Craft beer fest at Morton Arboretum a perfect sip of summertime
Sipping a beer on a hot summer day in the shade of a big tree sounds like a pretty perfect way to spend a June afternoon.
Hundreds of people did just that Saturday during the Morton Arboretum's third annual craft beer festival.
Chairs and blankets were spread throughout the arboretum, where beer enthusiasts listed to live music by Summer Son, a country rock band, and enjoyed more than a dozen samples of ales, lagers and ciders from across the U.S.
About 45 breweries participated in this year's event, including several from DuPage County, such as Two Brothers, Church Street and Urban Legend. The Arboretum even had its own beer - a juniper lime saison - on tap created by Clint Bautz, co-founder of Lake Effect Brewery in Chicago.
VIP ticket holders had an opportunity to meet Bautz and were granted early access to the new infusion tent, where beers were poured through a flavor-enhancing device called a Randall. They also had the first tastes of special and limited release beer from Banging Gavel, Pollyanna, Two Brothers, Hopvine and Werk Force.
"The outdoor element and the beer make this event great," said fest-goer Brian Reitz of Naperville. "It just does not get any better than that."
Proceeds from the event went to the Morton Arboretum, to support its mission of planting and conserving trees.