Son and fiance just got a new place in a nice neighborhood north of the loop. We had a load of stuff to take up, wanted to see their place and of course, stop in to get a beer.
Chicago hosts quite a few breweries. Not quite one on every corner, but getting there. We stopped in at Half Acre because, well, it was just down the street from the new apartment, not because we planned it.
Half Acre has a small tap room and do beer. Beer. Not food. Not servers. Beer, go up and order it, try to find a place to sit and stand if you can't. It was a cold day in Chicago and the tap room was crowded. Unlike some other brew spots, no one under 21 and there was a friendly door guy checking IDs.
I couldn't decide what to try and so future daughter in law and I agreed on a flight. They had a pretty short list but they do brew a LOT of beers throughout the year. We tried four and both decided the Hearths Aglow was our preference. A stout, and very smooth. To be honest, the other three were pretty ho hum in my book and I couldn't tell you now what the names were.
Definitely a trendy spot, with young and older male and female. A small room with limited seating and a store next door. They have the store figured out buddy, and seem to turn a lot of merchandise over in that place, which you can enter through the tap room or off the street.
Half Acre also has growlers in both 64 ounce and 32 ounce. It appears they refill only their own growlers. They also have kegs of their brews with advance notice, which is pretty nice for the area especially as this neighborhood is filled with young professionals and they tend to be in to micro breweries it seems.
I have to admit I am getting a bit tired of seeing exposed brick and duct work. Half Acre is a little different in that it is brighter in the tap room and only leans toward the super industrial look. People were friendly, having a good time with their clientele who seemed to be having a good time on a very brisk afternoon. As mentioned, Half Acre does not "do" food but since they are located in an area with many small eateries, they invite you to bring in food from a neighboring business and have take out menus for many of them upon asking. That's kind of neat.
While I am talking about a Half Acre, though, I must mention Wild Goose, on the corner. We stopped there for lunch and found it to be pretty good...with reasonable prices, an efficient staff, a good and spicy Bloody Mary and a hefty beer selection of its own. Also, apparently into Guinness and scotch. Like Half Acre, really nice to have in the neighborhood but not a destination.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
The little brewery that could...Greenbush
As some of you know, hubs works in Michigan and will sometimes come in with information on a place we should go or something we should try. We've gone to a few places as a result, but sometimes, he's just so happy to get home that going back up to Michigan on a weekend is not on his list. Not that there is anything wrong with Michigan!
One of his suggestions was Greenbush in Sawyer....he had heard a few things and wanted to give it a go. I like Sawyer and the Garden Center; planning to visit both would be a good "day trip". Back then, it was easy to find a table and we enjoyed a couple of beer choices. We did not order a "flight" or sampler of six or so beers, although, looking back we should have and next time I go, I think I shall. Our waitress was a sweet red head who happened to be the granddaughter of the government teacher at our local high school. She was charming and provided us with a nice history of the brewery and the upcoming remodeling.
Back to the beer. Greenbush opened in this small community, next door to a popular restaurant and in front of a more popular garden center, on the "main drag". Already different than Three Floyds in the industrial park, Greenbush set their eyes on a small batch goal and would have considered themselves successful if they had met a 300 barrel production their first year. They had a great marketing plan in place, a great location and a great product. They hit over 2500 barrels that first year, 2010, and haven't looked back or slowed the pace.
A small location, Greenbush was undergoing an expansion that first time there and would be adding more seating. The decor is very cute, a kind of industrial vibe and a nice view of the busy brewing area. It's energetic, loud and fun. Family friendly ~ although I'm sure there are better locations for the kiddies, they are welcome. We were there recently, on a Saturday evening in the freezing cold, and had to wait about 45 minutes for a table. Standing outside was not an option, so we were a little crowded in front of the merchandise display...which is extensive...but, we could have beers, we were with my son and his fiance, so we enjoyed ourselves, even though standing. We were given attention by the staff and soon we were seated at a high top in front of the windows.
Like Three Floyds, they aren't there for the food. However, the food they do is done very well. Our first time, they had four sandwiches on the menu. I thought that brilliant...a beef, a ham, a turkey and a grilled cheese. I wasn't hungry the first time but hubs had the the beef and reported it to be very good. I did, however, fall in LOVE with the blue cheese and bacon dip and chips. Wowzer. Great with beer. A lot of folks also love the pretzels and cheese, and they offer pulled pork and brisket on the weekends; still a small menu which is absolutely fine by me, it's a brewery not a restaurant. Anyway, you'll see folks standing outside in the warmer weather, waiting for a table. In fact, they were so crowded on a recent fall "drive by" that we didn't even stop but went on to somewhere else.
So, which beer? Greenbush offers a great seasonal selection and a solid regular rotation. We've tried quite a few as have been to Greenbush a few times now. You can also find them on tap at other bars and restaurants in the area if you are lucky and ask! Retribution is always good. As for something a bit lighter Dunegras is good, and one of their most popular brews. I have spelled it correctly but don't have the little double dot thing over the "a". Brother Ben is the one, I'm telling you, for a serious pint of good beer. A bit high on the alcohol content, a great pint. I've heard good reviews of Red Bud, but have only had a sip of it myself, and well, if you go for the black IPAs, you'll find a nice option in Anger.
Greenbush has continued to develop quite a following and have added a bottling process just recently. Yay! That is good news for you, me and all those folks from Illinois who stop in at Greenbush as a regular habit when coming our way. I appreciate something Scott Sullivan, the owner, said in a recent article when asked if he considers Greenbush a "Chicago brewery". He responded that he enjoys and respects their history and reputation with their Chicago base and continue to have great representation there, but he is a Michigan brewer. Give Greenbush in Sawyer a try ~ expect great beer. greenbushbrewing.com
One of his suggestions was Greenbush in Sawyer....he had heard a few things and wanted to give it a go. I like Sawyer and the Garden Center; planning to visit both would be a good "day trip". Back then, it was easy to find a table and we enjoyed a couple of beer choices. We did not order a "flight" or sampler of six or so beers, although, looking back we should have and next time I go, I think I shall. Our waitress was a sweet red head who happened to be the granddaughter of the government teacher at our local high school. She was charming and provided us with a nice history of the brewery and the upcoming remodeling.
Back to the beer. Greenbush opened in this small community, next door to a popular restaurant and in front of a more popular garden center, on the "main drag". Already different than Three Floyds in the industrial park, Greenbush set their eyes on a small batch goal and would have considered themselves successful if they had met a 300 barrel production their first year. They had a great marketing plan in place, a great location and a great product. They hit over 2500 barrels that first year, 2010, and haven't looked back or slowed the pace.
A small location, Greenbush was undergoing an expansion that first time there and would be adding more seating. The decor is very cute, a kind of industrial vibe and a nice view of the busy brewing area. It's energetic, loud and fun. Family friendly ~ although I'm sure there are better locations for the kiddies, they are welcome. We were there recently, on a Saturday evening in the freezing cold, and had to wait about 45 minutes for a table. Standing outside was not an option, so we were a little crowded in front of the merchandise display...which is extensive...but, we could have beers, we were with my son and his fiance, so we enjoyed ourselves, even though standing. We were given attention by the staff and soon we were seated at a high top in front of the windows.
Like Three Floyds, they aren't there for the food. However, the food they do is done very well. Our first time, they had four sandwiches on the menu. I thought that brilliant...a beef, a ham, a turkey and a grilled cheese. I wasn't hungry the first time but hubs had the the beef and reported it to be very good. I did, however, fall in LOVE with the blue cheese and bacon dip and chips. Wowzer. Great with beer. A lot of folks also love the pretzels and cheese, and they offer pulled pork and brisket on the weekends; still a small menu which is absolutely fine by me, it's a brewery not a restaurant. Anyway, you'll see folks standing outside in the warmer weather, waiting for a table. In fact, they were so crowded on a recent fall "drive by" that we didn't even stop but went on to somewhere else.
So, which beer? Greenbush offers a great seasonal selection and a solid regular rotation. We've tried quite a few as have been to Greenbush a few times now. You can also find them on tap at other bars and restaurants in the area if you are lucky and ask! Retribution is always good. As for something a bit lighter Dunegras is good, and one of their most popular brews. I have spelled it correctly but don't have the little double dot thing over the "a". Brother Ben is the one, I'm telling you, for a serious pint of good beer. A bit high on the alcohol content, a great pint. I've heard good reviews of Red Bud, but have only had a sip of it myself, and well, if you go for the black IPAs, you'll find a nice option in Anger.
Greenbush has continued to develop quite a following and have added a bottling process just recently. Yay! That is good news for you, me and all those folks from Illinois who stop in at Greenbush as a regular habit when coming our way. I appreciate something Scott Sullivan, the owner, said in a recent article when asked if he considers Greenbush a "Chicago brewery". He responded that he enjoys and respects their history and reputation with their Chicago base and continue to have great representation there, but he is a Michigan brewer. Give Greenbush in Sawyer a try ~ expect great beer. greenbushbrewing.com
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Three Floyds
The first stop on our tour is Three Floyds in Munster, Indiana. Located in an industrial park much like those in many cities ~ nothing particularly special about the site.
Three Floyds has a couple of very popular brews ~ Gumball Head, Robert the Bruce, Pride and Joy for example. Gumball Head is a favorite of my extended family and I have had quite a few bottles, and even a keg on the 4th of July...which was superb I must say.
Husband and I visited Three Floyds on a quiet and cold Saturday afternoon. The place was packed, especially with visitors from Illinois. Three Floyds is not huge by any stretch, and they do not have a "waiting" area for those of us wishing for a seat. We stood outside in a chilly vestibule with other visitors ~ a family of four, which included the mom and dad, just a bit younger than us, their son and his girlfriend. The girlfriend was vivacious, fun, mentioned she worked in a bar herself and was adorable. Even with her very false eyelashes. The other was a quiet couple, pretty much keeping to themselves. The deal at Three Floyds was to give your cell phone # to the door guy and he would call you when he had a table for you.
Music blasted...sort of a hard metal/punk rock thing. It was loud, even in the freezing vestibule. I guess, since the door guy had our cell phone, we could have walked back to the car, but we chose to stand and wait with these other folks. Soon, the couple got a call. Well, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that, does there? Except in the vestibule is a window into the bar area and a view of just a bit of the restaurant side. Mom from Illinois notes couple arrived after them, and just got seated at a four top table in the bar. She was not happy and stomped in to the door guy to let him know she was not happy. Turns out, she says upon her return, that the door guy knew the couple. I thought they might be waiting a long time for the next table, but within just moments, they were called.
So now, hubs and I are in the vestibule alone, shivering. Pretty soon, a young woman comes in...I think we would say she was a hipster. She had the prettiest red lipstick on a perfect bow mouth. She was joined by an attractive young man, wearing all black and Chuck Taylor shoes, a red wool hat pulled low and just so over his left eye, and a bit higher over his right eye. Above his right eye, was a fringe of black bangs. He was a cutie and very friendly. He and this young woman needed to have their picture taken against the dark chalkboard, considering their touches of red. I pondered this for quite a long time.
Anyway, once we got inside, I looked the beer menu over which listed about 10 different options of Three Floyds and several "guest" brews, took in the sights of tatoos and black t-shirts, hoodies and jeans and went right for Zombie Dust as an order to our crew cut sporting waiter named David.
I really liked it. Hoppy...which means you get a strong taste of those wheat, flower head looking things they use to make beer. Hops is a fast growing grain, and also can grow in a variety of climates, so you see a lot of small breweries growing their own hops. We'll talk more about that in a future post
He tried BackMasking...it was also good, a dark beer with a pretty strong hop and that's kind of unusual. I liked it as well. I like dark beers as a preference, really, but so does hubs at times, so I let him choose that one. Don't take that as meaning I didn't care for Zombie Dust because I did!
But, at Three Floyds...the french fries were possibly our favorite thing. Oh my goodness..hand cut fries that are drizzled in an herb butter. Three Floyds is not a restaurant and don't advertise themselves as one. They do have a couple sandwiches and appetizers, but those french fries? Awesome. Our waiter, David, was maybe my second favorite thing...friendly but not fakey, with good advice on beers, food and a mexican restaurant recommendation. Of course, my favorite thing everywhere is talking to new people and hearing their stories. We had a great time.
Drive over to Munster for a taste. Remember the vestibule is COLD and the wait can be long. You can sign up for a tour and are guaranteed a table if you take it. On our way out, we stopped in clean restrooms, and I ran into the girlfriend, with the eyelashes, and we then looked up their table. They were having a great time, watching an old samuri movie projected on to the wall. We wished them well, thanked them for the tips they gave us while sharing the cold space.
Three Floyds has a couple of very popular brews ~ Gumball Head, Robert the Bruce, Pride and Joy for example. Gumball Head is a favorite of my extended family and I have had quite a few bottles, and even a keg on the 4th of July...which was superb I must say.
Husband and I visited Three Floyds on a quiet and cold Saturday afternoon. The place was packed, especially with visitors from Illinois. Three Floyds is not huge by any stretch, and they do not have a "waiting" area for those of us wishing for a seat. We stood outside in a chilly vestibule with other visitors ~ a family of four, which included the mom and dad, just a bit younger than us, their son and his girlfriend. The girlfriend was vivacious, fun, mentioned she worked in a bar herself and was adorable. Even with her very false eyelashes. The other was a quiet couple, pretty much keeping to themselves. The deal at Three Floyds was to give your cell phone # to the door guy and he would call you when he had a table for you.
Music blasted...sort of a hard metal/punk rock thing. It was loud, even in the freezing vestibule. I guess, since the door guy had our cell phone, we could have walked back to the car, but we chose to stand and wait with these other folks. Soon, the couple got a call. Well, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that, does there? Except in the vestibule is a window into the bar area and a view of just a bit of the restaurant side. Mom from Illinois notes couple arrived after them, and just got seated at a four top table in the bar. She was not happy and stomped in to the door guy to let him know she was not happy. Turns out, she says upon her return, that the door guy knew the couple. I thought they might be waiting a long time for the next table, but within just moments, they were called.
So now, hubs and I are in the vestibule alone, shivering. Pretty soon, a young woman comes in...I think we would say she was a hipster. She had the prettiest red lipstick on a perfect bow mouth. She was joined by an attractive young man, wearing all black and Chuck Taylor shoes, a red wool hat pulled low and just so over his left eye, and a bit higher over his right eye. Above his right eye, was a fringe of black bangs. He was a cutie and very friendly. He and this young woman needed to have their picture taken against the dark chalkboard, considering their touches of red. I pondered this for quite a long time.
Anyway, once we got inside, I looked the beer menu over which listed about 10 different options of Three Floyds and several "guest" brews, took in the sights of tatoos and black t-shirts, hoodies and jeans and went right for Zombie Dust as an order to our crew cut sporting waiter named David.
I really liked it. Hoppy...which means you get a strong taste of those wheat, flower head looking things they use to make beer. Hops is a fast growing grain, and also can grow in a variety of climates, so you see a lot of small breweries growing their own hops. We'll talk more about that in a future post
He tried BackMasking...it was also good, a dark beer with a pretty strong hop and that's kind of unusual. I liked it as well. I like dark beers as a preference, really, but so does hubs at times, so I let him choose that one. Don't take that as meaning I didn't care for Zombie Dust because I did!
But, at Three Floyds...the french fries were possibly our favorite thing. Oh my goodness..hand cut fries that are drizzled in an herb butter. Three Floyds is not a restaurant and don't advertise themselves as one. They do have a couple sandwiches and appetizers, but those french fries? Awesome. Our waiter, David, was maybe my second favorite thing...friendly but not fakey, with good advice on beers, food and a mexican restaurant recommendation. Of course, my favorite thing everywhere is talking to new people and hearing their stories. We had a great time.
Drive over to Munster for a taste. Remember the vestibule is COLD and the wait can be long. You can sign up for a tour and are guaranteed a table if you take it. On our way out, we stopped in clean restrooms, and I ran into the girlfriend, with the eyelashes, and we then looked up their table. They were having a great time, watching an old samuri movie projected on to the wall. We wished them well, thanked them for the tips they gave us while sharing the cold space.
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