- Julia Thiel
- View from outside the festival
The hallmark of a successful beer festival may just be that the critics don’t have much to say about it. Chicago Ale Fest, which was initially scheduled for last September and then canceled due to “anticipated inclement weather and financial concerns,” went off without a hitch this past Friday evening and Saturday afternoon—at least as far as I can tell. I was only there for the second half of the Saturday session, but if there’s one thing people like to do it’s complain, and if there had been issues I’m pretty sure they would have been tweeted, Facebooked, and blogged about.
Atlas Brewing’s farmhouse wheat was more straightforward but equally pleasant, light and citrusy with a faint spiciness. And Ten Ninety’s newish apricot ale—a wheat beer with apricot juice added in the second fermentation—may well become one of my summer go-tos. Brewed with honey and spices, it’s barely sweet; the apricot adds tartness and fruit flavor, but not much sweetness. And at 6 percent ABV, it’s less likely to knock you out than Ten Ninety’s usual high-gravity beers.
