Weekly

Friday Nights

A rotation of great food trucks serve up distinctive meals, right in the CLB parking lot.

Friday, May 24th 5:30 - 8:30 pm	Toasty Cheese
Saturday, May 25th 5:30 - 8:30 pm	Fat Tomato
Tuesday, May 28th 5:00 - 8:00 pm	Fat Tomato
Friday, May 31st 5:30 - 8:30 pm	Pierogi Jo’s
Friday, June 7th 5:30 - 8:30 pm	Toasty Cheese
Friday, June 14th 5:30 - 8:30 pm	Fat Tomato
Friday, June 21st 5:30 - 8:30 pm	Your Sister’s Tomato
Friday, June 28th 5:30 - 8:30 pm	TBD

Friday nights also feature new firkin releases, served from our cask beer engine. Join us for a pint of "real ale".

Sunday Afternoons

Every Sunday, drop in for a "Collision" between our Overboard Oatmeal Stout and a shot of locally-roasted, cold-brewed, nitrogenated coffee.

Upcoming

Thursday, May 23rd 4:00 pm

Beer Release

Summer is on the way, with the release of our Backflip Belgian Wit available on draft and in cans to go! It's a beer that was created to celebrate the arrival of Spring and wet our whistles for a hot Summer. What a great way to welcome in the warm weather!

Monday, May 20th - Sunday, May 26th

Merchandise Clearout!

Spring Cleaning in the Tap Room! All merchandise is 20% for this week only, along with a new clearance rack available for 50% off. Stock up on your CLB gear now!

Tuesday, May 28th

Taco Tuesdays

If you haven’t tried Fat Tomato, you’ve got to stop in for Taco Tuesdays! They have delicious and authentic tacos and more, and will be at CLB on 5/28, 6/18 and 6/25.

Monday, May 27th

Memorial Day

CLOSED in honor of Memorial Day.

Saturday, June 1st

Mug Club Lottery Begins

Our Mug Club members have renewed, and we have new spots available! Every time you visit the tap room in June, you can fill out a lottery slip entering you into the Mug Club raffle. If selected, you will be offered a mug space on the shelf! The membership costs $100, to include a commemorative 5 year anniversary glass stein, a Mug Club work shirt, a growler fill on your birthday, invitations to Mug Club only private events throughout the year, and your first 10 beers. We hope that you join the club!

Thursday, June 13th 6:00 pm

Brewer’s Night

We are brewing a special beer for Father’s Day, releasing the return pilot batch of our Bamberg-style Rauch Bier, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Bacon! If you love bacon, then this beer is for you! Made with 95% beech wood smoked malt from Bamberg, Germany, the heady scent of smoke spills from the glass. A bit of caramel sweetness brings some depth to this smoky classic and leaves you with a hint of candied bacon on your palate. Prost! For our Brewer’s Night event, our brewers will review the style and offer a selection of sampling our CLB release along with other examples of the style. Treat Dad to a fun night out and some tasty beverages!

Sunday, June 16th

Father’s Day

Bring the whole family, and celebrate Dad with a CLB pint or two! Open noon to 9pm, with games, beer garden seating and more.

Wednesday, June 19th 6:30 pm

Disc Golf Putting League

Need some practice putting and some friendly competition? Come toss at CLB, play will be outside when weather cooperates. Win $ each week, make friends, drink great beer and hone your putting skills! $8 to play each week.

Tuesday, June 25th 6:30 pm

Baggo Summer League Registration

Register for our Summer Co-Ed League for an 8 week play starting Tuesday, July 2nd through Tuesday, August 20th. $60 per person, with prizes & raffles, and outside play with lights when the weather cooperates. Final Tournament on Tuesday, August 27th.

Wednesday, June 26th 7:00 pm

Yoga & Beer with Akasha

Detox & Retox! Relax and restore with a 1 hour beginners yoga class with Emilie. Cost is $20, and includes a class that incorporates a gentle flow and partner poses, plus 1 CLB 12 oz Can during class. Wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat.

Sunday, June 30th

Bags n Brews for Babes 2019

This is the 4th annual fundraiser/baggo tournament held at CLB to raise funds for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a foundation for pediatric cancer. Registration begins at 11am, Baggo tournament begins at noon. Raffles and auction items, plus 10% of beverage sales is donated by CLB to the foundation. Help us support a great cause!

Tap Room Hours

Monday - Thursday:
4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Friday:	3:00 pm to Midnight
Saturday:	Noon to Midnight
Sunday:	Noon to 9:00 pm

We are a production brewery, which is a very different thing than a brewpub. Our focus is on brewing great beer for sale to bars, restaurants and retailers across northern Illinois.

But we also have a great place to enjoy our beers here at the brewery; our tap room.

Here in the tap room, we offer regular tours of the brewery, and the space is dedicated to providing our guests with a world-class, beer-centered experience. In the tap room, we offer only our beers (no wine or mixed drinks). We don’t have a kitchen, though we encourage guests to bring in their own food or order it in from one of the great local restaurants in downtown Crystal Lake.

What kind of food do you have?

As a production brewery, we don't have a kitchen, and don't offer a food menu. We do allow carry-ins of just about any kind. In fact, we have take-out menus for some of the great area restaurants here in the tap room, so it's easy to have a pizza, sandwiches, or just about anything else delivered right to your table.

Do you have wine or mixed drinks?

We understand that not everyone loves beer as much as we do. We always keep a variety of beers on tap, and work hard to brew styles that appeal to people who may not usually drink beer. But we are a production brewery, not a full service bar, and our Illinois Brewer's License doesn't permit us to offer wine or mixed drinks. (We do have a small selection of sodas in cans and lemon and cucumber water always available.)

Can I bring my own wine?

Our BYO policy applies to food, only. We ask that guests not bring in beverages of any kind.

Can I bring my kids?

By nature, a brewery is an adult place and anyone sampling our beers must be 21 years of age or older. With that said, CLB is a family-run business, and we try to be as kid-friendly as possible. Children who are supervised by a parent or guardian are welcome from the time we open until 7:00 pm, daily. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, you'll almost always see families in the tap room playing a board game or just hanging out.

Beach Blonde, Wake Maker, Fox Rocker, Busted Prop, Overboard and Slalom King are our core, flagship beers, and we make them in big batches, all year-round. But we like to experiment, too, so in addition to our 15 BBL production brewing system, we also have a smaller "pilot" setup.

On the pilot system, Ryan gets a bit more creative, brewing small-batch one-of-a-kind beers that are available exclusively here in our tap room.

Here's what's on tap right now...

Seasonal & Pilot System Beers On Tap

Of course, these are in addition to our core beer line-up,
which are always available in the tap room.

Backflip	ABV: 5.2%
Belgian-Style Wit Bier	14 IBUs
Backflip is a traditional Belgian Wit (white)Bier. It's a beer that was created to celebrate the arrival of Spring and wet our whistles for a hot Summer. Given the name "Wit", this beer has a white veil of color around the edges of the glass. This is due to the use of unmalted wheat. The aroma is heavenly. Hints of coriander and orange permeate the air, while a subtle kiss of coconut and chamomile add to the complexity. A sip transforms you to a sunny oceanside beach. The taste of pina coladas and citrus shine brightly. The finish is smooth and tropical. What a great way to welcome in the warm weather!

Main Beach	ABV: 5.5%
Golden Ale	20 IBUs
Welcome to “Main Beach”, a delicious, gluten-reduced, twist on our super-approachable Beach Blonde Golden Lager. The best attributes of the award-winning Beach Blonde shine through, but for this permanent, year-round addition to the tap room line-up, Main Beach is brewed as an Ale for just a touch of added fruity sweetness. Try a pint and we think you’ll agree, it’s sure to become a Crystal Lake institution, just like it’s namesake. (Crafted To Reduce Gluten)

Diamond Lakes Finest	ABV: 6.5%
American Pilsner	35 IBUs
Brewed with our friends at Half Day Brewing Co., this Classic American Pilsner features a unique malty sweetness that balances the moderate bitterness provided by Cluster hops. Brewed as lagers were before prohibition, this full bodied, full flavored lager is perfect for warming Spring days at the lake!

Hop Driver	ABV: 7.0%
Brut India Pale Ale	19 IBUs
Now on tap, we're thrilled to introduce Hop Driver Brut IPA. Clear and brightly carbonated, this beer looks inviting and clean, and features a fantastically dry finish. Aromatics of tropical fruit and a distinct hoppy “juiciness” erupt from the glass. For this batch, Citra hops do the driving, featuring juicy, tropical fruit highlights. It’ll only be around for a short while, so enjoy a pint today!

Vaquero	ABV: 6.7%
Barrel Aged Brett Saison	19 IBUs
A traveler of both time and space, Vaquero has been through the peaks and valleys, from coast to coast. A cowboy and alongside him, his trusty steed, Brett go where the work finds them. The road is long for these two, but the burden be light saddled up with only a canteen, rifle and a horse blanket.Light enough to put back a couple and finish the task at hand, yet malty enough to remind you that this is a bonafide bier. This cowboy is not afraid to lift that froufrou glass.Hazy straw in appearance, while crisp and effervescent. Ripe, funky pineapple approaches the olfactory with tart acidity and leaves dry, encouraging another round.One hopes to see Vaquero and Brett on the horizon again...

2018 Boathouse Reserve Barley Wine	ABV: 10.5%
Aged in Bourbon Barrels	75 IBUs
Aromas of bourbon and oak permeate the air, while hints of hop spice and delicate fruity esters mingle together. Flavors of rich toffee and dark fruit dance across the palate, while notes of fine bourbon and wood keep things interesting. This adventurous beer holds nothing back.

Grab A Growler, Fresh From The Tap

The absolute best way to enjoy a pint of brewery-fresh beer is here in the CLB tap room. Coming in a very close second is having us fill a convenient "to go" growler right at the bar.

We offer 64 oz. growlers and 32 oz. howlers (half-growlers), and can fill them with any of our year-round core beers (Beach Blonde, Wake Maker, Lakesider or Slalom King) or production premium seasonals.

	Core Beer	Premium Seasonal
New Growler	$14	$20
Growler Refill	$10	$16
New Howler	$9	$12
Howler Refill	$6	$9

Growlers, kept sealed and cold, will stay fresh for up to 48 hours. Once opened, consume within 24 hours.

Happy Hour? Try Happy Tour.

Tour Times

Fridays at 8:00 p.m.

Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

Cost

$10, includes tour, a pint,

and a take-home CLB tumbler.

Wondering how all of your favorite CLB beers are crafted? Join us on the weekend for a tour, a pint and a take-home pint glass, all for just $10 per person. We offer "Happy Tours" every Friday at 8:00 pm, Saturday at 3:00 and 8:00 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm.

Here at CLB, we're proud of what we do and are more than happy to show off our production facility. Your tour will be lead by our Brewmaster Ryan, General Manager Beth, or one of our owners, Chuck or John, and will include a walk through our brewhouse, fermentation area, packaging room and more.

The length of the tour varies a bit, since it's a little different each time, but plan on 30 minutes or so. Actually, make that a bit longer, since you're sure to stick around afterward and have a pint!

Reservations are not strictly required, but are recommended. Reserve your spot now:

The CLB tap room has a great space to host special occasions, adding an experience to your celebration! Our private space holds up to 40 guests, perfect for an intimate party of any kind. Bring your guests, enjoy our hand-crafted beer, and if you'd like, include a tour of our brewing and packaging facilities.

The great thing about having parties at our place is that you can bring whatever food you like! You are welcome to go picnic-style, pot-luck, or cater in. We'll handle the beverages, of course, and offer soft drinks and the full complement of our tasty beers. We offer tours and brewing education upon request, and are more than happy to share our passion for the craft.

Please contact Beth with any questions that you might have, and she will help you coordinate the details. You can reach her at beth@crystallakebrew.com.

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