Weekend/Day Beer Adventures

I'm going to try a new line of posts for this blog that will typically revolve around my weekend activities and how they relate to beer. More often than not, these posts will be composed in a "Brewery Review" but for the days when I hit multiple breweries/bars/drinks, I cannot post on them all. So, my "Weekend Beer Adventures" will take the form of everything I did/drank/ate/who-I-met/how-I-got-there kind of heading, compiled with pictures too. These posts are meant to log down some of the fun I have, to retain some good memories and for you to relate to. Enjoy!

Friday (6/8/12): I got off work around 4:00 and headed home to pack. With only 25 minutes before my bus (Indian Trails) left for Chicago, I figured that was enough time to get in a quick post (See: Bedlam). Done. I walked the half mile to the bus with a nice buzz and arrived 4 hours later at the Greyhound Station on the South-Central side of Chicago. After several minutes of figuring out where I was, arranging a ride and seeing who else was in town, I figured I'd walk to Rock Bottom. Definitely a difficult 2 mile walk carrying a backpack full of beer! I got there and started with their Brown ale ( I forgot the name, though it started with "Amazingly") standing at 4.0% ABV. I recognized some of the bartenders there too. Oh, and I didn't mention this, but I was wearing my New Holland Long sleeve work shirt...for an extra credential. I talked with a lady about beer and running a bit. Tasted RB's Wit, and both IPA's. The normal one was a bit grassy, while the Belgian, well, I got a pint of that soon after too. I was there a bit over an hour until Jeff came and picked me up and we headed back to Lincoln park. Discussion of going out for another pint commenced, but I was too tired.
Saturday (6/9/12): Woke up early, downed 3 cups of tea and packed Jeff's car. We were heading to Evanston to move the remainder of his belongings into the new apartment. Didn't take very long, and I got a measly workout in carrying stuff up and down the stairs. Upon finishing, I decided to test out the foot and go for a run (My foot has been hurting for about a month and a half from my work boots). It was about 85 degrees and humid. Got in 7 though and a quick 6:15/mile clip. Rounded out the run with cracking open the growler of New Holland's Sundog though for some replenishing recovery.
A couple hours later Jen arrives with a $17 Growler (ridiculous) of Emmett's Red Ale and a couple bottles of Pale Ale. Here we contemplated our next stop. The decision landed on Half Acre, my favorite brewery in Chicago. We got there and waited for the tour to finish, whereupon Adam enthusiastically showed us around. I've been to HA a couple times and each time it is slightly different - something you can expect with all microbreweries these days. They had renovated their back room to become their production area, while it made room for the new 60 bbl fermenters that were to arrive in the next couple weeks. We were served pints of their new Shogun Wheat and talked to a couple of the remaining tour participants. I wish I had brought some beer to give them, but as we headed back to their tasting room, Adam handed me a case of lowfills of the New wheat! (It was shared with the NH crew, which was held in high regard). Down the street was "Chicago Ribfest" but it was already 3:30 and we needed to head to my sisters.
We arrived, unpacked, shared the rest of the Sundog growler with Monte, who just moved back from Colorado Springs, CO. He was gracious enough to let me borrow his bicycle so Jen and I could bike the town the rest of the weekend. The plan for the evening was to have our final destination in Andersonville for dinner at the Ethiopian Diamond with Jeff and April. We still had time, however so we took off and headed to Goose Island on Clybourn.

Taster at Goose Island

We arrived and ordered a taster of their Dortmunder (awesome!) Summer Wheat (not great) Bitter (decent) and Greg Halls new endeavor: Virtue RedStreak Cider. We found the guest draft list to also include Dragons Milk (good to see) but tapped at $9/pint! (not good). Finishing our tasted we rounded out with a traditional pint of the Green Line (I always get this as the final beer during my visits). We learned that Todd Britt, who graduated Augustana 2 years ahead of me (and was a brewer/assistant brewer) no longer worked at the pub but had gotten a Head Brewer position at a brewery opening up sometwhere in Chicago! Nice work man.
We finished our pint (got industry discount!) and headed North to Broadway for dinner. Note: 4.5 miles is a LONG way on a thick tread mountain bike on the streets of Chicago. Travelling at a quick clip, we arrived at 7:00pm and I was drenched.

April and Jen at Hopleaf

After dinner we made our way to April's apartment, just blocks away, to set up camp. Once we were settled, and done playing with her new kitten, we left for the HopLeaf, which was only a couple blocks away. Fortunately Midsommerfest was in the works and the place was unusually empty (Yes!). We went upstairs and I got a Pale ale from some brewery I hadn't heard of, Jen got Three Floyd's Zombie Dust, and April ordered Lindmans Framboise (she hates beer). Called it a night after finishing those pints.

Haymarkets Dry-hopped Belgo-pale ale

Sunday (6/10/12): Woke up, performed the same daily routine (Downing large amounts of tea and some yoga) and we hit the streets on our bikes (following a brief look at the local organic grocery store). Jen and I attempted to check out Metropolitan, but as usual, they tend to passively shun people away by fences, closed doors and vicious attack dogs (jk about that last one). We then turned around down towards the Lakeshore bike path. Found a spot on the rocks, drank a Fat Tire, attempted to swim (too cold) and headed down the lakefront. Again, mountain bike on path = too difficult to be a practical means of transportation. We made it all the way down to Buckingham Fountain for a quick break and then found ourselves at Haymarket Brewpub. I ordered their Dryhopped Belgo-pale ale and en had the Pilsner. Haymarket is a bit on the expensive side, but with boastful alcohol and loads of Amarillo, I can understand from an industry point of view. Finishing our pints we ordered (and blew the tap) of Solemn Oaths Ultra-high-frequency Red ale, which was apparently gaining quite a reputation already around Chicago for being fantastic. I agreed. I asked for a quick look-around of the brewhouse, where Janna attended and answered any questions we had. By the way, this place has an incredibly innovative set-up for their tap system. We got on the topic of cans, and how I had never had Sunking before. Janna thought that was absurd and sent us on our way with a couple cans of Chaka: Belgian-style ale made through a collaboration between Sun King and Oskar Blues. We headed out from there and made a stop at the Green Grocer to pick up some food/dips and check out the beer selection (they have a great local one). We then went and sat on Aubrey's new patio and enjoyed lunch and some recovery from the already long day. We arranged our next plans to hit Revolution Brewery in enough time to make it back in time to meet the rest of the family for dinner. Back on the bikes!

Sunking/Oskar Blues in a CAN (like-thing)

The ride was longer than I expected, but we got there and sat down at the front bar. The place was packed for a Sunday evening. It was here that we ordered the Anti-Hero IPA and the Gold Ale. I was greeted by Matt, Revolution's first employee and now brewer whereupon he invited us to take a tour! The establishment was a lot larger than I had expected. We were shown the typical brewery equipment and process's and their barrel cellar.  We headed back up to the bar and discussed a few more things with Matt and his friends who also attended the tour with us. We ordered one more pint to try their Rosa Hibiscus Ale - which was pretty good, definitely tending away from the tea flavor, but enough to get a nice bite of floral fruit. Need I say Industry discounts are great? Thanks Matt and the Revolution!
We hopped on our bikes and headed back to Aubrey's. The ride was better, but the day of biking was beginning to tax us both - even Jen on her roadbike!
Once we were back, I made a quick trip to Green Grocer once again to pick up beer I need to buy for people back in Holland. We ate dinner, napped. Jen headed back to RI and I went back to Jeff's. Being as I work 2nd shift the upcoming week, I could afford to stay one more night.
We drove back to Holland the next morning

Brewery Review: Haymarket Pub & Brewery - Chicago, IL

This was the decision maker of whether I came home for Easter or not. My stepfather bribed me that we could hit up the three breweries that I had yet to go to if I came home...I did. We started at Metropolitan Brewery, then made our way a mile southwest to Half Acre. Finally we headed all the way into Chicago to Haymarket. I had heard about this brewery a couple times, but made a plan to visit when someone brought a growler of their beer into Great River. I tried it and looked them up only to find out they were brand new. Then, on the Saturday before Easter we arrived around 3:30 to find the bulls game on and a 20 minute wait which turned out to be beneficial on our part. Things aside, these are the beers I tried:

Six Point Star Golden Lager - Clear amber with a dense foamy white head. No activity within. Mildly sweet with a subtle pungence. Fruit undertones. Spicy and leafy with a bitter puckering floral flavor. Sticky white lacing. Amazingly spiced for a lager! and one of the best I've had on location at a brewpub.

85/100

Speakerswagon Pilsner - Pale golden straw that fuels a white foam ring. No activity within the glass. Lemony citrus nose that leaves a zesty profile. Phenolic aroma. Minimal lacing. Smooth and crispy but sweet that is equally balanced. Dry and spicy with an above average carbonation at the tip of the tongue. Peppery at the finish

84/100

The Saison Also Rises - Clarity is exceptional. Golden. No head. Yeasty pungency with a grassy aroma. Spiced and bitter but clean and refreshing. Some clove and honey overtones as well as a grainy malt backbone. Lightest body ever but flavor to recon with. High carbonation.

83/100

I'm Still Lonely Belgian Style Abbey Single - Straw turbidity and blonde in color. Thick white foam ring. Fruity aroma with a biscuity malt foundation. Taste is still a little grainy but with lemon in the mid to aftertaste. Dry but bready. Belgian phenols very apparent.

80/100

Mother Jones Belgian Style Abbey Dubbel - Mahogany with absolute turbidity. Malted and caramel prominent in the bill. Diluted molasses and brown sugar. Extremely sweet with mild phenolic undertones. Alcohol finish nicely balances malt.

78/100

Emma Belgian Style Trippel - Clouded but full looking. Straw with a coppered hue. Big fruity nose. Graininess apparent in both scent and flavor. Bready. Dry and warming. Alcohol well incorporated. Complex and still spicy.

85/100

The Living Wage Belgo Pale Ale - (Dry Hopped) Pale, Yes. Cloudy, Yes. Yellowed, Yes. Fine white foam ring. Tropical and sweet with notes of grapefruit. Dry finish with a boost of grassiness. Fine fizz carbonation. Minimal malt is completely masked. Prevalent yeastiness and lemon (notice a theme?) Zesty and citrus.

88/100

Come Back And Guzzle Spiced Belgian Dark Ale - Brown with a nice clarity, but with a color inhibiting haze. Some orange pigmentation. Spicy scent! Nutmeg and cinnamon (predominantly) and coriander (maybe even some ginger). Sweet toffee malt and orange holds up to the spicing but in a very distinguishable way. Finishes dry with the tannins from the nutmeg. A great winter beer, though maybe a little less nutmeg is needed. Some tartness/fruitiness present as the beer warms.

82/100

Bronzeville American IPA - Robust orange hue set atop a dense foam ring borders the glass. Hazed. An enormous orange and grapefruit aroma of fresh hops and fruitiness of apricots and plums. Biscuity malt base melds well with the zest and citrus. Bigger body though very balanced and drinkable..Melon is right!

87/100

Mathias Imperial IPA - Similar in hue to the Bronzeville but more rubied/amber. Huge tropical nose - Ruby Red Grapefruit peel. Boasts a large ABV but nicely compliments the tropical bitterness to the point it goes quite unrecognizable. Bitterness is more sweet than anything. Candied sugar contribute to body/attenuated sweetness and alcohol! Fantastic and well worth the penny.

93/100

Haymarket is a brewpub located just West of the loop in the old market district. Standing at the end of a restaurant ladened street, the outside is very visible to the passerby. The building maintains a history dating back to the early 1900's and was not in the greatest shape when it was first seen as a prospective location. Today, it sees a whole new look. While still maintaining elements of the old - Warehouse and Industrial - like the admirable light fixtures and the square plated ceiling. The pub itself is very space accommodating with an immediate bar to the right as you walk in the entrance, while ahead opens into a spacious dining room. Layering the perimeter of the entire pub are enormous flat screen TV's of which I found a bit deterring and unnecessary, but to the right crowd can certainly be a plus. On a sunny day, the windows from the outside provide a great natural lighting, while further into the bar may get a little dark (especially in the booths on the far side where we sat). The brewhouse and the fermentors reside in the back, yet fully visible to the patrons view. I wondered if they were at capacity for the number of brews they had available and the time needed to make Belgian beers (A definite theme). But nevertheless everything was apparently going quite smoothly, according to Ian, a knowledgeable employee.

      Service is exceptional and thanks to Alicja for being a great waitress. The menu is reasonably priced with pizzas running $12-15 and very vegetarian friendly. An entree runs $7-10 (with one at 12) and burgers at $8. Even a cheese sampler is available! and I give big points if you can mix and complement the beer with the food.

     As for the beers...Given the theme of lemon in many of them, I assume there was extensive use of similar hops (Centennial hops?). And with six of the ten beers being of Belgian or like origin, there is a big pride that falls into that category as well. I enjoyed the fact that the beer volumes to order were very customer friendly in that they provide 4, 12, 16 and 20 Oz order sizes ranging from $1.25-2.25, $3.75-6.75, $5-7 (9) and $6.25-7.50 respectively. Nevertheless the beer is exceptionally good with high quality flavor and variety. Finally they boast a great guest menu as well. With over 15 taps at the front bar ranging from Three Floyds to Bear Republic and supporting their locals (Half Acre), there is no way to go wrong at this place. Finally, as of right now and their drawn pressure to keep the public content with their beer, there isn't room for cask ales...yet.

What it takes to write these things...

      A few things I'd recommend. I understand that the Bulls game was currently playing, but it was overwhelmingly loud. Whether it was the fans cheering or the TV's. Again the # of TV's was deterring as well because I primarily think of a brewery/brewpub, if confident enough, to be proud of their beers and the fact that they brew on location to be the center of conversation and fuel a social atmosphere without any distractions (my personal opinion). I'd also like to see more food made with the beer. Perhaps some complimentary bread made with the pale ale, or pizza crust with the Golden Lager? Maybe some more Organic foods? People are always willing to pay the extra cost for that, especially now. What about some more snack appetizers? Hummus? Beer bread or bar chips? These are all things that would really parallel the themes of today and the history of yesterday.

      Ultimately this was a fantastic experience, the beer was amazing not only in variety but in complexity and quality. Service is exceptional and Peter Crowley (the brewer) is very outgoing and accommodating to his customers. I thank him for explaining the beers and his devotion to the craft beer industry.

Check them out:
http://www.haymarketbrewing.com/
Haymarket Facebook

Brewery Review: 47/50