CHICAGO (July 8, 2022)—Chicago-based Transit Tees, a creative group that produces Chicago-inspired products and games, is excited to announce the Chicago Handshake Passport Challenge. From July 29-September 22nd, the 8-week quest invites players to explore Chicago neighborhoods and receive a unique stamp in their passport at each of 16 participating, independently owned bars by ordering that notorious, love-hate rite of passage: an Old Style beer and a shot of Jeppson's Malört. Beyond making some real Chicago memories, players that complete passports will be rewarded with a limited-edition Chicago Handshake Challenge Coin at the grand finale event on September 22nd benefitting a local hospitality non-profit.
Players are encouraged to gather a group of friends to collect stamps and complete the quest as a team. It’s also a great excuse for established Chicagoans to celebrate the return of the Chicago Handshake Passport Challenge by initiating new-to-Chicago friends and family into the time-honored tradition. Either way, this challenge creates a playful opportunity to support some local gems including the Ukrainian Village bars rumored to be the birthplace of the handshake.
The Passport is the real-world companion to Transit Tees’ 2021 hit, the Chicago Handshake Drinking Card Game, which covered everything from specialty food to the blues and architecture to booze. At the end of this game, whoever has the most tokens must drink the Chicago Handshake sitting on the table, to their delight or horror!
The Chicago Handshake Official Passport features the same nostalgic 1930s design style and is available for free with the first handshake at any participating bar on a first come, first served basis. Players who complete the passport will receive a limited-edition, numbered Challenge Coin featuring the handshake at the grand finale party. Bars have limited giveaways of Transit Tees Chicago-inspired products including newly-designed Chicago Handshake tees, pints, shots, flags, koozies and more—also available for sale at www.transittees.com or at both Transit Tees locations in Wicker Park (1371 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago) and Andersonville (5226 N. Clark Street, Chicago).
“We’re a Chicago team working hard to create games that build on fun, local traditions while giving our friends and family something to talk about for years to come. We hope players of the Chicago Handshake Passport Challenge have as much fun as we did -- exploring Chicago neighborhoods and visiting the independent bars that put the Chicago handshake on the map!” said Transit Tees Owner and Founder Tim Gillengerten.
The large Old Style signs outside of neighborhood bars have been a staple in Chicago’s landscape since the 1970s when the lager was solidified as a Chicago beer of choice. Jeppson's Malört has an even longer history as Chicago’s local beskbrännvin—a style of bitter, wormwood-based Swedish schnapps. Sold as medicinal alcohol during prohibition, it became a staple of every Swedish bar on Clark Street. Given their long history in Chicago, a shot of Malört and an Old Style beer make a natural fit!
The Chicago Handshake Passport Challenge ends with a grand finale event at Emporium Logan Square on September 22nd, featuring free entry, a chance to win prizes for different levels of passport completion, and a range of specialty packages with exclusive Transit Tees products showcasing Old Style and Malört. Players may choose to upload completed passports for a verification code to receive a limited-edition Chicago Handshake Challenge Coin at the event or simply receive the Challenge Coin at the event by showing a completed Passport. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Another Round Another Rally, which continues to provide relief assistance to local bars, restaurants, and hotels.
Participating bars include: Café Mustache, Continental Lounge, Corner Bar, DMen Tap, EZ Inn, Five Star, Green Eye Lounge, Lemmings on Damen, Logan Arcade, Nick’s Beer Garden, Nisei Lounge, The Native, 2Twenty2 Tavern and Web Pub Bucktown. Additional bars will be posted online soon.
Players must be 21+ and can collect no more than 2 stamps per person per day. More details about the Chicago Handshake Passport Challenge and updates on the grand finale event will be available at www.transittees.com.
Participating Bars with Addresses
- Café Mustache, 2313 N Milwaukee Ave
- Continental Lounge, 2801 W Chicago Ave
- Corner Bar, 2224 N Leavitt St
- DMen Tap, 2849 W Belmont Ave
- EZ Inn, 921 N Western Ave
- Five Star, 1424 W Chicago Ave
- Green Eye Lounge, 2403 W Homer St
- Lemmings on Damen, 1850 N Damen Ave
- Logan Arcade, 2410 W Fullerton Ave
- Nick’s Beer Garden, 1516 N Milwaukee Ave
- Nisei Lounge, 3439 N Sheffield Ave
- The Native, 2417 N Milwaukee Ave
- 2Twenty2 Tavern, 222 S Wabash Ave
- Web Pub Bucktown, 2026 W. Webster Ave
Additional bars will be posted online soon!
About Transit Tees
Transit Tees, founded in 2001 by Tim Gillengerten, takes visuals from Chicago's metropolitan landscapes and transforms them into games, fashionable artwork, accessories, home goods and apparel. Their most recent hit, the Chicago Handshake Drinking Card Game, launched in fall 2021. An official manufacturer for the Chicago Transit Authority, two recent games, the LOOP Card Game and EL Board Game, were also runaway successes. Transit Tees locally designs, fabricates, and retails their signature brand online and at two storefronts in Wicker Park and Andersonville. Most store items are created in their design studio and produced on-site by in-house artists and craftsmen. For more information, visit www.transittees.com.