FoBAB or the Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer is the largest and most prestigious barrel-aged beer gathering in the U.S. Held in Chicago since the early 2000s, FoBAB offers beer fans an opportunity to try samples from more than 150 craft breweries that present their best wood-aged beers, ciders, mead, and perry. The festival also features a distinguished competition for the best craftsmanship in the aged beer industry.
The annual FoBAB festival takes place during a weekend in mid-November at the Credit Union 1 Arena. It showcases over 200 beers during the two tasting sessions at the main floor, concourse, and outdoors. The first session lasts from 6 to 10 pm, while the second session runs from 1 to 5 pm on the next day.
Before the public tasting starts, a panel of judges evaluates all beer, cider, mead, and perry participating in FoBAB's competition and awards gold, silver, and bronze medals in 14 categories. The award ceremony usually takes place during the second session on the second day of the festival. The ceremony is streamed live on FoBAB’s Facebook page and Youtube.
