Riverlands Brings Home Some Hardware - U.S. Open Beer Championship

Hi, River Rascals!

With the U.S. Open Beer Championship now in our rearview mirror, the fact that we won a couple medals is beginning to feel real. Not only that, but these are our FIRST MEDALS at a brewing competition in the first five years we’ve been in business. And, wow, the recognition humble us…but also feels so good!

We brought home a Gold Medal for German Pils with a beer dear to our hearts, Kayak Pils. You can help us celebrate this win with a pint of the fresh batch that's coming out this Thursday (7/11)!

We also brought home a Bronze Medal in the Mexican Lager/Pilsner category for our Mexican Style Lager, San Carlos Especial. While this mostly seasonal beer is now sold out at the brewery, you may find it on your local bottle shop shelf, and it will be around again in the future.

The U.S. Open Beer Championship is the third largest beer competition in the US, unique in that it allows award winning homebrewers to compete as well. As this is one of the big three, we're blown away to have brought home some hardware. Illinois beer had a great showing this year, with several of our good friends in the industry bringing medals home in some major categories! 

And while beer competitions certainly aren't the end all be all measurement of a breweries success, I'd be lying if I said that seeing beer we've worked so hard on become recognized in a national competition didn't feel really good.  

As for our beer, if you've ever talked to myself or our other brewer, Nick, you know we love lager. Though we came out of the gate with our hazy IPAs and stouts first and foremost on everyone’s mind, many of you will remember that we had a German Pils, then called Yellow Kayak, on our tap list on day one.

Though we've certainly grown the program significantly over the past few years, lager has been something we took seriously from day one. So to say we're thrilled that our two medals came in lager categories would be an understatement.    

Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't say thank you to everyone reading this and who has had a pint of these two beers.  If you weren't drinking these and enjoying them, I wouldn't be able to keep making them. 

So…thank YOU! 

Eric Bramwell
Head Brewer/Co-Owner
Riverlands Brewing Company

Our Bluegrass Series Returns in July - Live Music in St. Charles

Bluegrass Fridays, every week at our St. Charles brewery. Pictured: 65 North Pickers duo bluegrass band.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐖𝐎!

Join us every Friday evening in July as we showcase a different bluegrass act and food truck each week:

7/5:

Fox Crossing Stringband at 6pm

Fernando's Street Kitchen at 5pm

7/12:

65 North Pickers at 6pm

Dark Horse Grill and Catering at 5pm

7/19:

Rusken Bros. Band at 6pm

Chuck's Wood Fired Pizza at 5pm

7/26:

Pickin' & Grinnin' featuring Amber Berg & Andrew Dylan at 6pm

The Pasta Box Inc. at 5pm

Memorial Weekend Food Trucks & Live Music Schedule

Memorial Weekend is almost here, and our schedule is PACKED...including extended hours on Monday for Memorial Day.

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟓/𝟐𝟔, 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟎𝐩𝐦
5pm: Stix and Noodles Food Truck
6pm: Ken Slauf Live Folk & Bluegrass

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟓/𝟐𝟕, 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟎𝐩𝐦
12-sellout: Cheezie Mac's Food Truck
6pm: The Turntables Band Live Music

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟓/𝟐𝟖, 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟎𝐩𝐦
11am: 3rd Annual Ruck to Remember
12pm: Flyin Hawaiian Food Truck
1pm: Syahi Live Reggae-Rock
6pm: Open Mic Night with Katie B.

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟗, *𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝟏𝟐-𝟖𝐩𝐦*
Special extended Memorial Day Hours 12-8pm
15% off drafts and cans to-go. BYOF!

Officially kick off unofficial summer with us this weekend and we'll make some memories together.

Announcing Our New Ongoing Charity Drive: RMHC-CNI

At Riverlands, we’ve done our best over the past three years of operation to give back to our Tri-Cities communities and charities that hold a special place in our hearts. Through food and clothing drives, school supply programs and head shaving events for pediatric cancer research, we’ve found unique and fun ways to raise awareness and funds for various causes.

Recently, we asked ourselves…what’s a way we can give back on a daily basis over an extended period of time? The answer: COLLECTING CAN TABS FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF CHICAGOLAND & NORTHWEST INDIANA.

For those who don’t know, RMHC-CNI provides “Housing, Support, and Community So Families with Sick Children Can Stay Together.”

WHY COLLECT CAN TABS? Several reasons:

• It’s something simple we can all do.

• It’s something we have PLENTY of access to.

• It supports our company values of continuously becoming better stewards of the environment.

• It helps support a GREAT and LOCAL cause by raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana.

All collected tabs will be donated to RMHC-CNI. In turn, their partner United Scrap Metal buys the tabs at the current market value of aluminum and make an additional charitable contribution as well.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Simple.

• At the taproom: Order a can pour! We’ll immediately pull off and donate your can tab when you finish your beer.

• At home and abroad: Start pulling can tabs off your cans, rinse and collect them. Once you have a full container (zip lock bag, small box, shoe box, whatever!) , bring them to our taproom where they’ll be added to our collection vase.

• Once we’ve gathered a sizable donation, we’ll weigh and turn them in!

OUR GOAL: Collect a million tabs (789.27 pounds!) and become a member of the Thanks-A-Million Program. With your help, we can do it! Start collecting tabs today and turn them in when you visit us.

A Heartfelt THANK YOU for our Successful St. Baldrick's Event

Last year, March 2021, a new tradition was started at our brewery in St. Charles: our annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser and head shaving event. It was a great success, and we decided immediately to continue holding this event for the foreseeable future.

Fast forward to this year and we find ourselves once again humbled by the outpouring of support for this year’s fundraiser. With just seven participants signed up to be shaved, we were still able to not just meet, but CRUSH $10,000 goal. Total online and cash donations have now exceeded $11,000 dollars and counting.

One thing is for sure…one participant has gone above and beyond the call of duty at our event both years, and despite his currently tiny stature, his big heart has virtually carried our events! Sam Welch lost his cousin, Emma, to childhood cancer a few years back, and ever since, he has shaved his head once per year to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research in her name. We couldn’t be more honored to host Sam again this year and watch him smash the “competition” with well over $6,200 in donations! Not to mention his amazing family who came out in high numbers to support our event!

Thank you, Sam, as well as ALL of our shavees (Michael Dotson, Derek Weber, Matt Milligan, JD Orlicz, Eric Blackburn, Jeremy Teel, , for inspiring us again this year and helping us reach our fundraising goal!

Although our goal has been met, we’re STILL collecting donations of either cash at the taproom or virtually through the St. Baldrick’s event site until the end of March. Be a hero, like Sam and our other shavees, without harming a hair on your head. Donate today.

Not Pictured, But Also Awesome: Eric Blackburn, Jeremy Teel

Riverlands: Year Three Anniversary Details

At noon today, tickets for our three year anniversary party on March 19 go on sale. Here are some important details to keep in mind before purchasing tickets to this year’s event.

1) This is a strictly 21-and-over ticketed event and we will be closed to the general public. There are currently no DD ticket options as we need to fill every seat with folks who are “here for the beer.” We highly suggest using Uber or having a DD lined up to pick you up after the event.

2) Tickets are sold by the TABLE. This means you can purchase a single bar seat, or a table for two, four, or six people. Tables are VERY limited, so get your crew lined up before purchasing.

3) There are three sessions to choose from: 12-2pm, 3-5pm, and 6-8pm. Limit ONE SESSION PER PERSON/PARTY.

4) Your $40 ticket includes:

- admittance to your session

- three beers off the menu, and up to ONE 5oz pour of Riverlands III BA Imperial Stout

- one 11.5oz gold rimmed Year Three glass

- guaranteed option to buy up to two bottles of RL3 (NOT INCLUDED IN TICKET PRICE)

- Live music throughout the day

- Other special secret BA tappings for each session

5) Show up hungry! Fire & Smoke BBQ will be serving all day. Food purchases are separate from ticket price.

Can’t make it to the party but still want to purchase bottles? Any leftover bottles will go on sale the FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23. Keep an eye on our social channels for any potential buying opportunities.

Live Music in St. Charles Continues!

The Second Half of This Summer’s Sunday Sessions

Our Sunday Sessions have continued to bring good times and great vibes to our Sunday crowd at the taproom. Each week, our brewery features live music in St. Charles with local musicians and food vendors pairing up for a fantastically fun time on our patio (or in our taproom if the weather fails us.)

Food starts when we open at noon, and music at 1pm every week.

Here’s the lineup for the second half of summer:

• Aug 8

  • Food by: Sour Peach, LLC with Steam Buns!

  • Music by: Jason Benefield

• Aug 15

  • Food by: Aijo Kitchen Asian Fusion

  • Music by: Make It A Double modern bluegrass

• Aug 22

  • Food by: TBA

  • Music by: Alan Snyder

• Aug 29

  • Food by: All Star Grilled Cheese

  • Music by: Rik’s Beach Bar Band

• Sept 5

  • Food by: Burger Buzz

  • Music by: Matt Keen

• Sept 12

  • Food by: ACE, a culinary experience

  • Music by: Jason Benefield

• Sept 19

  • Food by: TBA

  • Music by: Joey Wilbur, the One Man Ginger Band

• Sept 26

  • Food by: The Argonaut, seafood boils and more!

  • Music by: Greg Torrence

Visit our brewery in St. Charles for local beer, local food, and local music all summer long!