congress Park
Bronze: All That Was Promised – Magnanimous Brewing
Fruit Beer
Gold: Icky Bob Thornton – Haymarket Pub and Brewery
Silver: Tako Michu – 10 Barrel West Side
Bronze: Polynesian Passion – Sun King Brewery-Fishers
Other Dark Beer
Gold: Bravissimo – Firestone Walker Propagator
Silver: Orin – Half Acre
Bronze Skateboard Jesus – 10 Barrel East Side
Lagers
Gold: Dark Crator – Boulevard Brewing Company
Silver: Brewers’ Reserve Bourbon Barrel-Aged Honey Bock – Lakefront Brewery
Bronze: Barrel-Aged Generator Doppelbock – Metropolitan Brewing
Other Pale Beer
Gold: Tripel G – Belgian Style Tripel – Sketchbook Brewing Co. Skokie
Silver: Boost – HighGrain Brewing Company
Bronze: Muon – Loose Ends Brewing
Barley Wine/Wheat Wine
Gold: Moments of Silent Banter – Taproom Beer Co.
Silver: Owl of Athena – Solemn Oath Brewery
Bronze: Two Faced Terror – False Idol Brewing
Specialty Strong Porter & Stout
Gold: BBA Ego Death W Vanilla – Resident Culture Brewing
Silver: Veneration of the Dead – Ever Grain Brewing
Bronze: BA Cuppa Stuffff – Maplewood Brewery & Distillery
Strong Porter & Stout
Gold: Mehndi 2023 – More Brewing Company
Silver: Slappa Da Base – Mikerphone Brewing
Bronze: Double BA Temple of Minerva – Jackie O’s Brewery
Best of Show
Runner Up: Mehndi 2023 – More Brewing Company
Winner: Oaked Val D’Or – Hidden Hand Brewery
For more information on the 2023 Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer, Click Here.
For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.
The 2022 
DENVER, Colorado – October 2025 The Brewers Association (BA) celebrated the finest beers of 2025 at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF®) awards ceremony, held on September 20, 2025, at the Bellco Theatre in Denver and livestreamed via The Brewing Network. As the nation’s premier professional beer competition, GABF medals are globally recognized as symbols of brewing excellence, coveted by brewers worldwide. This year, 263 breweries earned 303 medals across 99 beer categories encompassing 175 beer styles, including subcategories. Additionally, three Collaboration medals were awarded for beers crafted by multiple professional breweries, and three Pro-Am medals honored creations by professional and amateur homebrewer teams. Over nine days, 250 beer experts from 10 countries judged 9,298 commercial entries from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, alongside 95 Collaboration and 50 Pro-Am entries, supported by over 300 volunteers. “GABF is a stage for America’s top beers to shine through rigorous evaluation,” said Chris Williams, GABF competition director. “The brewing community’s dedication to innovation and quality is inspiring, and we’re proud to honor this year’s winners.”
Tickets
PASO ROBLES, California— Firestone Walker announced the lineup for the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest on June 3, featuring an all-star cast of more than 55 breweries from around the world.
