Beer of the Week: Eliot Ness
Once again, Cleveland rocks. This week’s BotW hails from the Great Lakes Brewery there, and The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper has a thing for amber lagers. These colorful, complex and easy-to-drink beers are wonderful in warmer months, and he says the Eliot Ness will do the trick. Cheers.
Beer of the Week: All Day IPA
Grand Rapids, Michigan is the source of this week’s Beer of the Week from The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper. Founders Brewery has a terrific light beer called “All Day IPA” and with warm weather here, he says it’s a perfect summer sipper that won’t fill you up. Cheers.
Beer of the Week: Bell’s Oberon
Anyone from Michigan (including The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper) will sing the praises of Bell’s. But now that it’s truly hot outside on a consistent basis, you don’t need a lot of coaxing to give this Michigan brewery’s beers a try. Their Oberon is a light wheat ale that is absolutely perfect for summer sipping, coming in at less than 6% alcohol. Cheers to that.
Beer of the Week: Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’
This week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper looks to Lagunitas, which recently announced it’s going to set up a (huge) brewery in Chicago. They’ve got a little “sumpin’ sumpin’” to quench your thirst: it’s 7.5% alcohol, a tad spicy, and a prototype for an excellent summertime ale. Cheers.
Beer of the Week: Bengali Tiger
Ah, Brooklyn. Home to hipsters and fine chocolate (Mast Bros.); smoked meat (Mile End) and pies (4 and 20 Blackbirds). Beer has, of course, been a part of the borough for some time, as the namesake brewery has been led by the more-than-capable nose and palate of Garrett Oliver. But there’s always someone in the wings, it seems, and Sixpoint is also making some great beer. This week, Roper says their Bengali Tiger is an IPA with just over 6% alcohol and lots of citrus notes. Cheers to that.
Scofflaw Offers Another Source for Fine Cocktails in Chicago
Grab a stool and order a round
Everyone I know has been encouraging me to visit Scofflaw since it opened a few weeks ago. Knowing how much I enjoy a finely-made cocktail, (and the fact there are some well-schooled bar men here, hailing from such locally respected watering holes as The Whistler) I knew it was going to be worthwhile. Located at the corner of Armitage and Kedzie, in what could only be described as West Logan Square/North Humboldt Park, I was by far the oldest gent in the room. Their mantra is “gin-focused cocktails” but there were plenty of other spirits on hand, including my favorite: rum. Fortunately, they just started messing around with some swizzles, which have their roots in tiki culture. I love the pebbled/crushed ice in these drinks, as well as their fun colors, and as long as you don’t take too long to sip them over the course of an evening (thus watering down the drink) I think even borderline rum fans will enjoy their tropical notes much as I do. Read More
