Archives: Events
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Val Dieu Abbey Beer Visit
Visit with Louise Richelle, swag & giveaways with purchase
Maltese Film at Siskel!
As many know, Hopleaf owes its name and identity to the Maltese beer Hopleaf Pale Ale, popular during Michael and Louise’s travels on Malta in the late 80s and 90s, when we were exploring Michael’s ancestral homelands. It’s a small country but as we’ve seen the last few years at Chicago’s E.U. Film Festival, Malta has produced some remarkably good movies, the best of which made good use of its distinctive look and feel. You might want to check out this one—there’s even a discount code you can use! Showtimes are
- Fri, Mar 20th 6:15pm
- Mon, Mar 23rd 8:00pm
23rd Annual Chicago European Union Film Festival
THE WEEPING HOUSE OF QALA
[HEMM DAR IL-QALA]2018, MARK DONEO, MALTA, 85 MIN.
WITH LAWRENCE BUONTEMPO, LOUISE DONEOSee the Maltese film THE WEEPING HOUSE OF QALA at the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute…‘s 23rd Annual European Union Film Festival March 20 or 23! A desolate mansion abandoned behind high walls on the picturesque island of Gozo, off the coast of Malta, is the setting for an intense ghost story-turned-psychological drama loosely based on the novel “The Children of the Dead” by Elfriede Jelinek.Bonus: Use promo code “HOPLEAF” for discounted admission of $7 ($5 off)!Closed for Repairs
As many of you know, Hopleaf is open 365 days a year. Since this is a leap year, we figured we could take a day to do some much needed maintenance that we can’t fit in around our regular hours.
Cruz Blanca Pop-Up Night
One Night Only! We will be featuring chicken or mushroom taco platters from Cruz Blanca Brewery and Taquéria and a selection of their beers. Brewer Jacob Sembrano will be in the house, doing an informal tasting session upstairs around 7:30.
On tap we’ll have Mexico Calling, Palm Shade, Lozano, and Paw Paw.
And we’ll have raffles!—Anyone who buys a Cruz Blanca beer gets a ticket and at 9 PM, we’ll draw for some Cruz Blanca beer give-aways. You need need not be present when we draw. We’ll text you.
- Prize 1: 6-pack of Mexico Calling, 6-pack of Palm Shade, Bottle of Lozano, Growler of Paw Paw
- Prize 2: Bottle of 2019 Tarzan Boy from our Luchador series. Imperial stout aged in Barbados rum barrels with banana, coffee, and vanilla.
- Prize 3 : Bottle of 2019 Señor Incognito from our Luchador series. Imperial stout aged in rye whiskey barrels with toasted coconut, pecans and cinnamon.
Cruz Blanca is a small-batch Chicago brewery passionately focused on ModMex lagers, sunny IPAs and tropical wild-fermented sours. Inspired by the original Cruz Blanca Brewery that opened in Mexico City in the 1860’s, Cruz Blanca makes beers that open people up to new flavors, new ideas, and new experiences. From endlessly refreshing Mexican lagers and sunny IPAs that transport us to warmer places, to the less-travelled roads of barrel-aged and wild fermentation ales, there’s always a journey in the beer that keeps us curious about what’s next.
Their Randolph St. brewpub is a Rick Bayless venture, right next door to his fabulous Leña Brava restaurant, with some shared kitchen space. The taquéria features tacos made with Masienda heirloom bolita corn tortillas from Michoacán and Oaxaca, and chicken from Gunthorp Farms (Indiana) that they and we will be bringing to Andersonville this one night only.
An Evening of Rodenbach!
In a world where there are close to 15,000 breweries, there are few breweries more unique, more iconic or with a history more fascinating than that of Brouwerij Rodenbach. Founded in 1821 by the four Rodenbach Brothers, Pedro, Alexander, Ferdinand and Constantin, all pivotal figures in the founding of an independent Belgian nation, the brewery is located in Roeselare in West Flanders.
Rodenbach can be said to be the ancestral home of sour beers aged in foeders. There are 294 foeders at the brewery, each holding 302 hectoliters or 8000 gallons. No brewery anywhere has close to that number of foeders. Managing the brewing of the base beer, the foeder aging and blending of Rodenbach beers is Rudi Ghequire. He’s been making magic at Rodenbach since 1982.
VISITING & BEER LAUNCH! Rudi Ghequire will be at Hopleaf for a very special meet and greet from 7 to 9 PM. Besides offering a selection of Rodenbach beers on draft and in bottles, we will also introduce Rodenbach’s first ever collaboration beer, Vivant P’Ocean, that combines a two year aged foeder beer from Rodenbach with a kettle sour from Dogfish Head made with pilsner malt, malted wheat, elderberries, elder flower, lemons and Belgian fleur de sel.
SPECIAL POURING—at 7:30 we’ll open a rare magnum of Rodenbach from the 90s. It is the last one we have. (The next-to-last one was opened more than 5 years ago and it was drinking beautifully.) (See picture below!) Rodenbach brewer Rudi Ghequire was there when this was bottled, so it will be special for him and for us. So: Buy a Rodenbach between 7 and 7:30 and get a ticket for your chance to try this lovely rare thing. We’ll draw winners at 7:30. With a beer that is 25 years old, you never know how it will be, but Michael is betting it will be delicious.
If you love great beer, you won’t want to miss this event. It’s free! Meet Rudi, ask questions and start planning your visit to this amazing brewery. This will be a special evening.
Chasing Harvest—A New Zealand Beer & Wine Pairing Dinner!
In the main dining room as a optional special, devised by Hopleaf’s talented kitcheneers:
4 courses with 2 beers and 3 wines.
Mussels, Salad, Lamb, and a Cheese course $70Since this is available to all in the main room, rather than a reserved event upstairs, you are not constrained by time! So that we can plan accordingly, if you plan to enjoy this offering, please RSVP to info@hopleaf.com
Chasing Harvest was created by Chicago based husband and wife team, Michael Kush and Jennifer Kingen Kush. “Chasing harvest” is a wine industry term that describes travel between the northern and southern hemispheres for extra vintage seasons in one year.
With just their passports and backpacks, a passion for adventure, travel, and wine inspired them to ‘chase harvest’ across five continents, eight countries, and 23 vintages. They use their experiences of the world’s greatest wine regions to handcraft their limited edition wines.
Their journey has taken them all over the world—from the vineyards of Burgundy and Cahors, France; to the slopes of the Mosel; the Western Cape of South Africa; Sonoma, California; Italy and Argentina; historic Douro Valley, Portugal and its antipodes Central Otago, New Zealand. Working with talented winemakers all along the way.
If that is not enough, they make tiny batches of mixed fermentation beers in New Zealand, fermented with a small portion of Chasing Harvest Central Otago Pinot Noir juice and aged wild for a full year in French oak barrels. Aomatically complex and full-bodied, it will continue to evolve in bottle. It in unfined, unfiltered, and unpasteurized and will have a natural sediment.Two of their New Zealand wines and two vintages of their “There Be Dragons” beers will be featured in the dinner.Michael Kush will be win hand through the evening to chat with diners.Get in Early to SSS 2020!
Wanna get in early to Super Stout Sunday 2020? THIRTY early entry tix will go on sale at 1pm Monday 1/27. They are $20 each and will get you in a half hour early, plus 2 tokens for beers. Here’s the link with the details— https://sss2020vip.brownpapertickets.com
Official start time for our Seventh SuperStoutSunday is noon Feb 2—details on event itself are at https://hopleafbar.com/Event/super-stout-sunday/Super Stout Sunday 2020
Hopleaf’s annual Pre-Game Stout fest starts at noon Feb 2. Free entry. In past years people start lining up early and the first ones sold out within 20 minutes!
The lineup:
Noon Whistle –Weller Barrel-Aged Imperial Bernie 12.1%
Epic –Big Bad Baptist Hazelnut Vanilla Latte 11.2%
Half Acre–Bourbon Barrel-Aged Big Hugs 12%
Great Lakes–Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout 9.5%
3 Floydss–Barrel-Aged Blot Out the Sun 11.4%
Saugatuck–Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Blueberry Maple Stout 9.5%
Revolution–Boss Ryeway 14.6%
Goose Island–BCS 2016 13.8% , BCS 2018 14.7% , BCS Cafe De Olla 15.4%, BCS Mon Cheri 13.5%, BCS Proprietor’s (2019) 14.5% , BCS Reserve Rye (2019) 14.5% , BCS Wheatwine (2018) 15.4%
Boulevard–Brandy Land 12.4%
Surly–Barrel Aged Darkness 12.5%
Hitachino –Espresso Nest Barrel-Aged (Ichiro’s Malt Bourbon Barrel) 7%
Lo Rez–Far North Declaration 10%
Solemn Oath–Bourbon Barrel-Aged Goldmund Stout 10%
Oddside–Hazel’s Nuts Nitro 11%
Lexington Brewing CO–Kentucky Winter Golden Stout 8%
Temperance–La Sopressa Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right 13%
Lake Effect–Niagara Falls 10.5%
North Coast–Rye Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin 12.2%, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin 11.1%
Begyle–Barrel-Aged Imperial Pajamas 13.5%
Firestone Walker–Maple Parabola 10%
Pollyanna–Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vanilla Personal Chain Letter 11%
Cruz Blanca–Rey Gordo 11.5%
Alesmith–Thai Speedway Stout 12%
Ballast Point–High West Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea 2018 12%
Lagunitas–Willetized Coffee Stout 11.7%
3 Sheeps–The Wolf 13.5%
Great Divide–Barrel Aged Yeti 2018 12.5%
B Nektar–Zombies Take Manhattan 11.8%
St. Bernardus Night
These December days are going way too fast! We have the perfect break for you—on tap TONIGHT both St. Bernardus Abt 12 and its Barrel-Aged Sour variant. There should be swag, too. (Thanks to Hopleaf regular Jeremy Green for the fine, enticing photo !)
Design Your Own Dragon’s Milk!
8-10pm. Our New Holland rep Brian will be in house with some of the production crew from New Holland brewery to help you design your own Dragon’s Milk variant. They’ll come with swag and fun recipes / concoctions. Regular Dragon’s Milk will be on tap for the blending; Reserve Oatmeal Cookie will be on as well!
Our second event like this with them, because the last time was Really Fun!
