The Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer(FOBAB), the world’s largest and most prestigious barrel-aged beer festival and competition, returned to Chicago this past weekend at UIC Forum (725 W. Roosevelt Rd.). More than 200 craft breweries from across the United States will showcase their rarest, most innovative wood and barrel-aged brews, competing for top honors in The National Barrel Aged Beer Competition. Here are the winners!
FOBAB – BEST OF SHOW
Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim, CA – Arcane Rituals (Barleywine/Wheatwine)
FOBAB – BEST OF SHOW – Runner Up
The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA – Peach Afternoon
FOBAB Medal Winners
Strong Porter Stout
Gold – Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Columbus, OH – 3-2-1 Double Barrel Dire Wolf
Silver – Crystal Lake Brewing, Crystal Lake, IL – Boathouse Reserve Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
Bronze – More Brewing Co., Villa Park, IL – Mehndi 2019
Specialty Strong/Porter Stout
Gold – Cerebral Brewing, Denver, CO – Vanilla Rye Here Be Monsters
Silver – Hidden Springs Ale Works, Tampa, FL – After Dinner Decadence
Bronze – Half Acre Beer Company, Chicago (Balmoral) – Vanilla Benthic
Barleywine/Wheatwine
Gold – Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim, CA – Arcane Rituals
Silver – Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Chicago & Bridgman, MI – Barrel Aged Bollocks
Bronze – Kros Strain Brewing Company, LaVista, NE – Barrel Aged Barrellywine Vol. 2
Classic Beer Style
Gold – Kros Strain Brewing Company, LaVista, NE – 53 Magnum
Silver – Derive Brewing Company, Columbus, OH – It’s only dirty paper!
Bronze – Church Street Brewing Company, Itasca, IL – Holy Moly
Strong Pale Beer
Gold – Pollyanna Brewing Company, Lemont, IL – Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Orenda Volume 03
Bronze – Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, OH – Barrel Aged Tripel Dog Dare
Strong Dark Beer
Gold – Revolution Brewing, Chicago – V.S.O.R. (Very Special Old Ryeway)
Silver – Pollyanna Brewing Company, Lemont, IL – Orenda Volume 02
Bronze – Taxman Brewing Company, Bargersville, IN – Bourbon Barrel Qualified
Fruit Beer
Gold – Werk Force Brewing, Plainfield, IL – Farmhouse Vultures with Blackberries and Raspberries
Silver – Revolution Brewing, Chicago – Strawberry Jacket
Bronze – MyGrain Brewing Co., Joliet, IL – I Have Time
Specialty/Experimental
Gold – 5 Rabbit Cervecería, Bedford Park, IL – El Pirata
Silver – MadTree Brewing Cincinnati, OH – Joon – Chamomile & Elderflower
Bronze – Monday Night Brewing Atlanta, GA – Tie 8 On
Wild Beer/Brett (non-acidic)
Gold – Afterthought Brewing Company, Lombard, IL – Afterthought Ale: Wine Barrel Fermented (Yuzu & Key Lime Juice)
Silver – Hacienda Beer Co., – Baileys Harbor, WI L’hiver
Bronze – Branch & Bone Artisan Ales, Dayton, OH – Silence Mill
Wild Beer (Acidic) Sours
Gold – MobCraft Beer, Milwaukee, WI – Sour Golden Ale
Silver – Off Color Brewing – Mousetrap, Chicago – Procatsination
Bronze – Upstream Brewing Company, Omaha, NE – Things!
Wild Beer (Acidic) w/ Fruit
Gold – The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA – Peach Afternoon
Silver – Forager Brewery, Rochester, MN – Dollar Menu Pie
Bronze – Coppertail Brewing Co., Tampa, FL – Creature de mer Rouge
Cider/Perry/Mead
Gold – Misbeehavin’ Meads, Valparaiso, IN – BBA Caramel Apple Cider
Silver – Garagiste Meadery, Tampa, FL – Cognac Barrel Aged Black Widow
Bronze – Superstition Meadery, Prescott, AZ – Grand Cru Berry
History of FoBAB
Picture this: Back in the early 2000s, Chicago’s craft beer scene was fizzing with wild ideas, thanks to trailblazers like Goose Island’s Greg Hall who kicked off the barrel-aging revolution in the mid-’90s by stuffing stouts into bourbon barrels for that oaky, boozy magic. Fast-forward to a casual night at Rock Bottom Brewery in 2003, where three beer-loving masterminds—Pete Crowley (the venue wizard), Todd Ashman (beer hunter extraordinaire), and Jeff Sparrow (competition czar)—sipped a rare barrel-aged stout and thought, “Why not throw a party just for these wooden wonders?” Whipping it up in a whirlwind month, they launched the inaugural Festival of Barrel-Aged Beer (FOBAB) that November on Rock Bottom’s cozy second floor, featuring a modest 36 pours from 22 breweries. What started as a quirky nod to experimental brews exploded into North America’s barrel-aging bonanza, now packing the UIC Credit Union 1 Arena with over 300 mind-bending beers from 150+ spots worldwide—think bourbon-kissed porters, wine-barrel wild sours, and mead that’s aged to perfection. It’s not just a festival; it’s a boozy time machine celebrating 20+ years of brewers pushing flavor boundaries, all while raising dough for the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. Grab your ticket for November 2025—your taste buds will thank you with a tipsy high-five!
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