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  • Zwanze Day 2026!

    Hopleaf is honored to host the 2026 Cantillon Zwanze Day Celebration on Saturday, April 25th. This year celebrated at 70 venues in 22 countries, with simultaneous tappings of the two special Zwanze Beers at 9 PM Brussels time, which is 2 PM here in Chicago.

    This year is extra special because there are two Zwanze Day beers. The first beer is called Artemis la Blanche, a lambic blended with a dry white vermouth and the other is Artimus la Rouge that is blended with a sweet red vermouth.
    Hopleaf is making this event a fundraiser for our neighborhood food pantry, Care for Real. Through locations in Edgewater and Rogers Park, CfR provides food, clothing, pet food, referral, and additional services with compassion to improve the health and well-being of low-income residents to foster a stronger, healthier, equitable, and more stable community. Care for Real is a local treasure of good. All proceeds from Zwanze Day ticket sales will go to Care For Real.

    We want to offer a variety of ways for our customers to enjoy the Zwanze Day experience. Here is how our Zwanze Day will be organized:

    Session 1: 12-3:30pm
    • From 12 Noon until 2pm, 80 ticket holders will be able to enjoy 5-oz. pours of 6 Cantillon beers on tap. Additionally, servers will be opening large format bottles and offering tasting pours of special Belgian beers, including lambics from other producers.
    • At 2pm we will be tapping the two Zwanze beers and joining the global toast. Ticket holders will have tokens to trade for the pours.
    • A Zwanze glass is included to take home. Zwanze Day T-shirts will be available to purchase with proceeds also going to Care For Real.
    • We will clear the room between 3:30 and 4 PM for the second session. For those who want to stay, there will be seating reserved in the second floor bar and in both mezzanine areas. Seating may also be available in the north bar room or on the patio, weather and crowd permitting.
    • Tickets are $120, on sale at noon on Saturday, March 28th, one to a customer. Watch this website and social media for details.
    Session 2: 4-5pm
    • Between 4  and 5pm,  80 ticket holders will get tokens for both Zwanze beers and a glass. Other beers will be available for purchase as pr the menus.
    • These tickets will be $40 and go on sale at noon on March 28th. Watch our website and social media for details.
    After 5:30pm
    At 5:30 all seats and spaces are open to the public. There should be about 30-40 pours of both Zwanze beers remaining. They will be available to anyone as long as they last. No ticket is needed. Beers will be priced at normal Cantillon prices. Most likely, they will be gone by 6:30. There will be many Belgian beers, including lambics, available on tap and in bottles available for purchase as well as some food menu specials. Hopleaf will be open until 12 Midnight.
    We hope to raise over $10,000 for Care for Real and make Zwanze Day a vehicle for their good works.
    First Session 12-3:30pm —$120  << sold out
    Second Session 4-5:30pm —$40
    https://www.exploretock.com/hopleaf/event/601944/zwanze-day-session-two
    • Tickets will be available on Tock at 12 Noon, Saturday, March 28th.
    https://www.exploretock.com/hopleaf/event/601944
    • To ensure that there are no resales of tickets, one ticket per customer.
    • Your ticket must match with your ID to attend. Tickets are non transferable.
    • Unfortunately prices do not include taxes and Tock fee. (We tried.)

  • ALLAGASH 30th ANNIV

    Rob Tod of Allagash

    Wednesday evening Aug 6 at Hopleaf, we honor and celebrate the 30th anniversary of Portland, Maine’s Allagash Brewery. Founder, Rob Tod will be on hand and we will have 15 Allagash specialty beers on tap! We don’t do tap takeovers often any more but Allagash is a world class brewery that Hopleaf has supported for decades.

    Rob Tod is one of the most passionate people in our industry, a great ambassador for craft beer and an all around good guy. We’ll be featuring an expanded selection of Allagash beers all month or until they’re gone, but Rob will be on hand one night only! Stop by from 6 to 8 tonight and sample from the selection of great Allagash beers and say hello to Rob.

  • February 28 2025

    On February 28th there is a nationwide economic blackout to send a message that we the people have the ultimate economic clout. 260 million adult Americans spend an average of $112 every day on everything from rent to pizza to shoes. That comes to over $29 billion a day. Over $10.5 trillion a year. It adds up! Imagine if even half that spending went to locally owned, independent, family run businesses instead of Amazon and other corporate giants. Being thoughtful about everything you buy, even when you buy it at a local independent shop, is important. However, many of the small shops in our neighborhood are struggling to compete with the deep-pocketed corporate chains, many of whose owners, CEOs, and shareholders have supported the MAGA movement. Big business has the attention of Trump in a way we will never match. Our money is their lifeblood. Vote with your wallet on the 28th and beyond.
    I have made an admittedly incomplete list of some of the local, independent businesses Louise and I patronize, who are active in our community, and are good neighbors. They and many others really need your business. Use your dollars to send a message that we want a government that serves all the people, not just the 1%. ~~Michael
    Andersonville Hardware
    The Wooden Spoon
    Foursided Framing
    Bryn Mawr Jewelry
    Milk Handmade
    The Magic Lounge
    Taste of Lebanon
    Middle East Bakery
    Early to Bed
    Andale Market
    Igor Does My Bike
    The shops of the Andersonville Gallery
    First Slice
    Women and Children First
    Taste of Heaven
    In Fine Spirits
    It’s Greek 2 U
    Las Manos Gallery
    Edgewater Produce
    Lost Larson
    Is/Was Brewing
    Northside Federal Savings
    Milly’s Pizza in a Pan
    Coffee Studio
    Ora Sushi
    Jameson Loves Danger
    Simon’s
    Alamo Shoes
    Kopi Cafe
    M Henry
    Gethsemane Garden Center
    Metropolis Coffee
    Kim’s Hardware
    Father & Son Barbershop
    Sfera Sicilian Street Food
    Anteprima
    Big Jones
    pFlour Bakery
    Edgewater Tacos
    Hooked on Fish
    Sun Wah BBQ
    The Green Mill
    Guest House Hotel
    Kie-Gol-Lanee
    Super Foods

  • Super Stout Sunday XXII !

    Feb 9 @12pm door opens to our 12th annual Super Stout Sunday!
    We will be tapping 20-30 BA & specialty stouts.
    All 6oz pours will be $8 all day on Sunday.
    We hope to release the list closer to the event.
    Check back here!

  • Peirce Day 2025!

    This Sunday Feb 2, we are continuing a tradition begun in 2010 when we “adopted” our local public elementary school, Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies,  by donating 100% of our profits to The Friends of Peirce to support quality education al programs for our neighborhood children. From when we open at noon until we close at 11PM, we’ll be donating all profits made on every pint of beer, every bottle of wine, every sandwich, every order of mussels or anything else we sell at Hopleaf to benefit the school.
    We believe that quality public schools are a vital part of any neighborhood. It makes for a better place to live, work, or operate a business. Many of our neighbors, customers, and some of our employees have children who are students at Peirce. While we know that in a perfect world, public schools would be fully funded and would not need benefit events to raise money for programs, we also know that we don’t live in a perfect world and some worthwhile programs do not get funded.
    In previous years we have raised money for after school programs, the school library, laptops for the computer room, class trips, music and theater classes, filtered water fountains and bottle fillers, art supplies, a school garden and other needs. Help us to fill in the funding gaps.
    Stop by and eat and drink for a good cause.
    Also, check out friendsofpeirce.org to link their online auction.

  • Pressed With Purpose

    A Celebration of Cider!
    Celebrate Chicago Cider Week with us Thurs Feb 6 and experience an evening dedicated to exceptional cider craftsmanship. Featuring an exclusive lineup from 7 acclaimed American Cider producers — Haykin Family Cider, Uncle John’s Hard Cider, Farnum Hill Ciders, Stormalong Cider, Northman Cider Co, Tandem Cider, and ERIS Brewery & Ciderhouse. This event offers something for every palate.

  • Péché Mortel Day 2024

    From Montréal’s wonderful brewery Dieu de Ciel! comes this famous beer and its cohorts with the name that means Mortal Sin. On tap: Péché Mortel Bourbon 2024, Péché Mortel Framboise, Péché Mortel Val Ambré 2024 and Péché Mortel Classique (Nitro).
    Also: special glassware giveaway while supplies last!

  • Canada Day!

    For the 6th year running we salute our friendly neighbors to the north!

    This year we’ll be featuring 10 Canadian beers on draft.
    1. Unibroue La Fin du Monde
    2. Unibroue Blanche de Chambly
    3. Les Trois Mousquetaires Porter Baltique
    4. Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! Limonade Poivrée
    5. Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! Solstice D’Été 3 Fruits
    6. Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! Solstice D’Été Mangue
    7. Messorem Bracitorium Hydrate Déshydrate
    8. Messorem Bracitorium Hyperthermie
    9. Messorem Bracitorium Get Wavy
    10. Messorem Bracitorium Fracturation
    We will have, as always, our Prince Edward Island Mussels, our special poutine and we’ll be serving the National drink of Canada, The Caesar.

  • Belgian Beer Week 2024

    Kick off Belgian Beer week at the Hopleaf on Saturday June 1 at 12pm. We will be welcoming over 40 Belgian brewery owners, brewers and export staff to celebrate the diverse and unique beers of Belgium.

    Since opening in 1992, Hopleaf has been proud to offer a huge array of Belgian beers on draft and in bottles, served in its proper glassware. Michael’s frequent visits to Belgium continue to inspire him and continue to marry the Hopleaf to the beer and food culture of Belgium.

    To bolster enthusiasm for the beers of Belgium, Michael makes a point of visiting as many Belgian breweries as he can. Just this past May, he visited nine lambic breweries and blenders, including some exciting newcomers.
    We take pride in offering the best and most diverse beers of Belgium to our customers!

    We invite you to join the Hopleaf in welcoming our Belgian friends to Chicago.

  • Haykin Cider Showcase

    Weds. April 3 at 6 pm, join us upstairs in our newly christened Seeburg Room for an exclusive event showcasing five special cider selections from Haykin Family Cider, paired with light fare. Delve into the wonderful world of fermented apples as Dan Haykin, Co-Owner and Cider Maker, walks you through the unique processes and flavor characteristics that make Haykin Family Cider stand out.
    Enjoy five paired courses as you learn about fruit selection, fermentation, and bottling straight from the producer. Hear how cider apples can be every bit as dynamic as wine grapes as Dan leads a guided tasting, unraveling the stories and craftsmanship behind every sip. A special chance to taste exceptional food and drink, and gain insights from an expert at The Hopleaf. Reserve your spot now for an evening of dazzling flavors and fascinating conversation.
    If you have any questions please email bevdirector @ hopleaf.com
    *NOTE: Due to the limited and specific nature of this event we are unable to accommodate any allergies or food limitations.*