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Cider and Ale Festival

Sample ciders and seasonal beers amid rich fall color at the Cider and Ale Festival.

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Please note: Tickets for the 2023 Cider and Ale Festival are sold out.

Savor hard cider and seasonal beers from more than 30 local breweries and cideries. Breathe in the fresh autumn air and stroll among the trees while you sip. Tasting booths will be spread out along the Meadow Lake, Frost Hill, and Conifer walking paths.

Ticketing Information

General tickets

  • 20 3-ounce samples
  • Souvenir tasting glass

VIP early entry tickets

  • Early entry to the festival at 11:00 a.m.
  • Commemorative beer can glass with featured leaf
  • Welcome drink from Standard Meadery – Enjoy a special tasting before you enter the festival area
  • First access to all 80+ beers, ciders, and meads at the festival
  • Everything included in the general admission ticket (with the exemption of the tasting glass)

Ticket purchasers must be 21 or older and present a valid I.D. at check-in. All Cider and Ale Festival tickets include admission into the Arboretum on Saturday, October 21.

Nondrinking and underage guests

There is no designated driver ticket type for this event. Nondrinking and underage guests are able to join ticket holders along the tasting route, but are required to reserve admission passes to the Arboretum before arriving. Admission to the Arboretum is limited on the day of the event due to capacity restrictions. The last admission window will be at 11:00 a.m. Reserve your passes before they are sold out.

 

Sponsored by

Participating Breweries

VIP Standard Meadery
It’s That Time of The Year (Session Style Mead)

Table 1 Elmhurst Brewing Company
Humboldt Fog (IPA)
Freudian Trip (Lager)

Table 2 Misbeehavin’ Meads
Caramel Apple (Herbed Spiced Hopped Cider)
Cabinet of Curiosities (Mead)

Table 3 Pause CBD Water
Berry Sparkling Water (Hemp Extract)
Tropical Sparkling Water (Hemp Extract)
Lemon-Lime Sparkling Water (Hemp Extract)

Table 4 Peeled Cider
Hazy Apple (Cider)
Blueberry (Cider)

Table 5 The Conrad Seipp Brewing Company | Metropolitan Brewing
Seipp’s Extra Pale (Pre-Prohibition Pilsner)
Seipp’s Bavarian (Traditional Hefeweizen)
Afterburner Oktoberfest (Märzen)

Table 6 Revolution Brewing Company
Cold Time (American Lager)
Oktoberfest (Märzen)

Table 7 Crystal Lake Brewing
Too Much Cologne (Kölsch)
Wet Hopped (Red IPA)

Table 8 Midwest Coast Brewing
Oktoberfest (Märzen)
Peremoha (Ukrainian Golden Ale)

Table 9 Obscurity Brewing
Launch Juice (New England Hazy IPA)
Welcome Great Pumpkin (Pumpkin Yam Beer)

Table 10 Obscurity Cider and Mead
Nemesis (Blackberry Cider)
Nemesis Cherry (Sweet Cherry Cider)

Table 11 Penrose Brewing
Lemon Seltz-Up (Lemon Hard Seltzer)
Spooky Boots (New England Hazy IPA)

Table 12 ShortFuse Brewing
Loosey Juicy (New England Hazy IPA)
Oktoberfest (Märzen)

Table 13 Spindrift Spiked
Blood Orange Tangerine (Spiked Sparkling Water)
Paradise Pack Variety (Spiked Sparkling Water)

Table 14 Liquid Love Brewing
Double Ope Dope (Imperial Double IPA)
Flying Mermaid Island (Fruited Sour)
Rum Barrel Aged Ambrosia (Fruited Berliner Weisse Sour)

Table 15 The Cider Farm
Classic Dry (Traditional Apfelwein Cider)
Oak-Aged & Cyser (Buttery Cider)

Table 16 Brickstone Brewery
Dark Secret (Russian Imperial Stout)
Haz’d Juice (New England Hazy IPA)

Table 17 Go Brewing
New School (Nonalcoholic Sour Berry)
Suspended in a Sunbeam (Nonalcoholic German Malt and Hops)
Freedom (Nonalcoholic Pale)

Table 18 2 Fools Cider
Pumpkin Spiced (Herbed Spiced Hopped Cider)
Tart Cherry (Dry Cider)

Table 19 Kishwaukee Brewing Co.
Oktoberfest (Märzen)
Sandhill Summer Lager (IPL)

Table 20 Noon Whistle Brewing
Fuzzy Smack (Fruited Berliner Weisse Sour)
Squishy Gummy (North East IPA)

Table 21 Right Bee Cider
Semi Dry (Traditional Apfelwein Cider)
Clementine (Cider)

Table 22 Scorched Earth Brewing
Crypt Keeper (Pumpkin Yam Beer)
Hey Chicago Waddya Say?! (Lager Helles)
Giant Killer (American IPA)

Table 23 Carbliss
Black Cherry (Vodka Cocktail)
Black Raspberry (Vodka Cocktail)
Cranberry (Vodka Cocktail)
Lemon-Lime (Vodka Cocktail)
Pineapple (Vodka Cocktail)

Table 24 Two Hound Red Brewing Co.
Boathouse (American IPA)
Dia de los Muertos (Mexican Lager)

Table 25 Bubblehouse Brewing Company
Smoky Poofs (American Porter)
Livin’ On a Prairie (American Pale Wheat)
Get Yo Festy On (Märzen)

Table 26 Brother Chimp Brewery
Smile (English Brown Ale)
Oh My Grod (Grätzer Grodziskie)

Table 27 Black Horizon Brewing Company
Pink Party! (Fruit Beer)
Quiet Contemplation (Stout with Cold Brew Coffee)

Table 28 ERIS Brewery and Cider House
Strawbarbarella (Cider)
Pedestrian (Traditional Apfelwein Cider)

Table 29 Old Irving Brewing Co.
Cinnamon Prost (White Stout)
Beezer (New England Hazy IPA)

Table 30 Twisted Hippo
Johnny Maple Leaf (Golden Apple Ale)
Poseidon’s Pom Poms (Traditional Gose Sour)

Table 31 Around The Bend Beer Co.
Vera (Cream Ale)
Can You Pass the Acid Test? (Fruited Sour)

Table 32 Prima Cider LLC
Prima Most (Traditional Apfelwein Cider)
Prima Barrique (Traditional Apfelwein Cider)

Table 33 Church Street Brewing Company
Touch of Mango (Wheat Beer Hefeweizen)
Itascafest (Märzen)

Table 34 Pipeworks Brewing Co.
Pumpkin Spice Latte (pumpkin ale)
Mini Unicorn (IPA)

Table 35 Phase Three Brewing Co.
Bushel of Apples (Golden Ale)
Geo (Pilsner)

Table 36 Standard Meadery
Endless Grind (Session Short Mead)
Slimer (Mead)

Accessibility

Tasting booths will be spread out along our new ADA accessible Conifer path. The mile-long, paved path begins near the Visitor Center and Parking Lot 1 and is accessible for wheelchairs and walkers; it includes a few gentle hills. The tasting tables will be stationed on the grass within ten feet of the path. View the Accessibility Guide for more detailed information.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Each ticket purchase includes twenty 3-ounce samples. In some cases, higher ABV beverages such as meads may be less than 3-ounces. No additional samples will be available for purchase.

  • Yes, Arboretum admission is included with your Cider and Ale Festival ticket. Visitors are allowed to remain on-site for the duration of the day. The Arboretum will close at sunset.

  • In addition to the breweries and cideries attending the event, several food vendors will also be on-site, including:

    • Billy Bricks Pizza
    • Fernando’s Street Kitchen
    • Flyin’ Hawaiian
    • Hello Boba
    • Gigawatt Coffee Roasters
    • Gindo’s Spice of Life

  • There will be a select few breweries offering gluten-free and non-alcoholic options. A final list of vendors will be updated closer to the event.

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