Cider Buy 2026 is Open
What's New At Gnome Brew:
- Cider Buy Is Open
- Cider Day • November 7
- IBRU Bottle Cap Brew Off
- October Bottle Share
- On Tap At Gnome Brew
- Upcoming Events in the Homebrew Community
Cider Buy is Open
Our annual Cider Buy is open! This year we’re bringing back Uncle John’s Heirloom Blend from Michigan: fresh-pressed, unpasteurized cider with no preservatives. Fill your fermenter for a batch of hard cider and set aside some to enjoy fresh.
Pickup: Saturday, November 7, 2–5 PM at Gnome Brew.
1–4 gallons: $11.99 per gallon
5–9 gallons: $9.99 per gallon
10+ gallons: $9.49 per gallon
Purchase a container or drop yours off at the shop by Friday, November 6. Quantities may be limited, and pickup timing may change with orchard conditions. If you can’t make pickup, contact us to discuss arrangements.
Cider Day
Saturday, November 7, 2–5 PM at Gnome Brew
Join us for a day celebrating apple cider! We’ll have fresh mulled cider, orchard-fresh apples and cider donuts, hard cider samples from past years, a cider bottle share and family-friendly games. Everyone is welcome.
IBRU Bottle Cap Brew Off
Entries Are Open
Enter your homebrew in the 2026 IBRU Bottle Cap Brew Off. Registration is $12 per entry, with up to three entries per brewer. This is a beer-only competition, capped at 175 paid entries.
Register by Friday, October 30, at 5 PM CDT, or before the competition fills. Bottle drop-off and shipping receipt run October 19–30. Gnome Brew is a drop-off location; check the competition page for confirmed drop-off hours before bringing your entries.
The competition is November 14, with the awards ceremony at 5 PM CST at Off Square Brewing in Crown Point, Indiana.
Enter the IBRU Bottle Cap Brew Off
October Bottle Share
October 8th, 7:15 to 9:15 PM at Gnome Brew
Our Monthly Bottle Share At Gnome Brew
Thursday, October 8, 7:15–9:15 PM at Gnome Brew
Bring a couple bottles of your homebrewed beer, cider, wine or mead to share. Try other brewers’ creations, get feedback on your own and trade brewing tips. New to brewing or don’t have bottles to bring? You’re welcome to join us.
Free. No registration required.
On Tap At Gnome Brew
Bud Heavy, 7.2%
An imperial interpretation of a classic Budvar-style lager, with richer Czech malt character and enough spicy, herbal Saaz bitterness to hold the increased gravity in balance.
Fonio Wine, 7.5%
This fonio-heavy beer trades some of the style’s dense malt character for a lighter, more delicate grain profile. A large dose of Nelson Sauvin and Hallertau Blanc drives gooseberry, white grape, and dry white wine-like aroma and flavor.
Oaktoberfest, 5.9%
This rich, bready, and smooth Märzen showcases the complex flavors of Weyermann Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner and Floor Malted Bohemian Dark malts. After 3 months aging on light-toast American oak chips, it develops an enhanced velvety mouthfeel and significant notes of vanilla.
Upcoming Events in the Homebrew Community
October 8: Gnome Brew Bottle Share, 7:15–9:15 PM at Gnome Brew. Free; no registration required.
November 7: Cider Day, 2–5 PM at Gnome Brew. Cider Buy pickup is during the event.
November 12: Gnome Brew Bottle Share, 7:15–9:15 PM at Gnome Brew. Free; no registration required.
November 14: IBRU Bottle Cap Brew Off awards, 5 PM CST at Off Square Brewing, 11000 Delaware Parkway, Crown Point, IN.
All times are local to the listed event. Gnome Brew is at 2026 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago.
