Hop To It

The greatest success of the craft beer movement is not that these brewers provide a tasty alternative to the mass-barrel brewers; no, it's that they've revived the tradition of the seasonal beer. These beer artisans concoct ales, lagers, pilsners, stouts and other wondrous tipples as the seasons change, allowing the discriminating drinker to always have the right beer for the weather. You don't necessarily want a stout in early August, but that heater is most welcome on a December evening. The only drawback -- and it's a minor one -- is that sometimes you get a hankering for your favorite beer at the wrong time of year. But of course, Schlafly's already considered that dilemma. Every year at Hop in the City, our largest locally-owned brewery has 40 of their most popular beers on tap. Today is that day. Rejoice in unlimited samples of Schlafly's beers from noon to 5 p.m. at the Schlafly Tap Room (2100 Locust Street; 314-241-2337 or www.schlafly.com). Tickets are $30 to $35.
Sat., Sept. 17, 2011