Pint Night, Food Truck & Weiners!

Welp,

In a strange twist of fate, I don't really know what to say.

The world is on fire and it's finally come rat-tat-tatting on our front door. There's a certain kind of sinking feeling when the images from your doom scrolling suddenly populate the 4-dimensional world just outside your window. I'm sure the Germans have a word for that feeling and the Japanese have an even more beautiful one as well. We here in the land of the Pleabes English have a short onomonapeion for it, I suppose. Sing along if you know this one: "Gulp".

But, wile the air smells like your jeans after weekend camp out and the skies are tarred and feathered in some rich bumbleheads satellites, we here at Illuminated Brew Works are somewhat invigorated as, seemingly every day, our tongue-in-cheek tagline we created 8 years ago when we started this disfunctional egregore of ours, has now becomes a mission statement. The humor has shifted from the rhetoric of irony to the absurdity of unavoidable truth. But, still, we're here for you, still creating "Beer for Interesting Times". Now more than ever, my bubbies. Now more than ever.

And we take our cynicism very seriously. We take our realism surreally. We take our lumps by the dozen and we almost always take our beer with a sidecar of affordable whisky. These are coping mechanisms and there's no time like the present to get mechanistic with one's coping. Or one's copping for that matter. But, copulating? Please - please don't make me remind you again - whatever you do, just stay loose, always stay loose and curious and fruitful with that copulating, ok? The dark lord knows we need real Love and some real good loving in these our hard, hard times. So, let's not go soft. Not now. Not in these very Interesting Times.

I mean have you heard all the stories from very legitimate channels about these aircrafts of "non-human origin"? Wait, was that Marco Rubio? The Senate Intelligence Sub-Committee? Did you see that shit that went down in Russia? You know the thing with the Ex-Con Warlord putting a real challenge against the state military? Have you smelled the air in Chicago???

My brothers and sisters in dedication to decadence, we are through ye olde looking glass and even the Cheshire Cat looks a little nervous.

So we drink! 

And, in service of drinking - and eating! - we've got a few events lined up for you.
 


Hot damn! That's right. THURSDAY NIGHT, that being Thursday June 29th (MR. KING'S BIRTHDAY!) on most solar calendars, we have our first of many PINT NIGHTS here at America's Home for Dundering, IBW Lodge #1.

For a measly $10 you get one of these fancy blue-glass branded IBW glasses pictured above and it will be full of delicious TRUST lager. Only 1 glass per customer per Thursday while supplies last and these are only available on Thursdays. So don't try calling in any favors or any other annoying practice, please. It will fail. Just come on Thursday, pay $10, get your glass, enjoy your Trust and then enjoy another $300-$400 worth of beer while you're here. Maybe eat some of the delicious PRETZEL CRACK that we have for sale to help with a $400 beer bender. Or, might I suggest some delicious SKOKIE PROVISIONS? Regardless, don't ask for more than one glass. It ain't gonna happen.

The plan is to do this Pint Night every Thursday with a new limited edition glass whenever we run out of the previous run. We've got about 60 of these blue ones and, after they're gone, they're gone for good.

This FRIDAY we're hosting the BUMBU ROUX FOOD TRUCK along with our friends at WineStyles. You know the routine by now, the truck will be in the parking from 5pm - 8pm serving their delicious wares. Bumbu Roux is a mix of Cajun and Indonesian food and it looks phenomenal. Don't miss this one! There's no pre-orders or anything like that, just show up, order your food and order a couple beers or wine to wash it all down with. What a lovely way to start this 4th of July weekend!

On Sunday, Bucky will be at the Lodge from 3pm - 7pm grilling hot dogs and giving them away to anyone who is either nice or interesting enough to not have to be nice. My recommendation is just be nice and don't roll the bones on whether you can be perceived as "interesting" or not. Our dear Bucky is a harsh critic and real jaded son-of-a-bitch and probably doesn't find you interesting. Especially if you're trying.

And then on MONDAY Handsome Rob is doing the same damn thing. From 3pm - 7pm (or until the dogs run out), Rob will be grilling and serving dogs. This is our public service to your pre-4th of July partying. We all need a decent base coat for the kind of celebrating that tends to go down on this here holiday, so, come on by IBW Lodge #1 and get covered with dogs and beer.

Speaking of Monday, we are opening at 2pm on Monday July 3rd to get the most of your good times that day.

And, yes Virginia, we are CLOSED ON JULY 4TH. We'll be back at it again on Wednesday July 5th.

Oh, and one last thing to put on your radar before I get back to pacing, Saturday July 8th we've got NIGHT BEAMS #6: Another FREE evening of mostly Modular Synth Jams.
 

Alright, that's all for now! Be good to one another. And try not to freak out too much when they make the 2big announcements tomorrow that are supposed to challenge our understanding of the Universeat a fundamental level. It'll be fine, just keep drinking.
 
You can see all of our events on our event calendar at https://www.ibw-chicago.com/events

You can see what's currently on tap at IBW LODGE #1 at https://www.ibw-chicago.com/whats-on-tap

GAY AGENDA RELEASE PARTY THIS SATURDAY @ IBW LODGE #1

Greetings Humanoids,

Summer is in full effect here in Chicago and we've got the Full Moon to prove it.

This Saturday, pull your Leather out of the closet (or pick it up off the floor) and get on down to IBW LODGE #1 for our kick off to LGBTQ+ Pride Month, the GAY AGENDA RELEASE PARTY.

We'll start the festivities at 8pm with music and dancing. We'll have GAY AGENDA on draft and available in 4-packs TO-GO. Wear your leather or a lot of Pride gear and we'll buy your first pint of Trust.

We'll have Jeff Fox and Benny the Gentleman here to bring the GAY AGENDA label to full, breathing life. The rest of the party is up to you to bring. It's a full moon on Saturday, so let's make this an extra special event to celebrate Love, Lust and all of our Brothers, Sisters, In-Betweens and Others in the LGBTQ+ community.

This is going to be 21+ event, so leave the kiddos at home tonight. Here's the Facebook event page if you're interested: https://www.facebook.com/events/1172135024187390

And, during the day tomorrow - at 3pm - we've got Rita's Italian Ice coming to the parking lot between us and Winestyles. Come break the heat with an Italian Ice dumped right into your beer. https://www.facebook.com/events/265126619246439

Lastly, tickets are now available for our 2nd Annual Father's Day Pig Roast!

You can zap the QR code for tickets or follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fathers-day-pig-roast-tickets-644399876377

This is a great way to spend your Father's Day with your family and friends. This year we'll have 2 seatings to make it a bit more comfortable for everyone AND we'll have live original music from the acoustic duo Annalee Kohen & Chuck Cox!

Also, on Father's Day, just like every Sunday, you get $10% Off your tab all day!

You can see all of our events on our event calendar at https://www.ibw-chicago.com/events

You can see what's currently on tap at IBW LODGE #1 at https://www.ibw-chicago.com/whats-on-tap

This Weekend at IBW Lodge #1!

Greetings Earth People,

We have some events worth your time, energy, and - most importantly - your money, this weekend. Read on, intrepid creeps. 

That there DönerMen Truck is tonight. We're tapping BRAINWASH w/ Passionfruit & STUPID FOR JUPITER IPA for this. They are both tasting great!

Here's what the Facebook event page says about the DönerMen Truck:

DönerMen started with a simple idea; bring German Imbiss (street food) to the Chicago. Where Bavarian beer hall fare is what Americans have come to think of as German food, Imbiss is a popular and rich side of German cuisine that draws from various intersecting food cultures in Europe.
DönerMen is anthropology through food. Try Currywurst, a post-war Berlin invention combining Indian spices  and German sausage in one dish. Or try the other DönerMen stalwart, Döner Kebab, a marriage of flavors brought to Germany by Turkish immigrants.
Sound highfalutin? It’s not. You know how the U.S has tex-mex? This is sorta of a Ger-Turk. Or is it Turk-Ger? Either way it's delicious. 

I do believe they'll have some vegan options as well.
 


Saturday night, we've got some bands playing as part of their Summer tour for this depraved year of our lord 20 & 23. I don't know a ton about these folks, but I think it falls somewhere in the Shoegazer realm for one of the bands, and some pretty great sounding post-rock for another. Maybe there is something acoustic that is happening in there somewhere?

Who knows? IT's all a goddamn mystery. And, who doesn't like a good mystery? Why not come out and support a touring band offering you a FREE SHOW from the goodness of their broke and broken hearts? The show will start around 10pm.


ThIS SUNDAY, join "The Simpsons" maniac Mike Cusick as he takes your through 2 hours of Simpson's specific trivia. This is not for the casual viewer, but for you real sickos out there who know that little town of Springfield like Flander's knows his verse.

Here's a couple of the prizes we'll be giving away. There's another, but you'll have to com on Sunday to see it.

TRIVIA STARTS AT 3PM SHARP! https://www.facebook.com/events/956138825594514

Also, just like every Sunday, you get $10% Off your tab all day!

That's a fun filled freaking weekend, if I've ever seen one. And to make things even better, we're staying open later on Sunday and we're opening at 1pm on Monday so you can get all the drinking in that your husband or wife or partner or children or Parole Officer can stand.

We've also got a Memorial Day special going on with our packaged beer:

If you buy 5x 4packs of Clurichaun Trap for $8 a piece, you get your 6th 4-pack for FREE. That's a $40 case of Clurichaun Trap!!!

Also, we'll have 4-packs of Double-Ripped Hasselhopf for $10.99!

Ok, hopefully we'll see you tonight!

IL Craft Beer Week 2023 Events & More

It's time again for Illinois Craft Beer Week, that time of year when all of your passions come home to roost and a new generation of Airline pilots get their wings.

We have some events that are both specifically related to Craft Beer Week and coincidentally/marginally related to Craft Beer Week. Our suggestion is that you enjoy them all.

FRIDAY, MAY 19TH
Illinois Craft Beer Week begins today. Come on by and pick up a passport or get your passport stamped. 

The IL Craft Brewers Guild Summer Passport is back this year, a lovely physical booklet to document your summer of craft beer adventures. Quantities will be limited, so the race is on to visit your local brewery and secure your Summer Passport.

We’ve got about 50 passports at our spot, so come on by to grab one or to get yours stamped. Find more info at https://www.illinoisbeer.org/passport.html

Local BBQ wizard, Mark Stafford, will be providing your meats and smoke for the evening. Come on by!!! But make sure you pre-order your brisket and pulled pork first: https://smoquestaff.squarespace.com/preorder

SUNDAY, MAY 21ST
65 million years ago, dinosaurs ruled the earth… 30 years ago, a movie about dinosaurs came out that ruled the box office… Now, Recent Cutbacks performs a shot-for-shot remake of that movie, with just two actors and a foley artist. 

At 4pm on Sunday May 21st we’ll be getting a shortened LIVE PREVIEW of this fantastic show and then we’ll enjoy a screening of the original!

And the evil wizards from CHICAGO CATERING COMPANY will be making Pangean Fried Triassic Alligator Rex Bahn Mi...with Amazonian Storm Kale and Dragonfruit Jungle Canopy and Tectonic Lava Flow + Goldblum Ramp Pesto for you to enjoy during the festivities and help you prove your dominance over the dinosaurs. OH MAN!

https://www.facebook.com/events/544008964471463

MONDAY, MAY 22ND
You know what makes Mondays better? Buying the beer, keeping the glass, AND supporting the industry…all at once! Beginning on Pint Day, visit participating breweries to purchase our limited-edition 16-ounce pint glasses designed especially for Illinois craft beer drinkers. A portion of every sale supports the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild’s mission of education, promotion, and advocacy.

Make no mistake about it either, these glasses are tight! We open at 6pm on Monday, so come on by and get a glass!

TUESDAY, MAY 23RD
Tuesday is TRIVIA NIGHT @ IBW Lodge #1… our weekly foray into the dark & decadent world of useless knowledge. Gather your teams and come prepared to dominate your fellow humans. Your congenial host… Mr. King!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24TH
Join Handsome Rob for MURDER BINGO! Each player gets a card full of Horror Movie cliches, get 5 in a row and you win a pint! This debauch begins at 9pm and is strictly 21+!

FRIDAY, MAY 26TH
DönerMen food truck will be in the parking lot between IBW & WineStyles to help kick off your Memorial Day Weekend!!!

DönerMen started with a simple idea; bring German Imbiss (street food) to the Chicago.  Where Bavarian beer hall fare is what Americans have come to think of as German food, Imbiss is a popular and rich side of German cuisine that draws from various intersecting food cultures in Europe.

https://www.facebook.com/events/223958690343903

SUNDAY, MAY 28TH
Join Simpson maniac Mike Cusick as he takes your through 2 hours of Simpson's specific trivia. This is not for the casual viewer, but for you real sickos out there who know that little town of Springfield like Flander's knows his verse.

We've got a bunch of Simpson's themed prizes for you to win. $10% Off your tab all day!

TRIVIA STARTS AT 3PM SHARP! https://www.facebook.com/events/956138825594514

 OH MY GOD AM I SICK OF WRITING THIS EMAIL.
JUST COME TO THE EVENTS. THEY'LL BE FUN. THERE WILL BE BEER. WE WILL OVER COME.


You can see all of our events on our event calendar at https://www.ibw-chicago.com/events

You can see what's currently on tap at IBW LODGE #1 at https://www.ibw-chicago.com/whats-on-tap