DATE: June 21, 2003. Main tasting event, 7-11pm; beer & food talks from 1-5 pm.

EVENT FORMAT: Walk-around tasting of craft beers and foods traditionally associated with beer. Packaged food products will be for sale from vendors who wish to make them available. Beer will be sampled only, and not sold to take home. We will also have a number of beer and food-related talks during the afternoon, including Garrett Oliver (Brewmaster from Brooklyn Brewery) on Slow Food; Giles Schnierle doing a beer & cheese tasting; beer & chocolate; cheese making at home; and more.

EXPECTED ATTENDANCE: 300-500 enthusiastic people.

FOOD CATEGORIES: Cured sausage, ham, other cured meats, smoked fish, jerky, cheese, pickles/preserved vegetables, mustard, pretzels, spent-grain and other specialty breads, sauces/dips/salsa. Other products will be considered on a case-by case basis.

BEER CATEGORIES: All kinds of craft-brewed beers, especially real ales and unfiltered lagers.

FOOD EXHIBITOR DEAL: Participating food exhibitors are requested to donate some (suggested: $50) of their product for the buffet table. Those participating are entitled to a table, and are encouraged to come and represent their products, although this is not required. Any food exhibitor may sell prepackaged items as well, and should have sufficient tasting samples on hand. Exhibitors not attending may send literature for distribution adjacent to their product samples. Outside of the samples and donation for the buffet, there is no cost. Exhibitors are free to band together to focus on a particular region, organization or any other concept.

BEER EXHIBITORS: We are looking for donated beer, either draft or bottled. All craft products are eligible, but we're especially looking for more traditional products such as real ale or unfiltered lagers. Steve Hamburg, who is the cellarmaster for Real Ale Festival, will be supervising the real ales, so they'll be in good hands. Brewers are welcome to come and represent their beers, or simply give us the beer. Because of our arrangement with the hotel (and the obvious licensing issues), we are unable to allow breweries to sell beer, but t-shirts and other merchandise are fine.

PROGRAM: A program/directory of all participating exhibitors will be given to all attendees.

SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS: Chicago Beer Society, American Homebrewers Association. Both are non-profit organizations.

RESPOND TO: Randy Mosher, 773-973-0240