ABV Chicago’s Fantasy FoBAB League 2021 Results
The return of the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers in its 19th year brought many changes, and almost all of them were for the better. Utilizing the main floor and concourse of the Credit 1 Arena allowed for much more space, though some crowded areas still remained. Still, it was much easier to quickly step out of when you found yourself getting a little too close for comfort, which just wasn’t possible at times in FoBABs previous. (Situating the Phase Three Oasis next to the exit for the Goose Island patio did cause for the fest’s most congested moment, so that may need to be moved for next year.) There was never a wait for a bathroom, and the food options were…there. Like, they actually had an ample amount of stadium food for sale, rather than the tradition of serving attendees basically nothing. An underrated sign of a great beer festival is water stations and dump buckets at every turn, as it allows for a much more sober and enjoyable experience, and FoBAB aced it.
If you attended, one thing I would not recommend is looking back over the beer list extensively, because you’ll spend the next 10 minutes kind of mad at yourself for completely forgetting to try roughly 35 other beers you had been anticipating. But the real highlight was getting to raise a beer with so many friends, and cheer on our fantasy teams during the awards assembly.
For an actual recap of the 2021 festival and awards, check out our 2020 Fantasy FoBAB League champ Mike for his Trends and Takeaways, as well as PorchDrinking’s screens of all the award winners. You can also check out our updated FoBAB Medal History sheet here for all your assorted (sorted) historical medal winners.
The 3rd Annual ABV Chicago Fantasy FoBAB League Results
For the first time in our storied history as a league, the tiebreaker was not necessary to crown the champ. This year, Jack Muldowney (of Studio Malt) is the champion with 7 points, and Joshua Riley (of the Chicago Reader) took runner-up with 6 points. Jack’s going dynasty now, with a tiebreaker-forced runner-up spot last year, making him the most accomplished Fantasy FoBAB team manager in the history of the sport. (Put that one on your LinkedIn, Jack.) Josh made the most of being saddled with the last pick, and some of his riskier choices paid off big.
Here are how the teams fared, in draft order. Each number preceding the brewery represents their overall pick number. (And all multiple location breweries have been combined, as is explained in our fantasy league draft post.)
Scoring Reminder: The scoring works like this: a gold medal is worth 3 points, a silver is worth 2 points, and a bronze medal is worth 1 point. If the brewery wins Best of Show or Runner-Up, that will be an additional 3 points or 2 points respectively.
Team: Fluffy Afro Squad
Team Manager: Chalonda White
Twitter: @afrobeerchick
Instagram: @afro.beer.chick
- 1. Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL)
- Gold – Barleywine/Wheatwine: VSOJ
- FoBAB Runner-Up: VSOJ
- 22. Metropolitan Brewing (Chicago, IL)
- 23. MobCraft Beer (Madison, WI)
- 44. Transient Artisan Ales (Bridgman, MI)
- 45. Prairie Artisan Ales (Tulsa, OK)
- 66. Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending (Durham, NC)
Total Points: 5
Team: The Road Sodas
Team Manager: Nik White
Twitter: @nkosio
- 2. Off Color Brewing – Mousetrap & Production (Chicago, IL)
- 21. Goose Island Beer Co. (Chicago, IL)
- 24. Maplewood Brewery & Distillery (Chicago, IL)
- 43. Open Outcry Brewing (Chicago, IL)
- 46. Penrose Brewing Co. (Geneva, IL)
- Bronze – Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours with Fruit: Cellar Reserve: Boysenberry
- 65. 18th Street Brewery (Hammond, IN)
Total Points: 1
Team: The Old Man Lagers
Team Manager: Ryan Tracy
Twitter: @wehavegreatbeer
Instagram: @wehavegreatbeerpr & @wehavegreatbeerah
- 3. More Brewing Company (Villa Park, IL & Huntley, IL)
- 20. Tin City Cider (Paso Robles, CA)
- Silver – Cider/Perry/Mead: Earl Simmons
- 25. Cerebral Brewing (Denver, CO)
- Bronze – Specialty Strong Porter/Stout: Mysterious Forces (Blend 1)
- 42. Hacienda Beer Co. (Baileys Harbor, WI)
- 47. Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project (Loveland, CO)
- Silver – Barleywine/Wheatwine: Double Oaked Cognac Grow Old With You
- 64. Upstream Brewing Company (Omaha, NE)
Total Points: 5
Team: Freshie Fridays
Team Manager: Christina Rose
Twitter: @christinarose33
Instagram: @lovechristinarose
- 4. Wolf’s Ridge Brewing (Columbus, OH)
- Gold – Wild Beer/Brett: Terre du Sauvage Green
- 19. Dovetail Brewery (Chicago, IL)
- 26. Allagash Brewing Company (Portland, ME)
- 41. Pipeworks Brewing Co, (Chicago, IL)
- 48. Temperance Beer Co.(Evanston, IL)
- 63. Around the Bend Beer Co. (Chicago, IL)
Total Points: 3
Team: Dangerous Nights Crew
Team Manager: Ryan I.
Twitter: @ABVChicago
Instagram: @abvchicago
- 5. The Lost Abbey (San Marcos, CA)
- 18. Old Irving Brewing Co. (Chicago, IL)
- 27. Cellar West Artisan Ales (Lafayette, CO)
40. Oozlefinch Beers and Blending (Fort Monroe, VA) - 49. Sun King Brewery (Indianapolis, IN)
- Silver – Specialty/Experimental: Soul Shakedown Party
- 62. Riverlands Brewing Company (St. Charles, IL)
Total Points: 2
Team: Slow Pour Haze
Team Manager: Mike Zoller
Twitter: @mikezoller
Instagram: @chicagobeer
- 6. Half Acre Beer Co. (Chicago, IL)
- 17. Mikerphone Brewing (Elk Grove Village, IL)
- 28. Spiteful Brewing (Chicago, IL)
- 39. Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee, WI)
- 50. Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, CA)
- Gold – Strong Porter/Stout: Double Barrel Parabola
- 61. Noon Whistle Brewing (Lombard, IL & Naperville, IL)
- Silver – Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours with Fruit: Gimbels
Total Points: 5
Team: Malt is the New Hops
Team Manager: Jack Muldowney
Twitter: @StudioMalt
Instagram: @jackmuldowney
- 7. Pollyanna Brewing Company (Lemont, IL & Roselle, IL)
- Silver – Other Pale Beer: Apple Brandy Barrel-aged Orenda Volume 03
- 16. Nebraska Brewing Company (La Vista, NE)
- 29. Misbeehavin’ Meads (Valparaiso, IN)
- Gold – Cider/Perry/Mead: Caramel Apple Cider aged in bourbon barrels
- 38. Blackberry Farm Brewery (Maryviille, TN)
- Bronze – Wild Beer/Brett: Foeder Classic
- 51. Derive Brewing Company (Columbus, OH)
- 60. Alter Brewing Company (Downers Grove, IL)
- Bronze – Fruit Beer: Vanilla Blood
Total Points: 7
Team: Fantasy FoBAB-er OF THE NORTH
Team Manager: Karl Klockars
Twitter: @karlklockars
- 8. Werk Force Brewing Co. (Plainfield, IL)
- Gold – Specialty Strong Porter/Stout: Double Barrel Sleepy Bear
- 15. The Hopewell Brewing Company (Chicago, IL)
- Silver – Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours: Arrow of Time (Blend 002)
- 30. Church Street Brewing Company (Itasca, IL)
- 37. Rhinegeist Brewery (Cincinnati, OH)
- 52. Virtue Cider (Fennville, MI)
- 59. Odd Side Ales (Grand Haven, MI)
Total Points: 5
Team: Sugar Water Syndicate
Team Manager: Craig G.
Twitter: @ABVChicago
Instagram: @abvchicago
- 9. Bottle Logic Brewing (Anaheim, CA)
- 14. Cruz Blanca Brewery (Chicago, IL)
- Gold – Fruit Beer: Barbarosa
- 31. Haymarket Brewery (Chicago, IL & Bridgman, MI)+
- 36. Art History Brewing (Geneva, IL)
- 53. Wellspent Brewing Company (St. Louis, MO)
- 58. Second City Meadery (Chicago, IL)
Total Points: 3
Team: The Recovering Rep
Team Manager: Tom White
- 10. Phase Three Brewing (Lake Zurich, IL)
- 13. DESTIHL Brewery (Normal, IL)
- 32. Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co. (Chicago, IL)
- 35. Farmhaus Cider Co. (Hudsonville, MI)
- 54. Milwaukee Brewing Company (Milwaukee, WI)
- Bronze – Barleywine/Wheatwine: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine
- 57. Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, CO)
Total Points: 1
Team: Small Town Beer Writers Consortium
Team Manager: Joshua Riley
Twitter: @brewdudek3
Instagram: @brewdudek3
- 11. Other Half Brewing Company (Brooklyn, NY)
- 12. Whiskey Hill Brewing (Westmont, IL)
- Gold – Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours with Fruit: Solar Fusion
- 33. Jackie O’s Brewery (Athens, OH)
- 34. Angry Orchard (Walden, NY)
- Bronze – Cider/Perry/Mead: Still
- 55. Arclight Brewing Company (Watervliet, MI)
- 56. Short Fuse Brewing Company (Schiller Park, IL)
- Silver – Specialty Strong Porter/Stout: Bourbon Barrel Aged Precious Little Treats
