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I hope you Cantillon fans made it out to Zwanze Day at West Lakeview Liquors on Saturday. It was a great time with some outstanding beers on tap including the 08 Lou Pepe Kriek.

Herslev Bryghus Oktober Bock. Good stuff (if overpriced). Tons of malt, full-bodied and plenty of alcohol.

Happy Friday, LTH!

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Went to Zwanze Day at Spuyten Duyvil and WOW what a special beer, fruity and peppery and I definitely wish I could have that more regularly. But as for right now finishing up a Pliny the Elder (9/7) and Spike and I are about to open our first Older Viscosity. Also just got a shipment of three Fantôme Saisons, one Magic Ghost, and one Dalmatienne which I really look forward to having!

I love the cocktails at Boka. For my money, these are some of the most thoughtful, creative and beautifully layered drinks out there. Last night, Petite_Gourmande and I spent some time at the bar there (no food) and enjoyed 4 terrific drinks crafted by Griffin Elliott, Ben Schiller's protege. For me, there was the Longship North Shore (Aquavit, Bas Armagnac, Ginger, Angostura Bitters) and a riff on the Harbinger (Templeton Rye, Spiced Aprium Syrup, Lemon, Mint, Orange Blossom were the original ingredients--mine included house made Falernum and skipped the orange blossom). Miss P_G will have to have to chime in on hers but both were brown based, intensely aromatic, fairly bitter and gorgeous.

I love that the #2 guy is as strong as the master--with an accomplished palette of his own. Have to hope that it's only a matter of time until they spruce up the tired decor and menu. Til then, it's the perfect quiet bar where the cocktails can truly shine.

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“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

Tilquin Gueuze

sour, funky and lots of fun to drink if you like the style.

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Zombie Dust from 3 Floyd's.
Perfect for the first day of October!

I definitely do. You've inspired me. I think I'm going to crack open a sour, myself.

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Same here...thinking the Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait I picked up at West Lakeview Liquors a while back will do the trick.

ETA: Now, that wasn't the funkiest beer I've ever had (that goes to a farmhouse ale I couldn't drink more than a sip or two off at The Bluebird a couple years ago), but it was pretty intense. I believe my first comment was, "This beer tastes like great cheese."

Speaking of sours! Drinking an Armand'4 Herfst right now. While it's an excellent geuze, it is definitely my least favorite in the series (Zomer being my top). However, if you get a chance to try any of these I highly recommend all of them. Also back to Cantillon, had a Lou Pepe Kriek 2008 the other night and it blew every other fruit beer I've ever had out of the water, I wish we had about 10 more bottles...

Had a Lou Pepe at Cantillon this past Saturday and I'd whole-heartedly agree. Nothing short of phenomenal. Also had a few others, including the 2011 Zwanze and the Rose Gambrinus, both of which were equally amazing.

Sipping some very nice Vintage Bourbon at Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook at the moment.

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Had to get at least one of these since the Big Hurt was my favorite player of all time.

Tastes like a shitty light lager with just a bit more body and not as bad of an aftertaste.

My local beer place tapped a keg of Surly 2010 Darkness. (Russian Imperial stout)

Nice beer but 9oz will do!

http://durtynellies.com/ in Palatine, IL
of course, it will be gone soon!

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Crispin Lansdowne unfiliered hard apple cider.
It's my initial introduction to hard cider and I have to say I like it quite a bit.

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The cake is a lie

A small dinner party for a close friend who turned 40 this past week

2000 Gaston Chiquet Champagne Special Club
A wonderful start to the celebration

2001 La Chablisienne Montée de Tonnerre, Chablis
I was worried that this would be DOA but it was drinking very nice
1999 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay
showed wonderfully but the oak kind of stuck out to my tastes
2001 M Sorrel Hermitage, Le Greal
spot on Hermitage at a nice point in its evolution. Violets, minerals and intensity
1997 Thackrey orion
maybe a bit tired?

1996 Penfolds "Block 42" Kalimna Cabernet
never had this before and might not have it again, not really in my wheelhouse
1992 Ridge Monte Bello
a nice showing of this classic wine but I'm not a huge CA cab drinker
1990 Prince Poniatowski Vouvray Clos Baudoin
great value dessert wine, ageless

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Had a rowdy day and went on a Half Acre binge

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Last night, and the night before, the 2011 edition of William Larue Weller bourbon from Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection...perhaps the tastiest wheated bourbon I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. If not better than, at least the equal of, the Van Winkle 15. It may sound a bit sacrilegious, but if this is what we have to look forward to when the VW line switches over to BT product, I don't know how much we'll really miss Stitzel-Weller.

Been playing around with the '11 George T. Stagg (142.6 proof!)...it's not the stunner that the '09 (best bourbon ever?) or '10 are, but it's making some pretty excellent cocktails. Earlier, it was a Boulevard des Rêves, a Boulevardier riff with a Smith & Cross float. Currently sipping a Paper Airplane variation I'm calling the Lead Balloon. The recipe is the same, just swap Stagg for Buffalo Trace. It's strangely fruity, with the high-test bourbon keeping the Campari & Lemon from making the final product as bone dry as the original.

Proving, once again, where there proof there is flavor. With high test stuff the flavors around all that booze are amplified. As far as I understand it that was the thought behind the vodka in the Vesper, to ramp up the proof, so the Kina Lillet popped enough to compete with the gin. A Pimm's Cup with .50 oz of Tanq makes it Pimmsier (OED be damned) not ginnier.

I would wonder how that '11 Stagg is a Staggerac...

Cheers,
Toby

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WRECHED EXCESS IS BARELY ENOUGH

HEAT

Paul McGee made a couple for me last week at The Whistler and they were magnificent.

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

And, here I am separated from my bar until Thursday...you guys are killing me.

I don't suppose Bradstreet got any BTAC yet, Toby?

Lately it has been gin martinis, Pabst Blue Ribbon and two different flavors of a brand of rum called Cuca Fresca: lime and passion fruit. Cuca Fresca is a rum from Brazil and I only ever see this stuff at Devon Market for a very reasonable $11.99. There is also a mango flavor and each one has distinctly good taste and layers of flavor to it.

In fact I am drinking the passion fruit Cuca Fresca rum right now....

Marvelous, indeed...my first Sazerac since last winter. It won't be nearly so long before my next.

Used the always tasty Jade Edouard 72 for the rinse. The proof really facilitates an exploration of the various layers of the absinthe, and perhaps even more so the Peychaud's...

Nursing some Jaigermesister. Tomorrow night will be the real party. Will report back Sunday if I recover.

FEW Gin Martini with a twist. YUM!

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An interesting old fashioned...

2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Rye
-1/2 oz Vida Mezcal
+1/4 oz Rich Demerara Syrup
2 Dashes Mole Bitters (I used Bittercube Corazón, but Bittermens will do)
Orange peel garnish.

Smoke & spice with a decent amount of sweetness.

Bradstreet has a few of the Antique collection on order, should be there now. Stagger in for a Staggerac.

Cheers,
Toby

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WRECHED EXCESS IS BARELY ENOUGH

HEAT

Unfortunately, my project in Minneapolis was done as of Thursday. I might be back up there in a month or two, but right now my sights are set on Vietnam.

Tonight, it was the Harvest Moon from the new PDT Cocktail Book.

1.5 ounces Wild Turkey Rye
1 ounces Lillet Blanc
1/2 ounce Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1/2 ounce Green Chartreuse
3 dashes Abbott's or Angostura bitters.
Stir, Strain into Coupe, Orange Coin Garnish

A nice fall sipper. The combination of whiskey & Green Chartreuse with the citrus notes of the Lillet reminds me a bit of the Champs Elysee. There are several other recipes from the book featuring applejack here.

Last night was a night for sorority girl bubbly buzz (drinking a lot with no repercussions at a dive bar in Mount Prospect). I had a lot of cheap beer, jeigerbombs, rum and cook and black cherry vodka. Tonight is a night home with a touch old fashioned. I bought a vintage index of cocktails and appetizers and am currently enjoying a Caruso which icludes gin, dry vermouth and creme de menthe. Sort of a minty martini. Loving it.

Monday night and last night was a Shamrock (Whiskey, creme de menthe and dry vermouth). Tuesday was cheap beers and rum and coke at a dive bar and last night was two Jamesons with Coke at another dive bar. Been a busy week.