The 2017 program for Uppers & Downersย taking place this weekend has been announced, and hoo boy are there going to be some bangers there this year. Hosted by Good Beer Hunting, previous iterations of Chicagoโs annual festival highlighting the synergy of coffee and beer have featured a handful ofย rare and wild combinations from some of the Midwestโs best breweries partnering with some of their best coffee roasters. This yearโs program looks to be no different.
Broken down into two sessions with mostly differing beer lists, the 2017 Uppers & Downers is all about stouts, ciders, and wild fermentation. Sorry boutcha, IPAs, youโve have your fun. Think beers like Perennial Artisan Ales Imperial Coffee Stout using a naturally processed Ethiopia roasted by Sump Coffee, One Trick Ponyโs kettle-soured Belgian Farmhouse Ale made with Metric Coffeeโs single origin Ethiopia Gypsy Blood espresso aged in absinthe barrels, and Angry Orchardโs barrel aged cider using Madcapโs cascara from Costa Rica.
Each session will have its own Case Studyโa sort of brewery-led deep diveโthat will include multiple collaborations from Whiner Beer Co/Four Letter Word Coffee and Solemn Oath Brewing/Intelligentsia Coffee during Session One and Session Two, respectively. Both Case Studies will include Goose Islandโs highly sought after Bourbon Counter Coffee Stouts from 2012, 2013, and 2014, which to many beer nerds is alone worth the price of admission.
For more information on the offerings at each session or to buy tickets, visit Good Beer Huntingโs website. Donโt forget to hydrate and maybe have one of those No Hangover drinks. Youโre gonna need it.
Zac Cadwaladerย is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
