30. Goose Island – Honkers Ale
I’m back at O’Hare today, so I thought I’d go for another Goose Island beer, this time the Honker’s Ale. The bottle says, “Inspired by visits to English country pubs, Honkers Ale is the perfect blend of hops and malt. A smooth, drinkable English-style Bitter for drinkers who want more from their beer.” I asked for a non-chilled mug and poured my beer into the mug, that way I could see what I was...
29. ABInBev – Budweiser Select
As you can see in the background, my brother-in-law finished his master’s degree and graduated this weekend. We had a family get together at his house, and the beer of choice for the day was Budweiser Select. I’ve been trying to avoid these “big brewery” beers, but it had to happen eventually I guess. As you can see, I drank it straight from the bottle, but I’ve had on draft, so I do know that it is...
28. Mendocino Brewing – Black Hawk Stout
Back at home for the weekend, I finally tried the last style in the Mendocino brewing Company variety pack. This one was the Black Hawk Stout. It says, ” a dry, crisp, classic Irish stout character, replete with the heady bouquet of richly roasted malt, makes this staff, an ever so creamy and delectably smooth experience.” It says that its 5% alcohol by volume. It poured a dark black color with a nice head. However, the...
27. Goose Island – IPA India Pale Ale
I was stuck in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport for a few hours and my phone showed that there is a Goose Island Pub in the airport. I finally tracked it down, and to my disappointment, it was more of a hot dog stand which sold bottles of Goose Island beer. I was already bitter at the American Airlines gate agent that wouldn’t let me on the earlier flight despite there being plenty of seats… So, I wanted something that...
26. Krebs Brewing – Cattleman’s Double Deuce
Tonight we arrived in Oklahoma City and immediately looked for a place to eat. After searching Urbanspoon and other sites, we settled on Cattleman’s. It is supposed to be a long-time local institution in the Old Stockyards district. That area, and the restaurant, had a lot of character. The inside of Cattleman’s was like stepping back to an old 1970’s style steakhouse. When I looked at the beer list, I had to...
25. Sapporo Brewing – Sapporo Premium Beer
We were in Chicago for lunch, and one of my travel mates recommended a nearby place called Yu Mandarin for Chinese food. So of course what goes better with Chinese food than a Japanese beer… I’m joking. Actually, I couldn’t really understand the waitress, but I recognized Sapporo, so that’s what I ordered. The beer poured a nice golden color and it had a nice soapy, foamy head on it. However, the head...
24. Brouwerij Bavik – Petrus Oud Bruin
This is one that I had never heard of before, and I also don’t think I’ve ever seen an Oud Bruin style beer in a bottle, so I had to try it. The label says that it is an Oud Bruin Ale aged in Oak Casks. It says, “Petrus Old Brown is a top-fermented dark ale brewed with the finest hops and malt varieties. Matured in oak barrels during 20 months.” It says it is a product of Belgium and is 5.5% ABV. When I...
23. Pinkus – Organic Ur Pils Unfiltered Pilsner Beer
My wife has been doing a lot of research lately on organic foods and we have been making more and more trips to farmers’ markets to get food. In her reading on organic foods, she actually found a section on organic beers. Unfortunately, the only name on the list I recognized was New Belgium… so I knew I needed to try to expand my knowledge. I happened across this Pinkus Organic Ur Pils, a product of Germany, and thought...
22. Grupa Zywiec – Zywiec Original
Since I was in Chicago, and there was a place across the street from the hotel that sold some local fare, I thought I’d stop and pick up a nightcap of something I couldn’t find in Central Illinois. Unfortunately, the selection wasn’t great, but the clientele must be Polish, because they had 4-5 different types of Polish beers. I just decided to pick one and went for Zywiec. The bottle doesn’t indicate what...
21. The Ram Restaurant & Brewery Rosemont, IL – Big Red IPA Draft
It had been a long day of traveling and I hadn’t eaten much, so I was ready for a big meal at The Ram Restaurant & Brewery in Rosemont, IL. I ordered “The Beast,” not realizing that it was a 1 pound hamburger. It was huge! After having their Butthead Amber Ale before my dinner arrive, I was ready to try their Big Red IPA. The menu said, “An American style IPA, our Big Red combines the distinctive and...
20. The Ram Restaurant & Brewery Rosemont, IL – Buttface Amber Ale Draft
Tonight we flew into Chicago and are staying by the airport. As usual, I check the GPS or iPhone for nearby brew pubs. Fortunately, it turned out that The Ram Restaurant and Brewery was right around the corner from our hotel in Rosemont, IL. We went in and had dinner and drinks at the bar. Prior to our meal, I ordered the Buttface Amber Ale. It was described as a “medal-winning American-style Amber ale features malty caramel...
19. Faultline Brewing Co. – Pale Ale Draft
After the first couple of beers I had, I wasn’t too impressed with Faultline Brewing Company’s beer. I will say that my dinner was very good, except the scallops were a little over cooked. I wasn’t planning to order another beer, but the others I was with decided we’d stick around for a bit and relax after the long day we’ve had – 4 hour flight, 2 hours in the car, 2 hour video shoot, 2 more hours...
