Former Oak Park resident Joe Pinkowski, now of Norwood, enjoys his third Oak Park Micro Brew and Food Review, Saturday, on Marion Street. Pinkowski and his wife, Emily, bought tickets to the fest for friends as a house-warming gift. (DAVID PIERINI/Staff Photographer)
Former Oak Park resident Joe Pinkowski, now of Norwood, enjoys his third Oak Park Micro Brew and Food Review, Saturday, on Marion Street. Pinkowski and his wife, Emily, bought tickets to the fest for friends as a house-warming gift. (DAVID PIERINI/Staff Photographer)
Thousands from all over Chicago converged on Marion for the beer festival. (DAVID PIERINI/Staff Photographer)

It was a perfect day for a beer, and Oak Parkers got the chance to taste 180 different varieties last Saturday at the 7th Annual Microbrew Review in Downtown Oak Park and the Pleasant District.

The event, held by the Oak Park-based environmental sustainability nonprofit Seven Generations Ahead and the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, was the largest yet, drawing a crowd of about 4,329 hop heads. That number’s up from about 4,000 last year, said Seven Generations spokesperson Laurie Casey.

She said the number of brewers – mostly from Illinois – was also up from 2013. Thirty-three craft brewers, up from 17 last year, participated in Replicale, an event where microbrews are challenged to give their take on a particular brew. This year’s challenge: American red ale. 

Proceeds for the event were a fundraiser for the two nonprofits. 

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