Drink and Think
By Lisa Arnett
September 2025 View more Discover
Meet the three companies hosting trivia nights at a bar near you
Geeks Who Drink
This trivia company was founded in 2006 in Denver and has since grown to host events at more than 800 locations around the country. “Our trivia games are fully digital, so you can read everything from your phone,” says Brittney Wittmer, social media and content manager. “We find that makes it accessible to people who might have trouble hearing the questions being read, so you have it right in front of you.” In the western suburbs, they host three different types of trivia nights. Geeks Who Drink Classic features seven fast-paced rounds of general-knowledge questions ranging from pop culture to science to sports. “Our goal is that everybody should know one answer during the quiz, and everyone should learn something before they leave,” Wittmer says. Small Batch Trivia has a more leisurely pace and a pop-culture slant. The third option is Jeopardy! Bar League, which—thanks to a partnership with Sony Pictures Television—follows the format of the beloved TV show, complete with a recorded voice intro from Johnny Gilbert himself. “When the Daily Double hits, it sounds exactly how it does on the show, and it’s always a cool moment for the crowd,” says Bryan Carr, who has worked with Geeks Who Drink as a writer for 10 years and recently became CEO.
Teams: Up to six people
Where to play: Mondays at Bottle Theory in Elmhurst (Geeks Who Drink Classic) and Main Street Pub in Glen Ellyn (Small Batch Trivia); Wednesdays at Hale Street Cantina in Wheaton (Small Batch Trivia), Lewey Q’s Tap in Glen Ellyn (Small Batch Trivia), Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar in Naperville (Jeopardy! Bar League); Thursdays Wonderverse in Oak Brook (Jeopardy! Bar League)
Baig of Tricks Entertainment
More than a decade ago, Ali Baig was a regular at Cellar Door’s trivia night in Downers Grove. The host asked Baig and his friends to fill in while she was on vacation, and they ended up taking the gig over permanently. The owner of Tannins Wine Bar in Elmhurst got wind of their success and hired them to run a trivia night, and it all snowballed from there. Baig and his wife Gina (a former bartender at Tannins) now co-own Baig of Tricks Entertainment. Each trivia night features four rounds and requires teams to stash their phones during question time. “We are here to have fun, but we are also playing for prizes, so we always say that anything you write on your answer sheet has to come from your brain, not your phone—no Googling or texting,” Baig says. The varied content of questions means teams with a variety of perspectives and experiences are likely to excel. “Trivia is for everybody, so the best thing you can do is vary your team. Young people, old people, women, men, people who are in the trades, people who went to college,” Baig says. “If you are coming out with your fraternity bros you may not do as well as a team with a grandma and grandpa and mom and dad and two teenage kids.” They also host music bingo nights. “We wanted another option for bar patrons who want to come in and not really do any thinking at all,” Baig says. “If you don’t know what song is playing, you can Shazam it, you can ask your friends. I like to say, ‘Trivia is for thinking; music bingo is for drinking.’ ”
Teams: Up to eight people but can vary
Where to play: First and third Sundays at Noon Whistle Brewing in Naperville; Tuesdays at Alter Brewing in Downers Grove, Champions Sports Bar in Naperville, Gulliver’s Pizza & Pub in Oakbrook Terrace, and Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling in St. Charles; Wednesdays at Gulliver’s in Oakbrook Terrace (music bingo), Pollyanna Brewing in Roselle and Lemont, SixtyFour – Wine Bar & Kitchen in Naperville, Alter Brewing in Downers Grove (music bingo), McWethy’s Sports Bar in Bolingbrook, and Cellar Door in Downers Grove; Thursdays at 302 South in Wheaton, Cellar Door in Downers Grove (music bingo), The Beer Cellar in Glen Ellyn, and Miskatonic Brewing Company in Naperville and Darien; Saturdays at The Beer Cellar in Glen Ellyn (music bingo)
Go 4 It Entertainment
A longtime DJ and hospitality vet, Gabriel Ortiz was working as a bartender and server at Arrowhead Bar & Grill in Wheaton when a friend asked him to rescue a sparsely attended trivia night at the Chicago bar he was managing. “He knew I was outgoing and he said, ‘I need you to come host my trivia night and give it some more personality,’ ” Ortiz recalls. “I didn’t know anything about trivia, but I said, ‘Why not?’ After a few weeks…it went from three teams to like 25 teams, and the place was packed.” Ortiz next successfully started a trivia night at Arrowhead and then went out on his own in 2008. Now officially operating as Go 4 It Entertainment, the company has more than 30 employees and hosts dozens of trivia nights around the suburbs. “We operate with the Big Mac rule: Just like you want the same thing at every McDonald’s, you’ll get the same format at every one of our trivia nights, just a different host reading the questions,” Ortiz says. Each two-hour trivia night features six rounds of three questions each. “We do theme nights occasionally, but our trivia nights are general knowledge,” he says. “We might have a question about the official drink of Puerto Rico, and the next one is about flowers, and the next one is about the anniversary of Preakness.” As a nod to Ortiz’s DJ past, a song accompanies some questions as an added hint. After nearly two decades in the business, building community is Ortiz’s favorite part about hosting trivia nights. “I’m a romantic sap, and there are Go 4 It babies, born to people who met at trivia and got married,” Ortiz says. “It’s a really fun community.” Twice a year, Ortiz hosts a championship trivia event at The Piazza in Naperville where top teams from all Go 4 It trivia nights convene to compete for cash prizes. The most recent championship this past summer awarded $1,000 for first place, $500 for second, and $300 for third.
Teams: Up to eight people
Where to play: Sundays at BaseCamp Pub & Eatery in Lisle; Mondays at Danny’s Pub & Grill in Naperville, Kappy’s Bar & Grill in North Aurora, and Chelios’ Pub & Grill in Aurora; Tuesdays at Roadhouse 71 in Oswego, Freedom Brothers Pizzeria & Alehouse in Naperville and Plainfield, Fox Republic Brewing Co. in Yorkville, Caliendo’s Restaurant & Bar in Winfield, Neat Kitchen + Bar in Westmont, Draft Picks in Naperville, and The Hive Tavern & Eatery in St. Charles; Wednesdays at Tapville Social in Naperville, Tap House Grill in Lemont, Nash Vegas Saloon in Oswego, Khaos Brewcade & Kitchen in Plainfield, Hawthorne’s Backyard in West Chicago, and Tavern On Broadway in Aurora; Thursdays at Spartan Ale House in Naperville, Hizemans in Naperville, Moe Joe’s in Plainfield, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery in Warrenville, Flight Tasting Room & Bottle Shoppe in Yorkville, Sidecar Supper Club in Batavia, and The Piazza in Aurora.
Photos: Geeks Who Drink; Go 4 It Entertainment; Baig of Tricks
