Revolution Oktoberfest 2019
Long gone are the days where this was a tucked away & low-key affair behind the production facility at Rev Kedzie. Those parties were a blast. Images of Tracy Hurst (Metropolitan Brewing) being dunked in the charity water tank, and actual glass festbier steins hoisted high all day long were the precursor to what Rev’s annual celebration grew into.
In 2019, the Revolution Oktoberfest is an entire block party. The 2-day affair stretches from California up to Fullerton on Milwaukee Ave. The original brewpub is the centerpiece as a ceremonial wooded cask is tapped on day one with Brewmaster Jim Cibak and Chairman of the Party, Brewery Founder Josh Deth.
Metal Friday was cut short due to storms but not before REZN took the stage. The psychedelic doom medal crew held the crowd captive with their brand of sludge metal that included a mean saxophone solo. After their set, rain rolled through and everyone gathered under the beer tent for shelter but with handfuls of beer.
The four main beers offered were Ghost Ride Kolsch, Currant Freedom Of Press Currant Session Sour, Fist City and Oktoberfest. Their own Bavarian Festbier is lagered for five weeks and reminds you of how welcoming a lovely classic European style is after drinking all the haze and fruity ass cocktails throughout the summer.
New this year was the Barrel Aged Tent where the crew was excited about the latest Deep Wood Series. Maple Deth will likely see the can treatment in 2020 but you can try to snag it on tap before then at one of their release parties (which if you've never been to one , put it on your bucket list!) . Imperial Cherry Eugene served as the finale in the timed tap-list for the block party. DJ sets and artists installations filled the street during Oktoberfest Block Party Weekend.
This is really one of the city’s only beer-centric block parties of the Fall Season. Proceeds benefited Friends of Goethe School for the third year in a row. Between Oktoberfest, Pumpkin Beers and Wet Hop styles, some might select a barreled aged beer as their preference for colder months. To see Revolution get people excited about that program while celebrating lager bier is commendable on their part.
The most popular seasons are Fall and Spring time. When those leaves come down and hoodies go up, we often forget the largest party on the planet is Oktobefest in Munich. Over 6 millon people over 16 days gather for that celebration from all over the world. It was originally an ode to King Ludwig marrying Princess Therese back in 1810. A wedding party was transformed into a public festival and is now one of the longest running and most enduring worldwide traditions of all time. It’s the Bavarian signature event that has been going strong for over 200 years. Cheers to Revolution Brewing, Chicago’s largest independent brewery for a modern interpretation of this tradition. Prost!
