Old Heathen? Who's an Old Heathen?

I'm not so old!!  But I drank one a couple of days ago!  It's a lovely stout from the Weyerbacher Brewery in Easton, Pennsylvania.  Brewed with seven malts and two hops, it is a nicely carbonated, chocolate-and-espresso on the palate, 8% ABV but easy to drink stout that isn't sold in Chicago!  

What else is going on?  I taught a really nice Beer 101 class last Thursday at Perman Wines on Washington Street at Halsted.  Craig Perman provided some excellent cheeses to pair with the beers and even opened up a Three Floyds 2008 DARK LORD to top off the class.   Speaking of Dark Lord -- DARK LORD DAY IS THIS SATURDAY, the 25th!  I hope to see all my buddies there!  It's a busy weekend.  This Thursday, I'm doing a little tasting at Puerto Rico Food and Liquor on Augusta, then Dark Lord Day on Saturday, then a semi-Grand tasting at the DiCarlo Armanetti store on Grand and Western on Sunday beginning at 6:30, then the GLUNZ BEER EXPO on Monday!  If I'm still standing, I'm doing a tasting on TUESDAY the 28th at Green Grocer on Grand Ave.  So, yeah, I'll get on here and tell everybody how things went.  I will also be trying out UPLOADING VIDEO to this blog after Dark Lord Day, because Johnny and I will be working there all day and I'm gonna take some home movies.  By the way -- GO CUBS!!  

Summon the flying monkeys!!

Some of you know I went to NEW HOLLAND BREWERY, in Holland, Michigan, on a work field trip last Friday.  In fact, just last week at this time, I was singing, unfortunately loudly, on a bus with my co-workers along with two banjos, everything from "Over the Rainbow" to my semi-famous rendition of "Gilligan's Island" to the tune of "Stairway to Heaven".  It is not so good, but it is very loud.  Oh, I tell you, we had a wonderful time.  Fred Bueltmann really took care of us.  He is a real quality guy and I love his brewery and brewpub.  In fact, on my top five list of favorite beers of the year so far is the New Holland Golden Cap Saison.  I drank a lot of it last Friday.  I mean, A LOT.  You can get the original, slightly spicier formula at LUSH WINE AND SPIRITS at 1257 South Halsted in 22 ounce bottles or you can get the new, slightly smoother formula in six packs in most of your better liquor stores.  It promises to be the new HOT beer for the hot months!  Here's some photos of my most excellent trip to Michigan and my favorite beer of this week.  

Beer and Whiskey go together like pork and barbecue

The lovely beverages pictured above are Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout -- in the small goblet, and Sprecher's Triple X Root Beer, in the tasting glass.  On Tuesday, March 31st, we attended the Whiskeyfest kick-off party at Twisted Spoke on Grand and Ogden, home of the motorcycle-riding skeleton.  It was a celebration of all beers aged in whiskey barrels, including New Holland Dragon's Milk (ultra-delicious), Founders Kentucky Breakfast stout (their breakfast stout aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, but don't tell the state of Kentucky because legally they have to call the beer KBS because they can't use the name Kentucky), AND the not-usually-available Sprecher's Triple X root beer.  This fantastic brew is Sprecher's original root beer that they aged in bourbon barrels.  Just the aging imparts a 4-5% ABV.  So good!  There also was one of the few Pop Skull BBL's on tap.  Twisted Spoke has TONS of delicious beers, and BBQ pork nachos.