Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society

A search on LTHF turned up only two results, one of which was mine , so I'll start a thread.
This Sunday, March 4th {alert LTHFers might notice this contrasts with my usual typography of a calendar date} is the (lucky) 13th Annual Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society “March Forth for Froth” pub stroll.
If you did not click through, here is the itinerary:

1. 4:00 p.m. Metropolitan Brewery, 3057 N. Rockwell St.
2. 5:00 p.m. Maplewood Brewing, 2717 N. Maplewood Ave.
3. 6:00 p.m. Owen & Engine, 2700 N. Western Ave.
4. 7:00 p.m. Quenchers Saloon, 2401 N. Western Ave.
5. 8:00 p.m. Logan Arcade, 2410 W. Fullerton Ave.

You're most welcome to accompany us at any or all of these venues. I do recommend bringing cash, as settling your credit card tab to get to the next venue might consume more time than you think. I believe Quenchers is still cash only as well.

The Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society
presents "March Forth For Froth 2022"!

After a one-year pandemic suspension returns the
Pub Crawl in which neighborhood venues are judged
on their ability to fulfill the tenets of beer
drinkers, including the proper pour.

Beer bars are experiencing intense strain from
brewpubs and tap rooms. The salutary ones need
our sustenance. The Pub Crawl is designed to
assist in identifying them.

Everybody is welcome! Visit a few, many, or all of
the nominated venues. Bring your vaccination data,
and some cash, as a venue may not accept a credit
card.

It will occur on Friday, March 4th, 2022 at these
purveyors (map)

1. 5:30 pm - Ludlow Liquors
   2959 N. California Ave.
2. 6:30 pm - The Beer Temple
   3173 N. Elston Ave.
3. 7:30 pm - The Wolfhound Bar & Kitchen
   3188 N. Elston Ave.
4. 8:30 pm - The D'Men Tap
   2849 W. Belmont Ave.
5. 9:45 pm - Kuma's Corner
   2900 W. Belmont Ave.
6. 11:00 pm - Reed's Local
   3017 W. Belmont Ave.

The Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society
hopes to see you!

The ballots have been collated. Here are the results of the Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society's "March Forth For Froth" Pub Crawl.

1. The Beer Temple - 3173 N. Elston Ave.
   This might have been predicted to finish on top, but it was close. Its selection of beers on draught was outstanding, but it lost a few points for having to bring in foodstuffs from outside.


2. The D'Men Tap - 2849 W. Belmont Ave.
   Its selection of draught beers was smaller than normal, but balanced. Its entertainment viewing level was limited depending on where you were in the venue.


3. The Wolfhound Bar & Kitchen - 3188 N. Elston Ave.
   Here was the surprise of the pub crawl. It picked up points for its bright atmosphere, high numbers of draughts, its food selections, and the ability to show sports on televisions which reached all corners of the venue.


4. Kuma's Corner - 2900 W. Belmont Ave.
   It probably fell this far because, although there is no longer a consistent line out its door, it still tilts closer to a restaurant with superb draught beers rather than a beerworthy venue with solid food. Nonetheless, perhaps drinkers should reflect.


5. Reed's Local - 3017 W. Belmont Ave.
   The "dive" bar which might have been predetermined to finish at the bottom of the results clambered out of that slot by its intangibles. Consisting of a spectrum of beers on draught, both macro and craft, and its involvement with the community.


6. Ludlow Liquors - 2959 N. California Ave.
   Something had to wind up at the foot. There are nice elements involved consuming here, including friendly, enthusiastic staff, and good preparation of food. Unfortunately, what sunk it was this is a cocktail-oriented bar, at this time of the season, its outside patio is not open, and its draught beer offerings were in twelve-ounce pours, failing one of the basic tenets of the LSDBPS (for 16- or preferably 20-ounce pours).

In summation, the bars of Logan Square are still near the top as far as Chicago communities go. But as this reveals, there is room for improvement.
I hope for next year, somebody else comes up with a good route for the LSDBPS pub crawl. It should not require a memo that March 4th, 2023 is a Saturday.

Greetings. The Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society announces its seventeenth “March Fourth for Froth” pub crawl. It shall be this upcoming Saturday, March 4th, 2023. We have the first two venues on the crawl set: Weegee's Lounge (3659 W. Armitage Ave.) at 6:00 pm [CT - GMT-6], and GO Tavern & Liquors (3219 W. Armitage Ave.) at 7:00 pm.
The additional venues will likely be determined ad hoc. I have preferences; but if our other crawlers view it differently, then we shall go where they exhort. In a way, this is suggestive of a mayoral election in that there are multiple candidates, but only up to four may be specified (if we spend sixty minutes each there).

Those four may be designated from these nominations:

• Scofflaw (cocktail bar - 3201 W. Armitage Ave.)
• Parson's Chicken & Fish ^ (draught beers + an exclusive Revolution Brwg. canned beer - 2952 W. Armitage Ave.)
• Still Life by Solemn Oath (brewpub - 2919 W. Armitage Ave.),
• Gretel ^ (2833 W. Armitage Ave.)
• Bungalow by Middle Brow ^ (brewpub - 2840 W. Armitage Ave.)
• Union ^ (2202 N. California Ave.)
• Golden Teardrops (2101 N. California Ave. B1F)

^ = food available

The total length of the march is 1.6 miles. There is a distance to span between some venues [e.g.: GO Tavern to Parson's; Gretel to Union] which will tack on additional minutes. Ultimately, the stop at Golden Teardrops could be entirely optional if people want to drop off the crawl at Union (because the Blue Line “L” station is within eyesight). I shall advocate for Golden Teardrops because I conject people have not been there, and might not be able to find it individually.
Another of our tenets which the crawl promotes is that we want to visit bars | pubs; not brewpubs | taprooms. Brewpubs | Taprooms are supposed to be better venues because they concentrate on their own brews. I shall not vote to place a brewpub on the crawl, but I can be outvoted.

Here is a Google™ map of the intended route.
Everybody is welcome. I do advise having cash on hand, as some venues might not accept a credit card. Further, if the venue is busy, settling your tab and getting out of there for the next venue might take longer than you expect.

The results of the Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society's seventeenth "March Fourth for Froth" pub crawl are:

1. Still Life by Solemn Oath
2. Golden Teardrops
3. Weegee's Lounge
4. GO Tavern & Liquors

- Gretel - We went inside Gretel. I got to glimpse the basement there for the first time. We got a copy of its draught list. But in good news | bad news: It was so busy we could not find a spot where to stand (good news for it). It would have taken excessive time to be served, and later settle (bad news for us). We left there and backpedaled to Still Life by Solemn Oath.
Bungalow by Middle Brow was a smaller venue than Gretel, and it appeared to be more crowded. We did not attempt to go in.

Weegee's Lounge and Go Tavern were cash only. Still Life by Solemn Oath was credit | debit card only.
The atmospheric conditions mitigated against attempting to start a pyre.

It is vastly unsurprising that Still Life by Solemn Oath got the top marks. Brewpubs | Taprooms have an advantage over bars, pubs, & lounges. Not the least of which is they know how their brews should taste. Many of us have experienced the quandary of being served a draught beer which did not taste like the style to which it was specified, voicing it to staff, and receiving the discordant riposte.
We were hamstrung that the route was formatted on revisiting the venues that were on the first "March Fourth for Froth" crawl in 2005. Logan Square has resurged since then, and has many more places which can now be visited. We should not have to resort to visiting a brewpub or taproom to check on superb nooks.

What the Logan Square Draught Beer Preservation Society should do next is query the runoff candidates for the Mayor of Chicago if they will pledge to relocate the statue of General John A. Logan from its delitescent spot in Grant Park to Logan Square.
Then we ought to compound another pub crawl for a weeknight during Illinois Craft Beer Week in May.
This will give us time to select a more concise route amongst the ballooning area which can be envisioned as Logan Square. Ensuing publicity should also entice more draught beer rooters to join the LSDBPS.