Here's Pictures!! BRANCH 27 CHIMAY DINNER!

Yes, indeedy, it was quite a dinner. Last Wednesday, the 24th, we enjoyed a four-course dinner at Branch 27, courses lovingly prepared by Chef John Manion with Chimay beer pairings. We all know about Chimay, right? Chimay beers are brewed under the auspices of the monastery at the Abbey D'Scourmont in Chimay, Belgium. They have been brewing beer there since 1850, and it has been available for sale outside the abbey since 1863. Chimay beers have been available here in the United States for the past 20-ish years. There are three available -- the Premier or "red label", which is their Belgian Double style, the Cinq Cent or "white label", which is their triple style, and the super-rich and delicious Grand Reserve, or "blue", which was originally brewed as a special Christmas beer.

We stopped eating long enough to take pictures of Chef Manion's Parmesan Gnocchi with pork meatballs (think sausage meatballs, ridiculously good!) and braised kale. This was the second course, and it was so good and we ate so much of it that we forgot to take pictures of the third course, the Gunthorp Farms Porchetta with polenta.

Dessert was a Chocolate and Walnut Tart with CHOCOLATE BACON, served with a Jereboam of the Chimay Grand Reserve from 2008. A Jereboam is a large-format bottle, and beer ages differently in large bottles. This beer had a smooth, almost-port-like quality.

The Branch 27 dinner for March will be paired with DOGFISH HEAD BEERS! We are starting to put that together now, so call Branch 27 for reservations. It will sell out fast! www.branch27.com

Chimay Dinner at Branch 27

ooof. too full. Can't post now. I love Chef John Manion. We took some pictures of the Gnocchi and pork sausage and the chocolate tart with the chocolate bacon. I'll get it together for tomorrow.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME -- get reservations NOW for the Dogfish Head Beer Dinner coming up at the end of March.

Look out Chicago, Stone's a-comin'

That's right, Chicago Beerios!! Stone is coming!! We don't know with which distributor they'll be, but one way or another, STONE BREWING WILL AT LONG LAST BE IN CHICAGO!! Yeah, you can tell, I'm a little excited.

In the past, I've picked up bottles of delicious Stone beer on visits to Indiana and New York, or anywhere I happened to find it. What I can honestly say about their beers are, they are consistently, dependably excellent. I had the chance to chat with Aaron, the Midwest Stone rep, today at Twisted Spoke. We talked about how Stone Brewing is one of those breweries where you can pick up ANY of their beers and be confident you're going to have a fantastic drinking experience. Three Floyds, Dogfish, Lost Abbey . . . there's a few breweries where, even if a certain style isn't your favorite, or if a particular beer is a little "out there" for your palate . . . you still KNOW you're gonna have an awesome fermented beverage.

SO . . . rumor has it, Stone Brewing products will be available in Chicago by the beginning of April. When I know where you can buy them, I'll let you know.

By the way, I got my ticket today for the Chicago Beer Society's Day of the Living Ales! Did you?

New Holland Embossed Bottles -- get 'em while you can!

Who's excited about the Tim Burton ALICE IN WONDERLAND movie? I am!! It is my all-time favorite story, can't even tell you how many times I've read the original stories. And Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors. So tonight, I am enjoying a bottle of New Holland Imperial Mad Hatter I saved from last summer. I know, I know, you're not supposed to save IPA's, you want to drink them fresh, the hop character changes, the bitterness mellows, the citrusy piney character starts to smooth out and sweeten . . . I know!! And yes, the Imperial Hatter has mellowed. But it's still delicious, and it went great with my italian-style turkey sausages, green beans and baked potato.

IN MORE INTERESTING BEER NEWS . . . another reason for breaking out the Imperial Hatter was, I want to rinse out the bottle and save it. This year, New Holland will not be using the embossed art directly on the bottles for their High-Gravity series. So, if you are a borderline-hoarder beer-collector like I am, go out and get a Dragon's Milk, a Pilgrim's Dole, some stores still have the absolutely delicious Charkoota Rye -- get the bottles and save them! The new labels are beautiful and I am excited to try the new styles they're releasing -- and I promise to let you all know as soon as they are available. The Imperial Hatter will be available from time to time throughout the year in both bomber and four-pack formats. Dragon's Milk will be in both bombers and four-packs, too. Extra, extra, extra awesome.

Meantime, I hear the new Showplace ICON theaters on Roosevelt Road will be featuring Mad Hatter IPA on special when the movie is released! I'll be there. Can't wait!!!

FLOSSMOOR STATION SING THIS SONG, DOO DAH, DOO DAH

I have a new bunch of friends!! Our team went out to FLOSSMOOR STATION BREWERY, in historic Flossmoor, Illinois, natch, and oh man, did I have a good time! We met and hung out and drank beers with Brian and Richard, the brewers; Sandy the Marketing/PR/overall go-to gal sampled us out on ALL the beers (that's right -- ALL), and we had some nibblies and drank more and just had a blast. In hindsight, I wish I would have EATEN more, but we had an Olympic Opening Ceremonies party to go to, so I didn't want to be too full. Anyway.

We just started selling their beers last week, and I gotta tell ya, it's a lot more fun to sell beer when you've BEEN to the brewery, you've MET the people . . . it is just a joy. And I must say, I honestly think the liquids are just delicious. In bomber bottles, we have the Stationmaster Wheat beer, a light, very easy to drink American wheat ale; the Pullman Brown, a dark, rich, slightly chocolatey and somewhat smoky brown ale -- might be my new favorite American brown ale, and TWO of their many IPA's. The "Hoppy Hoppy Joy Joy" is a fantastic, INTENSELY hoppy and complex classic American IPA -- floral and citrusy and piney -- there's a lot going on, not like some IPA's lately that just taste like they boiled some Cascade hops in some light malt and called it a beer. The other IPA is called "Chaos" (I think), which is a Belgian style IPA using an authentic Belgian yeast strain. Really good. SO!!!

SUPPORT MY NEW PALS! Go buy a bomber bottle. I know my Binny's, on Grand Ave., has it.

Mystery Beer, are you ready for your mystery beer . . . (to the tune of Mystery Date)

The NEW, TOP SECRET, MYSTERY beer from Founder's Brewing, out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is called NEMESIS. Why? Of what or who is it the nemesis? With what does this beer have an adversarial relationship? Boring, everyday beer? Maybe.

Nemesis is the name that the Founder's folks have given to their annual four-pack that, I believe, will change every year. The 2009 release is a 12% ABV maple-bourbon-barrel-aged barley wine. The bourbon barrels used to age this beer were once used for aging maple syrup from Northern Michigan. The beer is a delicious, malty, sweet, vanilla, bourbon wheat ale. AND only 60 cases and NO barrels came into Chicagoland. So, what I'm saying is, if you see it, buy it because it won't be on the shelves for long!!

Tomorrow, FIELD TRIP!!! Sort of. We're all taking the Metra to Flossmoor Station Brewing in the south suburbs!

A new day, a new beer to look forward to, and a fond farewell

Just got word today of the new collaboration beer from two of my favorite local breweries, THREE FLOYDS and HALF ACRE. Looks like it will be called INVASION, looks like it's a Helles Bock. Mmmmmmmm. Helles Bock. Artwork looks amazing! We know nothing more!! But, we are quivering with anticipation! More info to come from Lincoln at Three Floyds and Gabriel at Half Acre -- you will know as soon as we know, dear reader. Watch this space!

On a more personal note, last week I said goodbye to an old friend--one I hadn't seen for a long time. Victoria Miller, "the Vic" to all who knew and loved her, made her transition to the non-physical about a week ago, at the age of 90. She lived a full and fantastic life. Vic was in community theater in our town, and my mom did costumes and make-up for them, back when my parents were still married. Vic opened a gift shop, and my mother went to work for her. Around this same time -- I was seven, almost eight -- my mother and I ran away from home. We left my father at the beginning of the summer (I remember it was the last day of second grade) and when we came home around the end of June, my dad had moved out -- I later learned Mom had served him with divorce papers while we were away. We stayed at many different friends and families' homes during our time away, including on the couch in the office of Vic's gift shop. Not long after that, my mother began dating one of Vic's sons.

Thus began a more than ten-year period in which the Miller family was my second family, and "the Vic" was my second grandmother. She was a true bon vivant, she loved good food, good wine, good scotch, and most of all, her good friends and family. She really loved life for all of her 90 years. She had the wonderful gift of being truly interested and invested in whomever she might encounter, and looking back, I have become acutely aware of what she and her family meant to me. So Au Revoir, Victoria. Clink a glass of good wine for me on that deck in heaven. I'll put a picture of Vic on the side of the blog. Long may she wave!

And let us not forget the one and only original Goose Island Clybourn

I am so excited about REVOLUTION BREWING. I mean, who isn't, in the beer community here in Chicago? But in all the excitement, leave us not forget our old dear friend GOOSE ISLAND CLYBOURN. I stopped by there today in hopes of seeing some old friends and maybe getting an audience with Nate, who is in charge of choosing guest draughts. And since I was there anyway, what the heck, I figured I should sample a couple of Wil's fresh brews.

I love having brewpubs nearby with super-talented, awesome brewers producing some of the best beer made anywhere. In the course of this past week, I was reminded at both REVOLUTION and GOOSE that there really is nothing more delicious than fresh, fresh beer. I had a little sample (really, just a little) of Lincoln Park Lager -- brand new today, as fresh as can be, 5.6% Vienna-style lager. And a small taste of Cheffe Berry Stout, from the Chef Collaboration Series. This one is a stout brewed with Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee and blended with berries for a lovely, smooth, coffee-licious but surprisingly bright and not heavy 7% stout.

So, I know the lines at REVOLUTION will be long and punishing this weekend, but go on! Take the time, you know you want to! And after you've had a pint or two and a bit of food, go on over to GOOSE ISLAND . . . try one of their new beers. Or try an old favorite. Drink local.

Hmmmmm, I wonder if my Beer Advocate subscription has expired?

I SAY I WANT A REVOLUTION! I WANT IT NOW!

Yeah, I'm cool. Want to know how cool I am? I got invited to a pre-opening party for Revolution Brewing!! I know. Super cool.

Jim Cibak, the brewmaster, and I met several years ago at the Goose Island Beer Academy at the Clybourn pub. We bonded over our shared love of I.P.A.'s. He was working for Three Floyds at the time, and just the nicest guy. And an awesome brewer!! After a stint in Cali brewing at Firestone-Walker, among others, he was lured back here to work his beery magic at his own pub! And all of Chicago is the better for it.

ooo, the bar is beautiful!! Can't wait to spend many hours there! The hope is, the Rev will get their actual liquor license tomorrow, Wednesday the 3rd, and I am hoping to be enjoying a beer with some bacon popcorn by Thursday. Tonight I enjoyed a Workingman Mild, which is described as a lunchtime beer (hello???? FANTASTIC IDEA!!!) at only 3.5 % ABV but full of flavor. Dark malts, caramel and toffee notes with just enough hop backbone, yeah, this is a real beer but I could still sit and drink three or four and not be slurry.

Visit their website at www.revbrew.com, and get down there as soon as you can.

Also, if you happen to see Randy Jackson, could you please tell him there IS NO MILLION PERCENT? As in "a million percent yes"? That the very definition of PERCENT is PART OF A HUNDRED? Drives me crazy. Thanks for letting me vent.

The DAY IS NIGH

Okay, it's a little early, but can I please be excited about DARK LORD DAY??? I am, already. It's sad.

DARK LORD DAY IS APRIL 24th!! SATURDAY!! Clear your calendar, book your room at the local Marriott (there's one right there by the hospital), or get your buddies together and book a limo. It's worth it!! Give yourself up to the Dark Lord. Have no responsibilities to hold you back. But remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Stay hydrated. Eat a good breakfast. Maybe bring some snacks in case the lines are too long. But seriously, don't drive if you can help it. You'll thank me after you've been drinking 10% beers for five or six hours straight.

If you have homebrew -- well, I should qualify that by saying, homebrew that you are willing to share -- bring plenty! If you have beer from your part of the world that is not available in the Chicago area -- bring as much as you can carry! There will be beers to trade! There will be other people with beers you want to try!

You all know of what I speak, yes? Of course you do. DARK LORD DAY is Three Floyds' annual release party of their multiple-award-winning Russian Imperial Stout. To beer geeks such as myself, it is nothing less than an annual pilgrimage. A sort of Woodstock celebration of some of the best beers in the world. By the by, THREE FLOYDS was just chosen by Ratebeer.com as the world's best brewery. We'll be celebrating that, too!

Watch this space for more details as they come to light, and more survival tips for the Day. To learn more, visit www.darklordday.com.