Beer in the new era

i started keeping a spreadsheet :/

I went to Binny's today and bought a selection of Chicago-area bomber bottles as a present for my brother in law to be. There's a 2 Brothers white rye, Revolution milk stout, Finch's Fascist Pig, and I'm tossing in one of the 3 Floyds/Gigantic pale word I got a while back.

Definitely a golden age because I could easily have blown more than a hundred bucks just on quality bombers of Lake Michigan regional beer.

it's easier to drink a lot if you drink w/ other ppl. that way you can taste a lot of different beers in an evening.

Ale autocorrecting to word there is next level. I'll blame the whiskey.

Local brewery Half Acre had their release of their imperial coffee stout, Big Hugs this past weekend. Beer releases in Chicago can be a giant clusterfuck, but this one was run really well. When I got there, the line was wrapped around the block, but once the doors opened, they split into a card vs cash only line, which moved things along. They had free coffee, donuts, and nachos in the brewery and pouring samples of many beers while you wait. Extremely well done.

That will be my last hurrah for a while. I've cut way back on my beer buying. Basically no more for the next few months. Don't worry about me though, I have plenty in the fridge and maybe enough for the economic collapse in my closet. I will continue to buy beers to drink in bars though, but only two per venue. Maybe I will be happier, fitter, wiser, more productive now.

that sounds like a well-run release

I went to Bevmo yesterday because of this thread, and ended up buying a single 12 oz Avery Mephistopheles Stout (16.2% abv), and bombers of the Stone Vertical 12-12-12 and Cali-Belgique that I remember liking. Also a 4-pack of Firestone Double Jack. Have not opened any yet.

this just came locally: http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occasional-rarities/birra-etrusca-bronze.htm

looks very cool. has anyone here ever tried these ancient ale series beers?

i think i had a midas touch many years ago

I had a 4-pack of the Midas Touch a couple years ago, liked it but haven't bought it again. Also a Scottish one, Fraoch Heather Ale even before that. Also liked it.

Pretty much the only DFH I've liked is all their XXX-minute IPA's, Burton Baton, and World Wide Stout. Although I have a Bitches Brew I haven't tried yet.

so pissed that the DFH guy hates my state, which he srsly does, we were singled out in an interview by name as a place that thx to our idiot distro laws would never ever have his stuff

its a cold cruel world

at least you can get DFH in your COUNTRY

http://25.media.tumblr.com/104633909c9c4dddf13020688934815e/tumblr_mfaimidFIx1qz4cuyo1_500.jpg

guh

for some reason it seems to me like GoT dorks would prefer mead, then again I have never seen the show

mead is so gross though

real talk

I recall liking the two glasses of mead I had about 7 years ago.

The friends I have who do like mead seem to like this place a lot: http://newdaymeadery.com/ I've never had any from them.

Sweet Ren Faire brew bro...

Snuck in a couple goblets of mead into Hobbit 3D IMAX midnight showing!

Nice lacing into crystal chalice. Paired nicely with Medievel Times' turkey leg. Hints of verjuice, phenolics, and the perfume of the corset-bosomed wench/server.

last time i snuck beer into a movie theater my wife called my trashy and demanded i never do it again :(

I made some mead a couple years ago, it improves with age. One was plain and one had figs added, and the fig one is very drinkable. Also around 16-17% abv, if my specific gravity readings were correct.

xp
Last time I went to a movie I saw someone drop a 40 from under his coat onto the concrete. Nice explosion.

Nice lacing into crystal chalice. Paired nicely with Medievel Times' turkey leg. Hints of verjuice, phenolics, and the perfume of the corset-bosomed wench/server.

lolz

last time i snuck beer into a movie theater my wife called my trashy and demanded i never do it again :(

― Mordy, Wednesday, December 19, 2012 3:00 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol aw

I got some Chimay Blue as an office secret santa gift. Only ever had Chimay Red.

Local brewery Half Acre had their release of their imperial coffee stout, Big Hugs this past weekend. Beer releases in Chicago can be a giant clusterfuck, but this one was run really well. When I got there, the line was wrapped around the block, but once the doors opened, they split into a card vs cash only line, which moved things along. They had free coffee, donuts, and nachos in the brewery and pouring samples of many beers while you wait. Extremely well done.

Funny -- I had to run to Jewel that afternoon and, as I often do, stopped by Half Acre afterward. Had no idea about the release and was confused by the crowd. Was able to pick up a couple bombers without too much of a wait, tho.

happy channukah to mordy! i knew my beer place was going to get some of the bourbon county coffee stout variants this week, but i didn't know when. anyway, i figured tonight i should drop in, remind them i exist, etc and when i got in the manager told me (discretely bc the place was packed) that they came in. but instead of a case of the 24 smaller bottles they only got 12 of the larger ones! anyway she surreptitiously sold me one. it must've been psychic resonance that got me to come in tnite. now i can't decide whether to drink it sooner or save it for a special occasion.

The coffee flavor fell off a lot for the 2011 release after a year. Still good, just in a different way. This years coffee is drinking really good fresh. So drink it.

Also, it only comes in larger bottles.

ok, maybe i'll drink it for new years then

yeah drink coffee fresh--legit amazing beer and flavor integration.

that terrapin moo-hoo chocolate milk stout kinda actually tastes like chocolate milk. i don't know if it's something i'd drink regularly, but chocolate milk beer is definitely something i'm happy i tried. (and it wasn't super heavy - which i was worried about; though it's very dark. it had that easy drinkableness that real chocolate milk does)

also, what charming packaging!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A_opcg_BeKs/TOxDle_JavI/AAAAAAAAB44/sN3x1uay0rk/s1600/Terrapin+Moo-Hoo+Chocolate+Milk+Stout+2.jpg

enjoying my first chimay blue atm. Kind of a similar variety to the unibroue trader joe's ale I had the other night, so I have a good point of comparison. I'd say this has a bit more bite and carbonation, and is less sweet but still relatively sweet like most belgian ales. Strong maple syrup notes inasmuch as I'm even able to discern "notes" in beer.

now get a rochefort 10

So it looks like I might wind up here a bit later - any good? http://bangersandlacechicago.com/

Any recommendations from their beer list? Anyone suggesting anything European gets the gas face, and anyone suggesting the - frankly, awful - Abbot Ale gets gas face squared.

I would definitely order the Allagash Bourbon Black + the Southern Tier Choklat.

man there is a world of difference between the beers you dudes get and the ones we get up here, i am woefully unaware of most of the non imports on that list

Bangers and lace is great, hard to go wrong with just about anything on draft. I really like the Local Option Kentucky Common. But seriously, try as many as you can.

they've got pappys on the bourbon menu

Sure, you can get Pappy here in a few places. If you've got some $$$ burning a hole in your pocket.

Here's probably my three favorite beer menus in the city, or at least to the places I go to frequently.

http://fountainheadchicago.com/menu/beerdrink/our-draft-bottled-beers/
http://localoptionbier.com/beer/
http://www.northdownchicago.com/drink/beer/

There are many many more though. too many.

those are pretty great

i wanna play too!

http://thehappygnome.com/menus/drafts/
http://muddypig.com/draft-beers.aspx
http://www.thebulldoglowertown.com/beer/

bulldog layout is super shitty, but oh man, theres some good stuff (same place that did the sour beer night i mentioned on here a while ago)

am i the only person that thinks that the mikkeller stuff is sorta overpriced garbage

I've liked some. There's like a million of them. Maybe two million. A couple have to be good.