I haven't posted on this blog for over six months now. Its not that I haven't been drinking beer and partaking in craft beer related adventures; it's more that I got bored with just reviewing beers and bars and breweries. I feel like there is so much more to craft beer than just drinking delicious beer and taking brewery tours, and I think I am finally ready to blog about beer in a more nuanced light.
I think what attracts me most to craft beer is the culture surrounding it. The past year has been insane for Chicago and most of the surrounding suburbs. I have gotten to see so many awesome breweries begin to make a name for themselves in the Chicagoland area, and what makes these breweries so awesome are the stories that surround their inspiration/inception. Chicago and the suburbs have such a rich history and I think a lot of the area's brewers have really embraced this fact as they build their brands.
All that being said though, the rest of this post is going to involve a lot of venting and complaining on my part. While I have the fortune of living a short forty minute drive from Chicago, I also have the misfortune of living forty minutes from Chicago and all its craft beer glory. I also happen to live in the South Suburbs, near Joliet, which I'm sure many people know is almost completely devoid of any breweries or brew pubs. I think the closest brew pub to me is probably Flossmoor Station which still takes a good twenty five minutes across I-80. I'm also about a thirty five minute drive from Solemn Oath brewery in Naperville and thirty minutes from Emmett's in Downers Grove. Basically, every good brewery around my house takes about thirty minutes to get to. Now, I'm not saying the drive to these breweries isn't worth it, because it is, but whenever I want a quick growler fill for a party or a football game I actually have to plan a trip out. It's not like running to the store for a six pack. I am a huge fan of the drink local aspect of craft beer. And while I'm all for supporting Illinois craft beer in general, Naperville, Downer's Grove, and Flossmoor don't exactly fit my definition of "local." I can't help but feel left out of the community I have grown so attached to.
What I'm seriously lacking in my life right now is a truly local watering hole. A unique place I can take my out-of-town friends to, and take personal pride in. And I think a local brew pub is the only thing that can fill that void, for me at least. I want a relaxing place where I can go grab a pint close to home after a long day at work, without having to compete with televisions and people watching whatever sporting event is on at the time. The community aspect of craft beer is what has drawn me to it over the past year and a half. People gather socially around local brew pubs in a way that is seriously lacking from our mainstream culture. There is very little room for appreciating the company one keeps in the sports bars that make up a majority of the night life in the area I live in. Everyone is out to get a drunk as possible as loudly as possible with very little regard for what they're drinking and who they're drinking it with. I also live in an area that is ripe with history, a history that many people are unaware of, or are simply forgetting.
So consider this my plea for some aspiring brewer somewhere to open a brewery in the Lockport/Joliet area. Rest assured you'd have at least one loyal fan, so long as the beer is good.
Cheers.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
It's Easy To Get Sidetracked In Chicago
I had originally planned to make this post about my trip up to Half Acre Brewing this past Saturday. It was a nice day so I figured I'd hop the Brown Line up to the Irving Park stop and take a stroll. I wanted to grab a bottle of Cypher, Half Acre's Belgian blond, and maybe some brewery swag. The trip to the brewery ended up being pretty good. I bought my Cypher and was also was able to taste a couple of beers. Saturdays and Sundays are the days to go because apparently that's when they have tastings available. I also learned that I am not destined to possess a good tulip because the one I bought from Half Acre, like every other tulip I have owned, shattered. Unfortunately I didn't even get to drink out of my Half Acre tulip. I hope to have a review of Cypher up either tomorrow or Friday. I'm trying this new thing where I don't drink unless I work out, so today didn't permit for a tasting. I am also kind of backlogged in my review materials, having taken a lot of notes on my phone during my hiatus, so I want to get those written soon as well.
But I digress...
My real reason for writing today stems from a spur of the moment side stop I made after leaving Half Acre. My friend and I had seen a place while walking to Half Acre that advertised a German beer hall with a taster special on German and Austrian beers. We decided we might stop by on our way back and kept walking. We decided to check the place out on our way back, and I have to say Glunz Bavarian Haus is probably one of the coolest places I have stumbled upon in a while. What attracted me to it immediately was the traditional German vibe of the building. It looked like a fun place to drink at the very least, so I figured why not stop in. We wandered in at around 1pm, so it was pretty dead. The Blackhawks game was on one TV and the Cubs were on another, so I was immediately drawn in for at least one beer.
Walking into Glunz Bavarian Haus, one is immediately met with a plethora of German and Austrian themed beer steins, beer posters, and every other type of beer memorabilia one can think of. There are also three Oktoberfest style benches at the front of the establishment that were pretty cool, so we grabbed a couple seats and got to looking at the beer menu.
I have to admit that when I first walked in, I was expecting the generic German beers that every place has on tap. Let me just say that the tap list here is nothing short of impressive. Be forewarned though, all the beers on tap are German and Austrian imports. Note: If that's an issue, you're crazy. I started safe and went with the Franziskaner Dunkel Weisse, a beer I have enjoyed on numerous occasions. All the beers here are served in their respective brewery's glassware which is a cool touch. The array of glassware behind the bar was awesome. I think one of the coolest aspects of beer is the glassware and this brew hall gives the drinker a wide array. (I refuse to refer to Glunz Bavarian Haus as a bar because I feel it sullies the atmosphere.)
After our first beer, we started talking to the man who was working the bar (we later found out he was the owner.) I think what really stuck with me about this place was the owner. Unfortunately, I didn't catch his name, but he proved to be as knowledgeable and passionate about beer as me and my friend were. We got to chatting about the various brewing traditions throughout Germany and Austria, and what made each style unique to its respective region...
Four beers later, and it was already 3:30pm!
Aside from the atmosphere and personable owner, what really stuck out to me was the freshness of the beer. The owner made it clear that his number one goal was to serve freshly imported German and Austrian beer to his patrons. And I must say he lives up to this goal 100%. I really found myself reveling in types of beer I hadn't sat down and appreciated in a long time. With all the great American craft beer that's out there, it's really easy to forget the classic styles perfected by the Germans. My first exposure to beer other than American light lager was on the first vacation I took to Germany when I was 16. The beer on that trip will stay with me for the rest of my life , and I really felt like I re-found a little part of that while drinking, chatting, and watching the Blackhawks win and the Cubs lose (shocking I know) at Glunz Bavarian Haus. I will definitely make it a point to trek up there whenever I'm in the city from now on, or at least whenever I head over to Half Acre for more of their delicious beer... but more on that another day.
For anyone who's curious, here's the address:
4128 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL.
But I digress...
My real reason for writing today stems from a spur of the moment side stop I made after leaving Half Acre. My friend and I had seen a place while walking to Half Acre that advertised a German beer hall with a taster special on German and Austrian beers. We decided we might stop by on our way back and kept walking. We decided to check the place out on our way back, and I have to say Glunz Bavarian Haus is probably one of the coolest places I have stumbled upon in a while. What attracted me to it immediately was the traditional German vibe of the building. It looked like a fun place to drink at the very least, so I figured why not stop in. We wandered in at around 1pm, so it was pretty dead. The Blackhawks game was on one TV and the Cubs were on another, so I was immediately drawn in for at least one beer.
Walking into Glunz Bavarian Haus, one is immediately met with a plethora of German and Austrian themed beer steins, beer posters, and every other type of beer memorabilia one can think of. There are also three Oktoberfest style benches at the front of the establishment that were pretty cool, so we grabbed a couple seats and got to looking at the beer menu.
I have to admit that when I first walked in, I was expecting the generic German beers that every place has on tap. Let me just say that the tap list here is nothing short of impressive. Be forewarned though, all the beers on tap are German and Austrian imports. Note: If that's an issue, you're crazy. I started safe and went with the Franziskaner Dunkel Weisse, a beer I have enjoyed on numerous occasions. All the beers here are served in their respective brewery's glassware which is a cool touch. The array of glassware behind the bar was awesome. I think one of the coolest aspects of beer is the glassware and this brew hall gives the drinker a wide array. (I refuse to refer to Glunz Bavarian Haus as a bar because I feel it sullies the atmosphere.)
After our first beer, we started talking to the man who was working the bar (we later found out he was the owner.) I think what really stuck with me about this place was the owner. Unfortunately, I didn't catch his name, but he proved to be as knowledgeable and passionate about beer as me and my friend were. We got to chatting about the various brewing traditions throughout Germany and Austria, and what made each style unique to its respective region...
Four beers later, and it was already 3:30pm!
Aside from the atmosphere and personable owner, what really stuck out to me was the freshness of the beer. The owner made it clear that his number one goal was to serve freshly imported German and Austrian beer to his patrons. And I must say he lives up to this goal 100%. I really found myself reveling in types of beer I hadn't sat down and appreciated in a long time. With all the great American craft beer that's out there, it's really easy to forget the classic styles perfected by the Germans. My first exposure to beer other than American light lager was on the first vacation I took to Germany when I was 16. The beer on that trip will stay with me for the rest of my life , and I really felt like I re-found a little part of that while drinking, chatting, and watching the Blackhawks win and the Cubs lose (shocking I know) at Glunz Bavarian Haus. I will definitely make it a point to trek up there whenever I'm in the city from now on, or at least whenever I head over to Half Acre for more of their delicious beer... but more on that another day.
For anyone who's curious, here's the address:
4128 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
It's Been A Very Long 40 Days, But I'm Back Into The Swing of Things Now
LENT IS OVER! I have a lot to write about, so I don't really know where to begin. I'm going to save my post on my recent beer related adventure for tomorrow. Today I just wanted to hit on a few things that I'm excited about regarding beer.
First off on my list is last night's announcement VIA Twitter regarding Lagunitas' plans to open a brewery in Chicago. The formal article from the Chicago Tribune can be found here. I was very very excited last night when I read this, not only because I love Lagunitas beer, but because I think this will do big things for a city that already has a booming and thriving craft beer scene. Even though I'm new to the whole beer blogging thing, I've been enjoying craft beer for a long time and I think this will have nothing but a positive effect on the city as a whole. Chicago receives enough attention from the craft beer scene as is, but I think this will make our great city stick out even more. I can't wait to follow this story as it develops more throughout the next year and a half. I'm also very excited about the thought of insanely fresh Lagunitas beer just a stones throw away from my house. This can't happen fast enough in my eyes.
Anybody that follows my twitter probably already knows that I will be attending my first Dark Lord Day this year. I got the tickets in the mail today, and that got me even more excited for this event. I will obviously have a full post devoted to this epic event after April 28, but I figured it would be nice to share with anyone who didn't know that I got tickets and can't wait to go.
Last but not least, I did remain productive during my fast from beer. I took the money that I would've spent drinking and put it into upgrading my home brew system. I made a new all grain mash tun that I should be putting to use Saturday. I'm thinking of brewing a six gallon batch of brown ale. I also want to start experimenting with sour beers, so I hope to take a gallon of the brown ale and play around with that. I also would like to start doing more posts related to home brewing. I'm no expert by any means, but I think it would be fun to share some of my successes and failures and I experience them. I hope to have a very productive summer in regards to honing my brewing technique. I'm excited to say the least.
I know this was a pretty boring post, but I had a lot I wanted to hit on before I got back into the swing of things with beer reviews, brewery adventures, and home brewing mishaps. I look forward to keeping up with the blog from here on out and I hope my posts from here on out prove to be at the very least a little entertaining.
First off on my list is last night's announcement VIA Twitter regarding Lagunitas' plans to open a brewery in Chicago. The formal article from the Chicago Tribune can be found here. I was very very excited last night when I read this, not only because I love Lagunitas beer, but because I think this will do big things for a city that already has a booming and thriving craft beer scene. Even though I'm new to the whole beer blogging thing, I've been enjoying craft beer for a long time and I think this will have nothing but a positive effect on the city as a whole. Chicago receives enough attention from the craft beer scene as is, but I think this will make our great city stick out even more. I can't wait to follow this story as it develops more throughout the next year and a half. I'm also very excited about the thought of insanely fresh Lagunitas beer just a stones throw away from my house. This can't happen fast enough in my eyes.
Anybody that follows my twitter probably already knows that I will be attending my first Dark Lord Day this year. I got the tickets in the mail today, and that got me even more excited for this event. I will obviously have a full post devoted to this epic event after April 28, but I figured it would be nice to share with anyone who didn't know that I got tickets and can't wait to go.
Last but not least, I did remain productive during my fast from beer. I took the money that I would've spent drinking and put it into upgrading my home brew system. I made a new all grain mash tun that I should be putting to use Saturday. I'm thinking of brewing a six gallon batch of brown ale. I also want to start experimenting with sour beers, so I hope to take a gallon of the brown ale and play around with that. I also would like to start doing more posts related to home brewing. I'm no expert by any means, but I think it would be fun to share some of my successes and failures and I experience them. I hope to have a very productive summer in regards to honing my brewing technique. I'm excited to say the least.
I know this was a pretty boring post, but I had a lot I wanted to hit on before I got back into the swing of things with beer reviews, brewery adventures, and home brewing mishaps. I look forward to keeping up with the blog from here on out and I hope my posts from here on out prove to be at the very least a little entertaining.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Limestone Brewing Company
It saddens me to be writing that Limestone Brewing Co left Plainfield, Illinois for Aurora. I read about it here. It sounds like there were a lot of factors that contributed to the move. mainly the fact that they were forced out of their current location. While this news upsets me, I can't exactly blame the owners. I will continue to visit the brewery, it will just be a much longer ride. The beer is worth it though.
The reason I've decided to write on this story though is because the area I live in in Illinois is now without a solid local craft brewery. I think one of the great things about craft beer culture is taking pride in your local brewery and repping local beers. I have to say that Limestone moving to Aurora has kind of left a hole in my heart because now when I want to go get a quick growler fill I won't know what to do. I'll feel like a little kid separated from his parents in the supermarket, lost and alone.
That being said I wish Limestone all the best at their new location. The area they're moving to is a very busy locale, so I'm sure it'll be a great move for both business and getting the Limestone name out there. From the tone of the article above, it sounds like the new establishment is going to be a very nice place to visit this summer. I just hope someone in the Joliet area gets the ball rolling on opening something local that I can frequent on dry nights.
The reason I've decided to write on this story though is because the area I live in in Illinois is now without a solid local craft brewery. I think one of the great things about craft beer culture is taking pride in your local brewery and repping local beers. I have to say that Limestone moving to Aurora has kind of left a hole in my heart because now when I want to go get a quick growler fill I won't know what to do. I'll feel like a little kid separated from his parents in the supermarket, lost and alone.
That being said I wish Limestone all the best at their new location. The area they're moving to is a very busy locale, so I'm sure it'll be a great move for both business and getting the Limestone name out there. From the tone of the article above, it sounds like the new establishment is going to be a very nice place to visit this summer. I just hope someone in the Joliet area gets the ball rolling on opening something local that I can frequent on dry nights.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Update
I've been doing a terrible job of keeping up with this blog during my hiatus from drinking beer. A few updates include me getting a couple tickets to Dark Lord Day 2012. I can't wait for that, its probably the biggest thing on my plate right now. I'm also planning a bit of an impromptu brew day tomorrow. Ill be brewing 6 gallons of brown ale, a gallon of which I hope to sour with peaches. Im pretty excited to try my first sour beer. I went with a gallon because I really want to get a feel for the fruit, oak, and Brett before I try a full batch. I hope to blog about that a lot. Ill also be making a post about tomorrow's brew day with the new set up that I've built. I can't wait to start blogging regularly again. I have a lot of tastings and brewery tours I want to get on top of once Easter comes around. I have some big things planned for this Spring/Summer. I definitely feel out of touch with the world of craft beer and can't wait to get back into it full time. Cheers!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Dark Lord Day 2012
I'm sure by now anyone who knows even a little bit about the craft beer world has heard the most recent Dark Lord Day news. Tickets go on sale March 17. They're 15 bucks and the limit is two per person. The link is here. I know I'll be furiously re-clicking refresh that afternoon hoping and praying for tickets to an event I still haven't been lucky enough to attend.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dark Lord Day, it is an event held once a year at the Three Floyds Brewery in Munster, Indiana. The event is held as a sort of release party for Three Floyd's Dark Lord Imperial Stout. I have yet to attend this event or try this beer, so I can't tell you a whole lot about it from a first hand perspective. All I can say is that the event is supposed to be a blast and the beer is supposed to be amazing (Google it). They also release some special versions like a barrel aged variety among others. I think it will be interesting to see what this year's even brings. Every year for the past 3 years I have tried and failed to either get tickets to the event or procure a bottle for tasting. This year I will prevail!
I wish everyone best of luck in getting tickets and their bottles of Dark Lord this year. This will definitely make or break my St. Patrick's day (at least until I drown myself in Michael Collins and Boulevard Irish Ale.) Cheers!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dark Lord Day, it is an event held once a year at the Three Floyds Brewery in Munster, Indiana. The event is held as a sort of release party for Three Floyd's Dark Lord Imperial Stout. I have yet to attend this event or try this beer, so I can't tell you a whole lot about it from a first hand perspective. All I can say is that the event is supposed to be a blast and the beer is supposed to be amazing (Google it). They also release some special versions like a barrel aged variety among others. I think it will be interesting to see what this year's even brings. Every year for the past 3 years I have tried and failed to either get tickets to the event or procure a bottle for tasting. This year I will prevail!
I wish everyone best of luck in getting tickets and their bottles of Dark Lord this year. This will definitely make or break my St. Patrick's day (at least until I drown myself in Michael Collins and Boulevard Irish Ale.) Cheers!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Beer Geekiness Taken To The Next Level
Since I traveled to Belgium in '09 I have taken to keeping pretty detailed notes about the beers I drink, and the establishments I drink said beers in. I've used small notebooks, random sheets of paper, and most recently I've taken to just using the notepad app on my iPhone.
A friend of mine posted this to my Facebook wall the other day. Moleskine has done it again. I haven't been a big user of their notebooks, mainly because of the price, but the idea of a journal made specifically for tasting notes, homebrew recipes, etc. was really appealing to me. Anyone that has seen my current homebrew recipe book would tell you this product was made just for me. I'm sure a lot of people will say "why don't you just use a regular notebook blah blah blah" but the fact of the matter is I'm a very disorganized person. When I come to write my tasting reviews I have to spend an extra 10 minutes just deciphering whatever I wrote while I was tasting. I went ahead and ordered one of these notebooks just to give the format a go around. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up hating it and go back to my discombobulated ways but I figured I'd give it a try.
Even if you yourself haven't entered the realm of beer geekdom where you take tasting notes in public, at home, or where ever else you drink, this notebook could make a thoughtful gift for the beer nerd(s) in your life.
A friend of mine posted this to my Facebook wall the other day. Moleskine has done it again. I haven't been a big user of their notebooks, mainly because of the price, but the idea of a journal made specifically for tasting notes, homebrew recipes, etc. was really appealing to me. Anyone that has seen my current homebrew recipe book would tell you this product was made just for me. I'm sure a lot of people will say "why don't you just use a regular notebook blah blah blah" but the fact of the matter is I'm a very disorganized person. When I come to write my tasting reviews I have to spend an extra 10 minutes just deciphering whatever I wrote while I was tasting. I went ahead and ordered one of these notebooks just to give the format a go around. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up hating it and go back to my discombobulated ways but I figured I'd give it a try.
Even if you yourself haven't entered the realm of beer geekdom where you take tasting notes in public, at home, or where ever else you drink, this notebook could make a thoughtful gift for the beer nerd(s) in your life.
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