The Beer Flows at the Block Party; Access is Cut

Everybody seems to be having fun at the beer parties being held in Lake Bluff and the Village Board does not want to be a wet blanket. But trustees do want to make a small change in the way the beer is being served.

The owners of the Lake Bluff Brewing Company have been staging outdoor events this summer to promote their establishment as well as the community at large. But while the events have gone on with little trouble, one small change is near at hand.

Specifically, it appears the servers will be cordoned off from the public if the ordinance that was initially passed Monday is formally agreed to on August 27.

The heart of the issue is the beer was being served to customers over a table at the block parties being held in the village’s central business district on Scranton Avenue, but there was nothing in the back of the tables to prevent someone from walking behind. It was conceivable a hazard could emerge from someone trying to get to the beer, particularly people under the legal drinking age.

“From a safety issue, it would make sense to have the brewery or anyone else serving alcohol from a booth for the next event,” Lake Bluff Village Administrator Drew Irwin said.

The beer was served from a jockeybox, which is essentially a cooler with temperature controls. There will now be three sides to the booth to prevent people from getting to the jockeybox.

“If the village believes that is in the best interest of the community, we have no problem with that,” Rodd Specketer, one of the proprietors of the brewing company, which opened in 2011, said.

Thus far there have been two planned parties (and one that was more spontaneous in nature) put on by the brewing company. To accommodate the visitors, the village has closed down Scranton Avenue from Sheridan Road to Walnut the one time a month the parties have been thrown.

Specketer estimates between 300 to 400 people have come to the events throughout the six hour duration.

There are two more block parties planned, one on August 24 and another in September. In addition a major music festival scheduled September 15 by the owners of the brewery.

All agree this is a minor issue and the village is pleased with the traffic. “We support these events as they bring good exposure to our businesses downtown,” Irvin said.

In other board action Monday, trustees concurred with a police recommendation that Lillian Dells Drive on the eastern edge of the village will now only be accessible to the public from sunrise to sunset. There were concerns of younger people walking on the rugged pathway in what is an area that is difficult area to patrol.

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