Cheers to DKC Chicago’s Inaugural Beer Summit

Tuesday night DKC Chicago hosted the inaugural DKC Beer Summit featuring a group of Chicago’s top beer writers and experts. The goal was simple: have a casual yet passionate discussion about the state of craft beer, and walk away with a firm grasp of what the ‘influencers’ saw in 2015 and what they’re drinking, reading, hearing and predicting in beer this year. After a nearly three-hour long session, it’s safe to say everyone had their fill of excellent beer and a genuine good time.

Curious to know what the experts are predicting for 2016? Here’s a few insights for our beer lovers:

• As barrel aged beers continue to be popular, new craft lagers and pilsners will start to make a debut.
• Sours are on the rise but not all will be good – it’s a difficult beer to brew.
• A larger focus of food pairings with beer. There’s more drastic taste differences in beer than there is in wine. You have a larger palette to pair with.
• The creation of more culinary beers, using unexpected food (mushrooms, squid ink, etc.) in the making of the beer.

Special thanks to those who participated: