Illinois craft brewers revolutionizing game day beverage options for football fans

CHICAGO - Other than two teams and a ball, what else do most football fans look for when watching a game? For many of us, it’s a nice cold beer.

Just like the teams, you may want to change up your gameday drinking lineup once in a while.

In a FOX 32 special report, Dane Placko takes a look at how Illinois' craft brewers can help you "draft" a new roster.

"I mean the pilsner, the lager is kind of a classic football drinking beer," said Brian Buckman, co-owner and head brewer at Illuminated Brew Works on Chicago’s Northwest Side.

"It’s a marathon not a sprint. So you don’t want to go too big. So I would say, do like a sessionable stout. Or we also do like lower gravity saisons. Like our Orange Sunshine is a 5% saison. It’s really nice, easy drinker," Buckman said.

Illuminated Brew Works is just one of the more than 300 craft breweries in the state of Illinois.

"We kind of try to express joy through the beer. So you know we want to give people a strong sensory experience," Buckman said.

Ray Stout with the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild says the industry only continues to boom - and that when you’re catching a game – there’s no better pairing.

"People are traveling and people are exploring the state because of the breweries. In Illinois, it’s about a $3 billion a year industry," Stout said.

Those in the industry say craft breweries are a great place to go find your new favorite football beer - and that it might be one you didn’t expect.

"So the name 'Sketchbook' - the short answer is it’s art in a glass, right? So we take making beer and providing space for people very much like an art," said Cesar Marron, a co-founder and co-owner of Sketchbook Brewing Company.

Marron agrees that lighter options are the way to go for a football game.

"Like a 4%, 5%. Amistosa is an example. Like easy drinking, it doesn’t weigh on you. You can drink it the whole game. So our most known beers - our biggest sellers if you will - number one is our Orange Door, which is a double dry hopped West Coast-style IPA. Clear IPA," Marron said.

New to Illinois' craft beer scene is Hop District Community Brewing in La Grange Park. It opened just over a year ago and is known for more than its specialty brews.

"It’s a place where the parents can come on a Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday night, and watch football and be okay with their children being here. We’re child-friendly. We have an entire area of games," said Shayne Hansen, owner and general manager of Hop District Community Brewing.

But there's still plenty of room for football fans to watch the big game and sample some new craft brews.

"So there’s like three different areas where you can watch. Different games will have the game sound on," said Jim Koblish, owner and head brewer of Hop District Community Brewing.

"We’ve got a couple of IPAs right now. One is actually called Angry Penguins, which was a big hit at a local zoo event. We have a hazy IPA called Juice Illusion," Koblish said.

Thanks to social media, Hop District is really hopping.

"So many people would come in and say I keep seeing you on my timeline," said Drew Walker, Hop District’s social media creative director.

That's because Hop District posts a new brew just about every week.

"I would say the core amount of people who are visiting here are within a 10-mile radius. We’ll have, you know, Harley guys and women out on a bike ride from Oswego. And we’re centrally located, we’re a good stopping point," Walker said.

And if you’re wondering if there is a way to enjoy these specialty brews at a tailgate or from your own recliner, the answer is yes.

"We have crowlers, which is a 32-ounce can. We fill it up right off the tap and we seam and close up that can right here. And the other option is a 64-ounce glass growler, which is reusable," Koblish said.

"You can get us at like any bottle shop in Chicago, from Binny’s to Whole Foods to Beermiscuous, Beer Temple, Beer on the Wall," Buckman said.

"Beer by the case we are always constantly having new fresh product out. So you’ll be able to find your pick here at the taproom in the cooler," Marron said.