Blarney Stone Pub Serves Reds, Whites and Brews

Plastic cups brimming with beer, thirst-quenching mugs and glasses flowing with wine in the Saturday sun. Ask any ticket holder about the first  annual yesterday, and they're likely to describe a scene similar to that.

Hundreds of people from across the Chicago area filled the beer garden at in Oak Forest with one goal: Sample as many beers and wines as possible.

“This is a great way to kick off the summer,” said manager Tom Spellman, whose family has owned the pub for 17 years. “We're trying to let people know we have great Chicago beers at south suburban prices.”

Over 35 breweries from across the U.S.—including Chicago breweries Three Floyds, Crispin Cider, Fox Barrel, Argus, Goose Island, Two Brothers, Great Lakes and Metropolitan—were on tap for people to try. More than 15 different wines from Italian, Californian and local producers were also sampled. Online, tickets for the event sold for $20, while at the door, they were $25.

“Why not drink beer?” asked sales rep. Abraham Fetterman, as he prepared another keg for the crowd. “It's part of our culture. It's been around longer than bread—since the Sumerians first wrote down the recipe on a cuneiform tablet.”

Drinking craft beers is a social occasion, a hobby for many, said ticket-holder Patrick Leonard, who enjoyed Krankshaft, a lighter pale ale by Metropolitan Brewery.

“Porch-drinking cannot be had without beer,” Leonard joked. “An event like this is great, because there's a number of options you can taste from breweries.”

Ticket-holder Linda Kumler, who switched to wine later in the day from Holsteiner —a smooth, gently hopped beer made by Argus Brewery—noted the enjoyment beer has brought her in life.

 “My husband drinks a beer everyday,” Kumler said. “It's just the taste of beer we love. It's refreshing and it's nice to have when you're outside, like at Comiskey Park.”

As for the wine enthusiasts that day, Jim Moore of Rose wine mporters said people should find a wine that suits their palate, as well as their dinner.

“Everybody just needs to use common sense,” Moore said, while pairing a Seiano white wine with cheddar and swiss cheese. “Everyone has a different palate, a different way of smelling, tasting or feeling something.”

What's a good summertime drink, you might ask? A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' – made by Lagunitas Brewing Co., Northern California—is a big hit with women, said sales rep. Bob Leckie.

“I had this guy come up to me and say, 'Hey man, my girlfriend is stuck on your Little Sumpin' Sumpin','” Leckie recalled with a laugh. “If the [customers] are happy with the beer, we're happy.”

As for this reporter's favorite drink of the day, it's a tie between Pacific Pear Cider, by Fox Barrel, and McSorley's Irish Pale Ale, based in New York.

Both drinks, light and sweet, would go well with a burger hot off the grill, a night of fireworks and porch-drinking.

Check out Patch's photo gallery from the event!