Metal Monkey brewing holds fifth annual artisan Market, releases lavender Skies in cans and hosts St. baldrick’s

The Streetz Artz Alliance hosts the fifth annual Metal Monkey Artisan Market from 1 to 6 pm on Saturday June 10.

The event takes place at Metal Monkey Brewing at 515 Anderson Dr Ste 900.

Artists will be in the parking lot and also inside the brewery. There will be live music outside, over forty artists and a food truck on site.

According to John Streetz, the head of the Streetz Artz Alliance, the brewery is bringing back its Lavender Skies beer for this event which debuted as part of the 2022’s artisan market. This is the first time the beer is available in to-go cans.

Official description for Lavender Skies: “Indulge in the refreshing taste of Lavender Skies, a Pilsner-style lager that will transport your senses to a peaceful, dreamy state. Infused with the delicate essence of lavender flower, this beer is a perfect balance of crispness and floral notes. As you sip, imagine the golden hues of a sunset melting into the deep purple of a lavender sky.”

“Now that we have finally moved past the long winter, let’s all take advantage of the warmer weather by coming out to support local businesses and enjoy a crushable beer,” said Streetz. The Lavendar Skies beer, that is being brought back for the show, was actually the brain child of Stephanie Wheatley. Wheatley worked with Streetz on the first show at the Monkey.

“After falling in love with a lavender latte at a local cafe I started trying anything infused with lavender. When the opportunity to partner with Metal Monkey on a new beer for the market came about, I thought, ‘Hmm why not?’ And Lavender Skies was created. Metal Monkey was on board, and I’m thrilled it’s coming back this summer,” explained Wheatley.

This year’s event builds upon the five years of experience doing the market at the brewery. The very first Metal Monkey Artisan Market was back in 2017 when Streetz and Wheatley were meeting for the first time as co-creators for the event. Now Streetz runs the market under the Streetz Artz Alliance flag.

“I was so excited to work with John [Streetz] in creating the Metal Monkey Market. I’ve been a fan of the brewery since the garage tasting days and when I met John and learned he had a similar passion for local breweries and art market pop ups I knew we could create a great market in an already great atmosphere at Metal Monkey,” advised Wheatley.

Wheatley continued and said, “there’s nothing like our Chicago metal community and the feeling at Metal Monkey is like coming home. Even if you aren’t a heavy metal fan, you’re welcome there.

The June market will include over forty artists and makers selling jewelry, apparel, crocheted items, “stitchery”, candles, articulated dragons, original art, and more. You’ll also find vendors peddling food items like cake pops, coffee, hot sauce, cookies and jams. All items are homemade, a prerequisite for acceptance into the market.

The event is free, but you are welcome to tip the live musician that will be outside, tip the bartenders for their service, and donate to the charity on site. Gary Walsh with Team Stunod will be raising money for St. Baldrick’s charity during the event.

Jason Janes, Metal Monkey’s own director of Hops, Malt & Awesomeness, had this to say, “we partnered with The Streetz Art Alliance because John needed recognition for all he does for the art community and local breweries.

“We’ve begun indoor art markets with Streetz Art Alliance in the fall too to offer a smaller more intimate shopping experience. The art markets are a great way to showcase our craft beer while having so many others showcase their talents at the same time! We hope to see you on June 10th at Metal Monkey Brewing.”