Who doesn’t love the Beatles? Who doesn’t love Bowie? Who doesn’t love beer?

One element that we’ve all greatly missed throughout most of 2020 is the ability to gather and listen to live music. We decided that the best and most festive way to conclude this year’s Summit is with a live performance featuring the music of two of the most infamous and beloved acts in music history.

While the Elementary Penguins belt out some of our favorite Beatles and Bowie tunes, Beatles author and expert, Stu Shea will share historic Beatles tidbits in the chat. And mixed in with that, Master Cicerone, Niel Witte from Cicerone will share some fun facts about British beer styles. Bloody brilliant!

Got the Beer Culture Summit Beer Box? This event pairs nicely with Brooklyn’s Stonewall Inn IPA.

Elementary Penguins is a Chicago based band that loves to raise money for worthy causes. In the past we have raised over $10,000 for the International OCD Foundation and more recently, several thousand dollars for My Block My Hood My City. We are proud to lend our support to Chicago's own Brewseum by playing drink worthy tunes from British boys at their best. 

Stuart Shea has written about and researched popular music and baseball for more than two decades. He has written nine books, including Fab Four FAQ; Chicago in Quotations; Wrigley Field: The Long Life and Contentious Times of the Friendly Confines; and Calling the Game: the History of Baseball Broadcasting.

He has given presentations at museums, research conventions, civic organizations, and libraries about local and international popular culture and sports history. Stu’s work has also appeared in New City; Shindig magazine; the Chicago Tribune; and ESPN the Magazine.

Neil Witte is a 23-year veteran of the beer business. He began his career in the Kansas City brewpub industry in 1997, moving to Boulevard Brewing Co. as a brewer later that year. In 2000, he took over field quality responsibilities for Boulevard, acting as a quality control liaison between the brewery and its distributor and retailer network. He continued that role through the end of 2016 with the Duvel USA family of beers, including Boulevard and Brewery Ommegang, all the while expanding his role to include beer education and sales training. In 2017 he founded Craft Quality Solutions, which draws on his extensive field quality and training experience, providing educational opportunities and draft beer quality-focused services to breweries, distributors and retailers. Neil is the lead trainer for the Cicerone Certification Program and is currently one of 19 Master Cicerones. He is an accomplished beer judge and holds the rank of Certified with the Beer Judge Certification Program. Neil served for three years as the Brewers Association’s Quality Ambassador and two as their Draught Quality Ambassador. He is a co-author of the Brewers Association Draught Quality Manual and Draught Beer Quality for Retailers and is also a contributing author to the MBAA Beer Steward Handbook.

Founded in 2008, the Cicerone® Certification Program is the global leader in the education and certification of beer professionals. Those who earn our certifications work in a variety of roles in the hospitality, beverage, and brewing industries, from front line wait staff and bartenders to managers and buyers, brewery and distributor sales staff, educators, and a variety of management positions all the way to owners and CEOs. Worldwide, more than 125,000 individuals have earned the first level Certified Beer Server certification—and thousands more have gone on to achieve Certified Cicerone® or above.