One Of My Ultimate Favorites - Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

Now that the weather is getting warmer, it is the perfect time to relax outside with an ice cold Leinenkugel. Leine (Leinenkugel) is one of my all time favorite beers in any flavor. My favorite season that they brew up is the summer variety. The Summer Shandy, Berryweiss, Lemon-berry Shandy, and the newest one Canoe Paddler are all delicious and perfect on a summer day. I know that Leine is not brewed here in Illinois, but I wanted to change it up and give you my opinion on this amazing brewing company.

To give you some background information, Leinenkugel was founded in 1867 by Jacob Leinenkugel and his business partner, John Miller in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. In the beginning, Jacob and John were the only employees at the brewery. Jacob brewed the beer and John was the delivery man using a small cart and a horse they named Kate. Today, the fifth generation of the Leinenkugel family are still brewing in Chippewa Falls with the same family recipes including some new ones. The Leine Lodge, located in Chippewa Falls next to the brewery , is a "place where spirit heritage and flavor of Leinenkugel's lives." Here you can join to receive free brewery tours, a gift shop, freshly brewed samples. The Leine Lodge is a place where their rich family heritage comes together, as long as you are 21 you are welcome to join! Hopefully I get the chance to visit the loge and brewery and see how my favorite beer comes to life.

Today I am going to review Leine's Summer Shandy. This has been one of my all time favorite beers for quite some time. It is refreshing, has the right amount of sweetness, and the right amount of hops to make it a beer you will never tire of. Leine describes Summer Shandy as, "A Shandy is beer brewed with a little something extra. Leinenkugel's® Summer Shandy® is crisp wheat beer brewed with natural lemonade flavor which makes it a perfect summertime refresher for those sun-splashed summer days." In the shandy is made with pale and wheat malts, a cluster of hops and lemonade flavor. On a 1 to 10 scale, the shandy has a 2 for hoppiness and 3 for maltiness. The website also offers what to pair Summer Shandy with and they suggest BBQ themed foods such as italian sausage, brats, BBQ chicken, and hotdogs. 

I would strongly suggest trying any Leine brew any time of year. But I would suggest making yourself a little goal this summer and go out to get the Leine Summer Pack and enjoy!

Shamrock Shuffle 2013

As promised from last week, I said I would be writing about my Shamrock Shuffle involvement. When my mom asked me to run the race with her, she was able to persuade me to say yes when she told me there was free beer once you finish. Obviously, I couldn’t say no to this so she signed me up. This whole time (since November) my mom had told me this was a 5k run which is 3.1 miles. It was not till a couple of hours before the race that I found out it was actually an 8k run, 4.97 miles. Not only was this a surprise, it was also at 8:30 in the morning and 40 degrees, which is not shorts weather.

Anyway, the run itself was not that bad it’s just really hard to run with thousands of people surrounding you.  Once I finished though, I was not interested in having a beer in the least bit. The Shamrock Shuffle had two sponsors supplying the beer, Stout and Michelob Ultra. Personally, I am not a fan of Michelob Ultra it is too flavorless and bitter in my opinion. But I did share some of the Stout with my Dad which wasn’t that bad for a post-run beer.

If you get the chance, totally sign up for the Shamrock Shuffle or any race of that matter. It was a good time for a good cause and made you feel good about yourself! 

(Don't we look like such pros?) 

So another beer-related race in Chicago is the “Burgers & Beer 5k” that takes place on July 15. f3running.com describes the race, “Enjoy a chip timed 5k run/walk with a flat, fast course all along Chicago’s beautiful skyline! Imagine finishing with a beer garden style after-party featuring professionally catered Burgers & Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Beer! All this just steps away from the Loop! The first & only 5k run & beer garden party on a Monday night!”

One thing that really appeals to me besides the beer, but that it is a FLAT course! It is also in the evening, starting at seven and costs $35. 

If you are looking for beer, exercise, and a good time I suggest researching the discussed races. Or if you find any other races in the Chicago land area that look interesting, let me know!

Bent River Brewing - Jalapeño Pepper Ale

Today I chose to review Bent River Brewing. Bent River's tasting and distribution center is located in Rock Island, IL, and the actual brew pub is located in Moline, IL. Outside the Rock Island station is something I have never heard of before, a drive thru station! Or as they like to call it, "The Uncommon Beverage Station." You can drive up and order your beer to go without getting out of the car.

Bent River was founded by Tim Koster who was also a part of Koski's Home Brew Fixens. Tim Koster had this vision of Bent River and recruited support to open Bent River Brewing Company in 1997. Two years later, Bent River brewed their first barrel of pale ale and now produces over 1500 barrels of their specialty beers annually. Bent River has received many aw
ards at brew competitions throughout the Midwest including second place at the Great American Brew Fest. 

In 2009 friend of Bent River, Joel Korgman, joined Bent River and helped create their restaurant and menu items. During an experience at Bent River you will not only find great food and beer, but also special events and live music by local and regional musicians to add to your experience. 

Bent River brews 8 different year-round beers:

1. Uncommon Stout
2. Oatmeal Stout
3. The Dry Hopped
4. Paddlewheel Pale Ale
5. Jalapeño Pepper Ale
6. Raspberry Wheat
7. American Wheat
8. Mississippi Blonde

Being a lover of spicy foods, I decided that Jalapeño Pepper Ale would be perfect for me. I have never had a spicy beer before and thought this could go one of two ways, delicious or too strange. Bent River describes Jalapeño Pepper as, "Light bodied and spicy! A perfect compliment of sweet fruit and bold peppers!"  

Another reviewer's opinion: "This beer has a wheat base, with a surprising kick. Slightly hazy, it appears otherwise like an American pale. The smell is nothing remarkable, but there is a subtle hint of the pepper inside. As it first hits your tongue, nothing special, like a standard wheat or very mildly hopped American pale. However, as it makes its way to the back of the tongue (and down your throat) the pepper surprise kicks in and is very present. This was really my first introduction to a pepper beer. I liked it, but I couldn't drink this all night, but its good for a pint or two. It did inspire me to brew a pepper beer of my own."

My experience: The beer poured as a slight golden but almost diluted color. Unlike the other reviewer, I had found the smell to be incredibly spicy, as if I was sniffing a jalapeño itself but also very earthy. The taste itself was very earthy/woody as well and when you take the first sip it is a tolerable spicy, but when it reaches your throat it is too much for me to handle in a drink. I thought I would enjoy this, but it is not refreshing and left me wanting to drink something else, something crisp and cooling. I'd say this is a beer to try just for fun but it is not very drinkable. More than one was too much for me. I still want to try Bent River's other brews to see what they are all about.

Next week I will be writing about Shamrock Shuffle experience in Chicago. Why you ask? Because at the end of the 5K you are rewarded with a beer! 

Stockholm's Brewpub - LoRazz Weiss

Located in the heart of Geneva, IL, Stockholm's handcrafted beers are brewed to full flavor with a smooth finish. Stockholm's has been voted Best Brewery in Kane County by the readers of Kane County Chronicle every year since 2004.

Stockholm's serves not only their specialty brews, but a full menu as well. They serve burgers, salads, sandwiches, fish, classic and Italian dishes all made to order. The reason I chose to review this brewery is not only because of the beer, but because the owners teach microbrewing classes! Stockholm's Beer Tasting for the Connoisseur teaches you every thing you need to know to make your own brews in three sessions. 

• Session one: overview of beer styles, ingredients, brewing styles, and techniques used in different countries.
• Session two: lighter pilsners, lagers, and wheat beers.
• Session three: darker lagers, ales, porters, and stouts. 

If you are interested or want to sign up you can visit the website here!

Stockholm's has nine different unique beers to choose from. All of their beers begin with a blend of barley and select hops. They do not filter their brews after the brewing process, which allows them to  create the smooth and full flavor in each sip. 

1. Blend of Silk: "Silky, light, sweet and refreshing, one third of our Downtown Honey Brown, two thirds of our LoRazz Weiss blended at the tap for your pleasure."
2.  LoRazz Weiss: "Raspberries are added to provide a refreshing tart flavor with the creaminess of a white wheat ale."
3. Mike's Blend: "Combines 1/3 of our Third Street Ale with 2/3 of our State Street Pilsner. This
   accentuates the inherent flavors in our ale with the crisp finish of our pilsner."
4. Aegir's Ale: "Carefully selected hops are blended to brew this full flavored English pale ale.
5. SWB: If you like a British bitter ale, try this blend of our Doc's Porter and Aegir's Ale."
6. State St. Pilsner: "A full-flavored beer in the German tradition, well rounded with a crisp finish. Enjoy the delicate flavors."
7. Doc's Porter: "Just what the doctor ordered. A multigrain brew of four barleys, wheat and oats that delivers a rich robust flavor."
8. Downtown Honey Brown: "Our brown ale with a touch of honey added for a slightly sweeter finish."
9. Third Street Ale: "A brown ale brewed in the Belgian style, a blend of malts imparts a balanced yet complex flavor with a light hop finish."

My Experience: Take a guess at which one I reviewed... Surprise it was LoRazz Weiss! This was right up my alley, a refreshing and fruity ale. The beer poured a pale orange color and had a very strong scent of raspberries and citrus. The beer itself was not as sweet as I would like, a little more tart. This could have been because I was expecting a very sweet beer based on the smell. LoRazz had a malty, raspberry, and hoppy flavor, yet they still worked together very nicely. This was a good beer that I would have again if given the chance, but not worth the price. Overall, berry refreshing. 

Another Customer's Experience: Had this one on tap in Geneva, Illinois. Pale orange, slightly translucent pour, with a thick white head. Raspberries in the nose briefly, along with some citrus. A bit sweeter than the other Weiss but this is pretty good.

Give Stockholm's Brewpub a try, they have a beer for every taste and let me know your opinion so I can add it to my customer reviews! 

Half Acre Beer Co. -- Daisy Cutter Pale Ale

Half Acre Beer Co. is located on Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. In April 2010, Half Acre became the first brewery in Chicago to can beer. They chose the 16 oz. can, "a pint of freedom" as they call it.

In 2006 Half Acre was created in a spare bedroom. They had no brewery and no intention to build one, the beer was created with assistance of a contract brewer in Wisconsin. The owners set out to find a brewery of their own and stumbled upon a building for lease in a lively neighborhood of Chicago. Over the next couple years Half Acre began to grow its existence. They built a store where they could brew and sell beers to go and learned what it meant to be brewery owners in a complex industry. Today they own their own brewery which houses their store, selling beer and merchandise to the public, and also added a tap room where they can host the people who want to cheers their beers. Half Acre claims to continue to enjoy themselves as much as possible and encourage the interesting experiences the ride has to offer.

Half Acre has four different categories of beer:

1. Perennials - "16 oz. tall boy, One pint of freedom."
• Daisy Cutter Pale Ale: "A west coast Pale Ale chock-full of dank, aromatic hops. This one's a screamer, hoard it. 5.2% ABV."
• Gossamer Golden Ale: "A drinker. This Golden Ale is a quality travel companion that aims to please with subtlety and aroma pop. 4.2% ABV."
• Over Ale: "This brown beer is a hybrid concoction brewed with malt heft and all around backbone. A style-less wonder. 6% ABV."
2. Seasonal Beers - "These beers come and go with the seasons, grab them while you see them."
3. Collaboration Beers - "Brewed with colleagues..."
4. One-Off Brews - "One and done, unless we brew it again."

The beer I chose to review today was one of the Perennials, Daisy Cutter Pale Ale. 

My experience: As it was described before, it is a Pale Ale with lots of hops. Daisy Cutter is a golden honey color which matches the smell perfectly. It has a ver aromatic and distinguished smell, very grassy, floral, and some pine and grapefruit. This was a good thing, though it made it more sweet rather than tart like most beers with this much hops. The taste matched the smell exactly, very refreshing and floral even drank from the can. 

Another reviewer's opinion: Appearance - Deep gold with a large fluffy white head. Smell - Fresh, juicy grapefruit hops. Grassy with pine resin and floral hops. Slight hint of caramel. Taste - A blast of citrus and pungent piney hops. A mild earthy hop bitterness builds up but is balanced by sweet caramel malt. Finishes with light citrus and bready malt that tends to linger. Smooth and crisp with a light-medium body. Dry finish, good carbonation.This is a phenomenal pale ale. Dangerously drinkable. Huge hop flavor, nice balance.

If you have been keeping up with my blog, you may have come to realize I really enjoy the light, summery beers. Let me know what your favorite kind of brew is!

St. Patrick's Day 2013

Today I wanted to do something a little different. This upcoming Sunday, March, 17, is St. Paddy's Day, one of the most infamous beer-drinking days of the year. Let me tell you a secret, the Irish do not celebrate St. Patrick's Day the way we Americans do. It is known as a holy day over in the old country and a way to rake in money from touristy Americans. But on to the blog post, today I will be, as you can guess, writing a post about the best drinking places on St. Patrick's Day in Chicago.


Cork and Kerry
This bar is in the south side of Chicago with a wide variety of brews for your choosing. Why wouldn't you want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at a bar named after the two biggest counties in Ireland? They also serve Irish pub food with a twist such as Irish egg rolls, corn beef, cabbage, and Irish cheddar.
CorkandKerryChicago.com give a list of their beers to get you in the spirit!
Some famous Irish beers served:

• Guinness
• Smithwicks
• Harp

Other beers they offer on tap include, Blue Moon, Crispin, Bass, Leinenkugels (seasonal), Sam Adams (seasonal), Bud Light, and home to Chicago - Goose Island!

 The Curragh
The Curragh opened their doors originally in Schamburg of June 1999, and with great success moved to Edison Park of Chicago in 2006. The Curragh is widely known for their annual St. Patrick's Day festival, bringing customers in from all over the area. For St. Patrick's Day the Curragh holds live music featuring bands that have the traditional Irish sound starting at noon until 1:30 am! They also will be serving green beer all day for just $2!
The Curragh serves all traditional Irish foods such as shepherd's pie, Guinness fish and chips, corned beef and cabbage, and bangers and mash.
Now for the beer, the Curragh serves many different kinds of traditional Irish beers as well as famous domestic American beers such as Bud light, Miller light, and Coors light.
Irish beers that the Curragh serves on tap are:

• Guinness
• Harp
• Smithwicks
• Murphys

A classic Irish drink that the Curragh will serve you is a Guinness & Black (one of my favorites), it is Guinness on draft with black current flavoring mixed in. It satisfies your sweet tooth and beer tooth.
Stop by the Curragh for traditional food and drink and a memorable (or not) St. Patrick's Day.


Timothy O'Toole's Pub
 For over twenty years, Timothy O'Toole's has been known as one of the best places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Chicago. The celebration begins March 14 till the 17 with as much green beer and Irish food that you would like!

• March 14th kicks off the holiday, O'Toole's opens at 10 am and serves green beer all day and Irish specialties until 3 am. 
• March 15 enjoy more green beer but also, Joe the Leprechaun will be making appearances. 
• Saturday, March 16, enjoy $5 20oz Jumbo Green Beers, $6 Joe the Leprechaun, body paint, beads, and Chicago Bag Pipers on Saturday and Sunday. They are even open till 4 am! 
• Expect the best for Sunday, with all four days combined into one.

For the beer, O'Toole's has a menu full of Guinness specialty drinks called the Guinness Black List featuring, Fat Molly (Guinness and Fat Tire), Chicago Irish (Guinness and 312), and the classic Black and Tan (Guinness and Smithwicks).
O'Toole's serves Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, tons of domestic beers on tap such as, Coors and Miller lite. They also serve Goose Island, Sam Adams, Two Brothers, and many many more.





Consider spending your St. Patrick's Day 2013 in Ireland with some green beer...and a little more classy beer. Be sure to see the river being dyed green if you get the chance! Let me know your plans for St. Patrick's Day how it went!

Argus Brewery - California Steam

"Brewed with a Chicago Attitude"

Argus is located in the historic 1900's Joseph E. Schultz distribution stables. This unique building is distinguished by two large terracotta horse heads on the side of the building which once housed the Schultz (owner's family) horse teams and carriages. Argus creates beers in this building to challenge the best beers in the world. 

Argus has become one of the most popular craft brews in the city of Chicago. Argus has developed a rugged attitude by rising from the South side of Chicago, an attitude they are proud of. Argus has three things that you'll taste in each brew: 

1. Flavor
2. Depth
3. Unusual and carefully brewed taste of premium craft beer

The owners, a father and son team, Bob and Patrick Jensen has developed an understanding that hard-working and can-do attitudes brings Argus from above average to exceptional. They prove this understanding in the taste of Argus brews.

Two interesting facts about Argus Brewing:

1. Reduce their carbon footprint: Argus looks for ways to reduce their energy and waste, which leads to minimizing their carbon footprint. Argus is currently experimenting with using solar collectors to heat water during the brewing process. Their strategy is to use less electricity to generate a reduced, long-term carbon footprint. Argus is also a customer of BlueStar's Renewable American Energy, which relies only on wind power. 
2. Help those farmers: Argus tries to recycle as much as they can and cares about the environment. A main by-product of the brewing process is malted barley and brewer's yeast. Pigs, chickens, cows, and sheep love this by-product. Argus wants to give back to the farmers and feed folks, they just ask you to bring a 55-gallon receptacle, and they can make arrangements for farmers/feed folks to pick it up from the brewery. 

Argus brews 3 different beers:

1. Argus California Stream: With an Alcohol By Volume (ABV) of 5.4%, this California Common Style beer pays homage to the historic beers produced in California from the mid 1800's to the mid 1900's. The key distinguishing feature of this beer is that it is fermented with a speical lager yeast that is fermented at a warmer ale temperature. The beer is copper colored and medium bodied, it has a strong malt flavor with a spicy, herbal hops created by a unique character from the fermentation that is unlike traditional Ales and Lagers. 
2. Argus Holsteiner Lager: An ABV of 6.0% makes up this Marzen style lager. Holsteiner Lager is copper colored with a strong malt accent. It is very smooth and hopped with some of the finest German Noble hop varieties. This lager is traditionally brewed in Spring and served in Fall at festivals, it compliments all Germanic styles of food. 
3. Argus Pegasus IPA: An India Pale Ale with a 6.5% ABV. The ale has an intense hop aroma with a citrusy, floral, and fruity flavor developed from American hops. The color ranges from a medium gold to a reddish copper. High hop bitterness with a malt backbone that supports the strong hops and provides great balance. An obviously hoppy and bitter, strong India Pale Ale. 

I chose to review California Stream, it appealed most to my interests out of the three beers. 

A customers experience: Pours a dark, slightly cloudy amber with almost no head. Aroma of caramel malt and a good bit of dank herbal hops. Taste is light bitter. Herbal and pine hops with a somewhat weak malt backbone. Medium bodied with a slick texture. Lively carbonation and a very long finish. Overall, pretty good. Probably one of the most flavorful steam beers I’ve had. 

My Experience: California Stream was much better than I expected. The beer poured as a clear reddish amber with a frothy head that created some lacing. I could smell some floral hops, noticeable caramel malts, citrus hops, and grains. The taste is malty and sweet at first before the hops kick in. It has a long dry finish, leading to me to want to drink more to taste the sweetness again. Overall, California Stream is a very enjoyable and tasty beer.  

I advise you to go out and try Argus Brewery. Argus is trying to improve Chicago's environment one carbon foot print at a time. You can find Argus' brews at most liquor and grocery stores, go ahead and test them out and let me know about your experience! Talk to you next week :)