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I'm in a Negro Modelo state of mind these days. When the mood strikes I'll imbibe in a chilled shot of Tres Mujeres tequila. I think this is the tastiest (if you like floral and citrus notes in your tequila - and I do!) 100% blue agave offering for the money that I've been able to find.

Davooda

I think I'll enjoy the few Ayinger Brau-Weisse I have tonight, and crack open the case of Bell's Two Hearted I dragged back from Michigan this weekend.

I can't see where they would price it too much more than their standard available 6 packs, but with FFF, you never know. Even if it is more than Alpha King, etc., it will still be cheaper than the $5.00 they were getting for the bomber bottles last season.

Jenlain Ambree - a french red ale with a good balance of malt and hop
the aforementioned North Coast Red Seal Ale, along with a 4 pack of their Old Rasputin Imperial Stout (why is it easier for me to get CA beer in NY than MI and WI beer?) (that is a rhetorical question)
I am excited to come to Chicago in July for all of my favorite midwestern ales.
Samuel Smith's Organic Ale, which I like much more in its category than the SS IPA
And some Rebel Yell, because what isn't better with bourbon?

New drink, needs a name:
2 parts vodka
2 parts S. Pellegrino Limonata
1 part Campari

add to a highball glass in that order with crushed ice. Stir enough to get the Campari running down through the ice. What should I call it?

That is great to hear. I was just thinking the other day I would drink more Gumballhead if it came in 6 packs.

The bigger problem with the loss of Oberon is that almost every bar carried it on tap, even if they did not carry any Bell's any other time of year. If those bars would replace their Oberon slot with Gumballhead, I would be a giddy man.

This drink turned out even better than it looks on paper. I was calling them "unbeknowneths" last night.

Ommegang's Hennepin, at the Prarie Moon in Evanston. They've also got Goose Island Pere Jacques on tap. mmm.

Why drink anything else?

Okay, okay, I am drinking (or have drank) all these so far this year.

About a year ago I was introduced to the joy of a campari and soda before dinner. I immediately fell in love with the flavor and bitterness of Campari.

During my recent trip to Italy I found myself with ample opportunities for an aperitivo and at first gravitated towards the pre-mixed campari soda (which I believe is only available in the Italian market).


Aperitivi in Florence

As the trip wore on and I found myself enjoying a campari daily, I switched to just a campari on the rocks, no soda--often served with a slice of blood orange. I like to let the drink sit for a few minutes and let the ice melt a bit to take a bit of the edge off and thin out the sticky texture a bit.

The only part of my vacation that has extended beyond my return home has been my daily aperitivo.

So, to make a long story short. What am I drinking? If it's before dinner, I'm having a campari on the rocks.

Best,
Michael

that looks sooooo good

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is making all his reservations under the name Steve Plotnicki from now on.

last night Bells Oberon with a lemon as well as Grand Marinier as provided by an evil bartender named Karl.

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is making all his reservations under the name Steve Plotnicki from now on.

I've also had it on tap at Bad Dog in Lincoln Square

Had a really excellent sour red ale @ the MapRoom last night (okay, maybe I had more than one)

De Proef Zoetzuur 7% abv
A Flemish red ale: sour, crisp dry finish, some cereal notes.

The nice tang associated with a lambic without the overly fruity taste so many lambics nowadays favor.

Also had a Liefmans Framboise (not to be confused with Lindemans) which also pleasantly avoids the overly-sweet fruity-ness of most lambics--mostly nice and sour with just a hint of fruit.


The Zoetzuur is on tap, the Liefmans in bottles.

Forget a Leinie's Shandy - Hacker-Pschorr with a quick shot of lemonade is my after lunch drink. I can drink a pint down in one gulp it's so damn good.

Up next in my cooler:
Dogfish Raison D'Etre
Kostriker Schwartzbier
Widmer Hefe
FFF Black Sun Stout

I had a bomber of Moylan's Hopsickle last night, and no doubt the best I ever had from them.

I had a Goose Island Matilda on tap at Schuba's before the Blue Mountain show we were catching. Damn good beer, though $7.50 for 12 ounces or so is a bit pricey. If it was a bit cheaper I would have had a few more

Ended the night with a Fat Tire at my place. Was limited in my choices at the 7-11 on the way home, and it seemed the best choice. I have had it plnety of times before and each time I remember how much I dislike this beer. It has the aroma of old socks and the taste is so thin... I think it is so poular due to the cool label.

Jamie

I think Fat Tire also had a certain cachet because it was largely unavailable in Chicago for so long, and people would remember it fondly as something they drank while visiting Colorado or else ascribe to it greater quality and taste because of its scarcity. I couldn't agree more, however, that it is really just not a very good beer (at least to my taste).

You know that's the irony of the situation- New Belgium lives off the sales of this beer and yet they make plenty of other beers that are hundreds of times better- the Sunshine Wheat is about a million times better than fat tire and you never see it around compared to fat tire. Not only is fat tire a poor excuse for a beer, it's not even a good amber!

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is making all his reservations under the name Steve Plotnicki from now on.

You will be happy to know New Belguim released some of their other beers in Chicago. You can get 1554, Skinny Dip (their summer seasonal), and Mothership Wit (which, I assume, they chose to release instead of Sunshine Wheat since I don't think they would want two wheats released at the same time). Hopefully soon we will get their whole line, including Sunshine Wheat. By the way how did Leinenkugels get away with naming a beer Sunset Wheat?

All of your successfull somewhat larger than average regional microbrewers have to have flagship beers like this with broader appeal to create volume and bring in money to support their operations. Goose has Honkers and 312, Bells has Oberon, Fat Tire, SNPA. Fat Tire is just not a very good flag ship beer to me. Between the vast over pricing and my general dislike of most Ambers it does not appeal to me. As long as people buy these beers though the brewers keep on trucking and experimenting and putting out the styles we do love.

I went to Crew (Broadway & Lawrence) last week and enjoyed a "Beergarita". It's simply a margarita, but with beer added to, as the waitress told me, lighten it up. I didn't ask which beer they added (they have a great selections of beers there), but i certainly enjoyed it. It's definately something that will send you thru a loop if you drink more than one or two...

enjoyed some gumballhead on tap at twisted spoke last night for $2.50 a pint (tuesday special).

I have also been enjoying flying dog - gonzo porter and great lakes - burning river

correction, I meant the flying dog amber porter. I don't ever see the gonzo porter around, but its great.

And I forgot to add this
Twisted Spoke
501 N Ogden
Chicago, IL
312-666-1500

Just returned from enjoying a few Stone Ruination IPAs on the eve (or perhaps the eve of the eve) of my return to Chicago. One of several things I'll miss from Mass. from a drinking and culinary perspective. Not necessarily the best thing to be drinking on a 95 degree day, but in this case future scarcity trumped the immediacy of what might be best suited for the specific atmospheric conditions.

Burning river IPA from Great Lakes Brewing co. Very citrusey and just bitter enough. Great beer.

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Lacking fins or tail
The Gefilte fish
swims with great difficulty.

Jewish haiku.

Last night I enjoyed:

New Belgium 1554 (quite good)

Goose Island Pere Jacque (good but a bit too sweet, meant to grab Matilda but picked up wrong 4 pack)

Schlafly's Hefeweizen (way too dry and no esters)

750ml bottle of Ommegang Witte (not much going on in this. Good but my least fav of their beers)

And a homebrewed Belgian Witbier of mine (quite tasty).

Today I am enjoying: A hangover...

Breckenridge Brewery
Small Batch #471

This brewery seems to be becoming increasingly popular as I'm noticing their brews in more and more stores. This is the first time I've seen, and tried, a small batch, and #471 is a great one. It's limited quantity, so if you have an opportunity to try it, don't pass it by

Thanks, I'll have to try that out. I keep thinking I'll like this brewery better than I do.

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LTHForum Kansas City

The market in our building just added Fat Tire. Now I'll never have to go out.

Have been enjoying the 6 pack of New Belgium Trippel my friend brought me back from CO. Have not had this in years, and it holds up well from my memories, though is a bit too sweet.

She also brought back three 750ml bottles from Russian River brewing, that I will be drinking soon as I can!:

Damnation

Damnation Batch 23

Salvation

I am not much of a beer drinker, I find it very hard to find a beer worth finishing. Maybe that is because most of the people I hang out with only drink Miller Lite, or Bud or similar products which do nothing for me.

When I was at Trader Joe's I saw this stuff and thought it sounded interesting. Chocolate, beer? I didn't know that it mainly is a way of roasting the hops (I think) and most companies don't add actual chocolate. However I thought this stuff was pretty good. Maybe not much of a "summer" drink as it is heavy and I find finishing an entire can to be almost like eating a meal.

I think I might be heading in the right direction for beers that I think taste good.