CU Beer Weekend, March 26

Seven Saints

Rotating Taps:

Southern Tier Unearthly IPA
Dark Horse Tres blueberry Stout

Wednesday: Whiskey Wednesday, half off Bourbon

Radio Maria

Tap list from 3/20

1. Two Brothers Monarch Wit $4
2. Coney Island Lager $6
3. Two Brothers Coffee Red Eye Porter $5.5
4. Founders Double Trouble $5
5. Dark Horse Scotty Karate $4
6. Corsendonk Brown Ale $6.5
7. Founders Imperial Stout $6
8. Veltins Pilsner $4
9. Kwak Belgian Ale $6
10.Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout $5
11.Ballast Pointe Sculpin IPA $6
12.Capital Rustic Ale $4
13.St Bernardus Prior 8 $6
14.Ska Modus Hoperandi $6
15.Chimay White $6.5
16.Moylan Dragoon's Dry Irish Stout $4.5
17.Left Hand Milk Stout $4
18.Two Brothers Moaten $6
19.Southern Tier Krampus $6
20.Dark Horse Tres Blueberry $5
21.Southern Tier Choklat $6
22.Bell's HopSlam $5
23.Pyramid Apricot $4
24.Victory Moonglow $4.5
25.Capital Eisphyre $5
26.Weihenstephaner Weissbier $6
27.Southern Tier 422 Pale Wheat Ale $2.25

Friday: Happy Hour with free appetizers 4:30 - 5:30, Capital Eisphyre on special
Saturday: $4 Jeremiah Weed drinks and $6 Jeremiah Weed John Daly's, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: Pinot Noir Dinner, $85 (sold out), 6pm; $2 wells, $1.25 PBR
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine; Board Game Monday
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft; Trivia Night 11pm with MC Juice
Thursday: Downtown Champaign Classical Music Fest, free, 7-8:30pm; $5 Mojitos

April 11: 6pm, Kids Art4Kids to benefit Crisis Nursery, $7 in advance $10 day of

Blind Pig

Two Brothers Cane & Ebel; Warrenville, IL, American Strong Ale, 7% abv
Two Brothers The Bitter End; Warrenville, IL, APA, 5.2% abv
Two Brothers Bare Tree; Warrenville, Illinois, Weiss Wine, 11% abv
Schlafly Irish Style Extra Stout; St. Louis, MO, Foreign Stout, 8% abv
Southern Tier Choklat; Lakewood, New York, Imperial Stout, 11% abv
Unibroue Maudite; Canada, Belgian Strong Ale, 8% abv
Boulder Mojo; Boulder, Colorado, India Pale Ale, 6.8% abv
Capital Blonde Doppelbock; Middleton, Wisconsin, Doppelbock, 8% abv
Fullers London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Tremens; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 8.5% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Victory Prima Pils; Downington, Pennsylvania, Pilsener, 5.3% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Rogue Double Mocha Porter; Newport, Oregon, Baltic Porter
Kasteel Rouge; Belgium, Fruit Beer, 8% abv
Monk’s Cafe; Belgium, Sour Ale, 5.5%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
Left Hand Widdershins; Longmont, Colorado, Barleywine, 8.8% abv
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
Gulden Draak; Belgium, Quadrupel, 10.5% abv
Rogue Nitro Shakespeare Stout; Newport, Oregon, Stout, 6%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv

CASK: Two Brothers Resistance IPA

Blind Pig Brewery (the Piglet)

Blind Pig American Pale Ale
Blind Pig Weizenbock
Blind Pig Oatmeal Stout
Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout; Marshall, Michigan, Smoked, 8% abv
Allagash White; Portland, Maine, Belgian White, 5.5% abv
Moylan’s Kilt Lifter; Novato, California, Scotch Ale, 8% abv
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye; Healdsburg, California, India Pale Ale, 8% abv
Schlafly Pilsner; Maplewood, Missouri, Pilsener, 4.9% abv
Rogue Dead Guy; Newport, Oregon, Heller Bock, 6.5% abv
Heilemans Old Style; Woodridge, Illinois, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Bells Hopslam; Kalamazoo, Michigan, Imperial IPA, 10% abv
Piraat; Belgium, Belgian IPA, 10.5% abv
Guinness; Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv

Sunday: 7-9 Trivia, $1 Old Style, $2 Jameson Whiskey, $3 Guinness Draughts
Monday (March 15): $1 off all bottles; Blind Pig Brewery Beer Club

Drink through a list of 150 beers, at 75 receive a Blind Pig Brewery Beer Club shirt, at 150 name on the Club Hall of Fame Plaque.

Crane Alley

Konig Pilsner 4.9%
Bells Sparkling Ale 9.0%
Bells Consecrator Doppelbock 8.0%
Bells Java Stout 7.5%
Bells Amber Ale 5.5%
Mikkeler Simcoe IPA 6.9%
Ohara's Irish Red Ale 5.4%
Three Floyds Robert The Bruce 7.0%
Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout 10.0%
Two Brothers Monarch Wit 5.4%
Guinness 4.2%
Rogue Kells Irish Lager 5.3%
Port Brewing Midnight Sessions Black Lager
Pabst Blue Ribbon 4.7%
Green Flash Imperial IPA 9.2%
Unibroue Ephemere Apple 5.5%

Coming Soon
Mikkeller Nugget IPA
Mikkeller Cascade IPA
Mikkeller Amarillo IPA
Mikkeller Nugget IPA
Mikkeller Tomahawk IPA
Schlenkerla Rauchbier
Einbecker Mai Ur Bock
Weston Cider 4.5%
Founders Imperial Stout 10.5%
Green Flash Imperial IPA 9.2%
Lost Abbey Serpent Stout 10.7%
Dogfish Head Old School Barleywine 15.0%
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
Avery Mephistopheles 16.8%
Great Divide Hercules IPA 9.1%

Food specials for the weekend of March 26

ENDIVE SALAD-Spinach and Belgian Endive with carrots, brussels sprouts, and bacon in a honey vinaigrette and goat cheese

CREOLE MEATLOAF - Ground beef and andouille sausage meatloaf with smashed potatoes and spicy trinity creole sauce

Mike n' Molly's

Tap list:

Guinness
Blanche de Brussels
Harp
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier
Rogue Juniper
Strongbow
Avery the Czar
Miller High Life
Hebrew Lenny's RIPA
Acme IPA


Sunday: Kayla Brown, 10pm$1 High Life, $2 Tullamore Dew and John Powers and rails, $3 (16 oz)Guinness
Monday: Abe Froman Project, 9-10pm, free/ Rockstar Karaoke, 10-2, free; $1 PBR
Tuesday: $1.25 High Life; $.50 off all taps
Wednesday: Bingo, 9:30-midnight, free; $2 Mickey's Big Mouth; $2.50 rails
Thursday: DJ Spinnerty; $2.50 Stella Artois bottles

Black Dog Smoke and Ale House

CASK: Two Brothers Long Haul Session Ale
Two Brothers Domaine Dupage
Port Brewing Hop 15
Two Brothers Ebel Weiss
Ohara's Irish Red
Schlafly's Irish Extra Stout
Moylan's Dragoon's Dry Irish Stout

Cowboy Monkey

Saturday: Dubstep Masacre, $5, 10pm
Tuesday: Open Mic Night, free, 10 pm
Wednesday: Salsa, free, 10 pm
Thursday: Zoo Improv, (donation) 7pm-8:30; closing at 9 for a private party

Highdive

Friday: DJ Delayney, $5, 10 pm
Saturday: DJ & Dancing, $5, 10 pm
Monday: 80's Night, free, 10 pm
Tuesday: St. Vincent, $13 advance, $15 at the door, 9pm

Canopy Club

Friday: Atheory, $5
Saturday: Dressed to Kill: A tribute to KISS, $5
Sunday: Pizza, Pitcher & a Movie, Girls Night Out, 6pm Bring it On, 8pm Legally blonde, 10pm Mean Girls
Monday: One Dollar Wild Mondays with Jobu, $1 beer and well; Diafanes, $7, 6pm
Tuesday: Trivia Diner: Live Game Show/The Piano Man
Wednesday:Rave to the Grave
Thursday: Foolstravaganza!, $7, 6pm

CU Bars in the News, Best Bars: Chevy's in Champaign

From WCFN 49.

Chevy's in Champaign

Chevy's is located at 103 West Marketview Drive, near the mall.

Dave Benton: We all know that central Illinois has a wealth of Mexican restaurants. But what does it exactly mean to be Mexican cuisine?

Jennifer Ketchmark: Here's what I learned while visiting Chevy's in Champaign!

When driving down Neil Street looking for a place to eat, don't forget to turn the corner and check out Chevy's.

(SOT) "We opened September 14, 1999, and this was the first one to open outside the major cities, we were able to bring in fresh Mex to the community, and we've been here ever since."

And that means food inspired by Spanish, Italian, and French flavors. And one thing this place doesn't do is cut corners.

(SOT) "Chevy's is fresh food, nothing is canned, you can go back in our kitchen and look for yourself. It's a very fun atmosphere, it's casual. It's a very happy place."

But to be a dish from south of the border doesn't mean that it has to leave your mouth on fire.

(SOT) "All of our food is medium spiced, however we can spice it up. We feel that medium spices are flavor."

And here are some dishes that will have you saying "Ole"!

This salad—mixed grill with everything from chicken breast to jumbo shrimp—and a chile verde burrito.

And from top to bottom this dish was my favorite!

And if it's not the food you are looking for, you better be looking for their margaritas. They come in grande size all the way down to samplers.

And just like the food, all flavors you see here are made from the fruit, not concentrate.

(SOT) "We also offer great flavors of margaritas, such as strawberry, straw-banana, melons, mangos, cranberry, you name it!"

And the make sure to go top-notch with something else too!

(SOT) "We use the real thing, the real tequilla, we have our secret sweet and sour mixes that have never changed."

(SOT) "We are the only restaurant in the area that has the Grand Platinum patron tequila. We sell high-roller 'ritas!"

And if that doesn't have you sold, you should come in for this big pull.

(SOT) "Chevy's is a fun, festive atmosphere, and we have a lot of fun colors like you can see."

(SOT) "We use some authentic Mexican pieces, the hats, the paintings, it really gives a feeling of fun warmth to the guests."

But wait, one more thing you should never miss here is the 5th of May.

(SOT) "Cinco de Mayo, it's the biggest celebration of the year for us. We have lots of specials and we bring in some type of music, decorations."

(SOT) "For Cinco de Mayo we are going to have $4 margaritas."

Bringing the flare of south to central Illinois is why this place made our list of best bars.

[SOTs: Cheryl Hussain, Chevy's owner; Mauricio Salinasm Chevy's general manager]

CU Bars in the News, Legends

from the buzz

One-on-One with Tracy Herbert, Legends' General Manager

Nothing too ground breaking in this article. The GM seems to be not just praising Legends, but also insults other campus bars in the process.

CU Bars in the News, "kids Art 4 Kids" benefits Crisis Nursery

from the Buzz.

"Kids Art 4 Kids" benefits Crisis Nursery

On April 11, Radio Maria will host its second “Kids Art 4 Kids,” an auction where artwork created by local children will be sold to benefit the Crisis Nursery. The event brings together several CU businesses and schools in an effort to showcase the artists’ work and support the community.

...

The proceeds from the event will support crisis care for children in our community. Last year, Crisis Nursery provided more than 23,000 hours of crisis care to local children. Despite lackluster weather, last year’s event raised more than $3,000, a figure that will hopefully increase with this year’s spring date.

When: April 11, 6 pm
Where: Radio Maria in Champaign
Admission: $7 in advance, $10 at the door
You can start bidding now, so ask your bartender or server to see an auction book.

You can also check out the Facebook page for the event.

Passover Beverages

It's coming up on the time of Passover, this year it runs from sunset on March 29 to nightfall on April 5/6. Since you are here, you probably like beer. Most likely you did a search for passover beer or something similar.

*disclaimer* I'm not Jewish, and I'm definitely not a Jewish Passover law scholar. I've just done some research.

So, you want to have a beer during this Passover season, but you don't know what you can drink. Most beers are kosher, however, they aren't kosher for passover. There is one beer specifically created to be kosher for passover. Ramapo Valley Brewery Passover Honey Beer is a "beer" specifically made for Jews during passover.

This beer is made with molasses, honey, and hops.

The main ingredients in normal beer: barley (a grain), hops, yeast, and water can't all be used to make a kosher for passover beer, since there are two rules that prevent their use.

The first is a rule about chametz, which is pretty much five types of grains. They are Wheat, Barley, spelt (a forme of wheat), rye, and oats. Those are pretty much the main grains that are used in brewing beer (except for the spelt). Additionally, all yeast that works on those grains must be removed, along with anything in the house that has chametz.

The other main rule regards mixing flour and water, in that baking of bread must be completed in a certain time frame from the point that the water hits the flour (18-22 minutes). Malting grain takes much more time than is allotted, and the boiling of the grains also takes longer than is allowed.

Since there is currently only one beer that is certified kosher for passover, you may want to have some variety in your drink. Other options for you include mead and potato vodka.

There are some specific beverages that are made to be kosher for passover. Distillery No. 209 has created a kosher for passover gin. If tequila is your drink, there's Agave 99, which is a certified kosher for passover tequila. There are several different flavored brandies that are kosher for passover, including Slivovitz! Plum Brandy.

All forms of traditional whiskey are not kosher for passover, as they are made from grains. There may be some non-traditional whiskey made for the passover season (possibly made from sorghum, or certain sugars).

If you really want to make sure that the beverage you are drinking is kosher for passover, check to ensure it is listed on the label.

With enough research, and time spent at the liquor store, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get totally wasted, while celebrating the time when the angel of death went down and slew the firstborn of Egypt.

Alcohol in the Local News, Lady Rose

From WCIA, CBS 3

Lady Rose

Nick Bland from the Corkscrew talks about Lady Rose.

CU Bars in the News, UI grads' beers going on sale at two local businesses

From the News-Gazette.

UI grads' beers going on sale at two local businesses

The date for the event is Wednesday, and is being known as Two Brother's Brewery Hog Heaven Night.

This is basically a reprint of the Blind Pig email.

Starting at 6 p.m., Black Dog, 201 N. Broadway Ave., U, will feature the new Long Haul Session Ale along with a special menu and its regular menu.

At about 9 p.m. The Blind Pig, 120 W. Walnut, C, will tap a cask of the new Resistance India Pale Ale. The Champaign bar also will sell Two Brothers Bare Tree Weiss, a special release beer in Two Brothers' artisan line.

The Bitter End and Cane & Ebel will also be on tap with Bare Tree.

Beer Review, Founders KBS

So, I'm sitting at home, minding my own business, when I get a Facebook message from Jacob at Radio Maria.

kbs on tap

I texted him back, "when?"

He responds "3 minutes, after I get the line cleaned".

Suddenly, my Saturday is ruined.



I was just going to sit there playing Evony, and then I HAD to go downtown to have a beer. Life is horrible.

So, I get up, shave, take a shower, put on my Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout shirt and begrudgingly head downtown.

To make matters worse, the RM parking lot is relatively empty, and I got to park in the closest spot. How am I going to burn off the calories from a KBS by parking close to the door. OH THE HUMANITY!!!

So, I go in, and sit down. Jacob asks what I want. I reply sarcastically, "what do you think?" So he pours me a KBS. He says I'm the second person to try it from this keg. I snidely reply "yeah, but the first in a Kentucky Breakfast Stout shirt".

Since I'm drinking this beer, I figure I might as well write about it.

It was black, pitch black. It had a brown head. It was opaque. At Radio it's served in a 9 ounce snifter for $5. It smelled strongly of coffee. It didn't seem to have much of a bourbon-y smell. It was thick and coaty. The beer itself was cold, but very warming. Almost as though I developed heartburn as I was drinking it. It definitely had a burn going down. There was also some effervescent sizzle to it.

It tasted of coffee, alcohol, syrup and bitter chocolate. It was an odd chocolate flavor, almost like a bitter cocoa powder. As it warmed up, it developed a bit of whiskey flavor. The cold definitely muted that flavor.

My notes say "wow, awesome, damn fine beverage". This beer burns and warms. Also it sticks on the lips. It's thick and awesome.

According to Jacob, the Radio keg is the only one in CU. I'm not sure how long this will last. Hopefully the Salsa Night crowd didn't drink it all and there's some left.

At $5 it's reasonably priced for 9 ounces. It comes out to about 55 cents per ounce. At Friar Tucks the beer is available in 4 packs. It's about $23 for four 12 ounce bottles. Or about $5.75 a bottle. At that price, it's about 48 cents an ounce. The draft may not be cheaper than buying a bottle, but it's pretty close.

If you can find it on tap, get it, it's great. If you can get it in bottles, enjoy that as well. If you don't like it, I'll finish it for you.

CU Bars in the News, Cracking Down on Irish Fun

From WICD, ABC 15

Cracking Down on Irish Fun

Champaign- Thousands are out celebrating Saint Patrick's Day in central Illinois.
But law enforcement anticipates more D.U.I's. That's why Illinois State Police are stepping up patrols to make sure drunk drivers are off the streets.

"It's a very relaxed day, it's when everybody gets to pretend to be Irish, even though I always am every day, everyone likes it, it's a lot of fun," said Jacob Daugherty, from Radio Maria.

The corned beef and cabbage, the beer, the whiskey; it can all be a lot of fun.

But if you've had a little too much Irish fun, a run in with these guys can cost you.

"The message is simple if you drink and drive you will be arrested," said Sergeant Bill Emery, with Illinois State Police.

With a drinking holiday like St. Patrick's Day, law enforcement cracks down.

"There will be roadside safety checks there will be directed patrols, working with local law enforcement we're going to have more police available and we'll be out enforcing," added Emery.

Luckily, the people who are entertaining will also be checking up on your well-being.

"We try not to over serve anyone and then what we do is call people cabs regularly," said Daugherty. "We do watch things and we call cabs, we have all the cab numbers saved on the side of our bar so we have a list of everyone that we call."

"Usually the cabbies know the more popular places so they know to get here pretty quickly and they cooperate just as much so they know taking people home safely is a top priority," said Ash Khandker, from the Blind Pig.

All those aspects will ensure a safe St. Patrick's Day, without any meetings with the law.

Reported by: Bret

Starring Jacob from Radio Maria.

CU Bars in the News, Best Bars: Houlihan's (Champaign)

From WCFN 49.

Best Bars: Houlihan's (Champaign)

Dave Benton: When you think about Houlihan's, a fun Irish pub comes to mind instantly.

Jennifer Ketchmark: Tonight we will rewrite that image with what you now find at this hot spot to eat.

Brian Durkin, Houlihan's general manager: "We are modern and new, and there's no real one way to describe us."

That's because Houlihan's in Champaign is part of the company's new image. And boy, is it trendy!

Brian Durkin: "I Hotel selected Houlihan's because they've reinvented themselves. Everything very simple, but very designed and modern and comtemporary."

And just like the atmosphere, the food has recieved a big-time makeover.

Brian Durkin: "It's competely new and different, it's eclectic."

That includes jumbo stuffed 'shrooms.

Brian Durkin: "Our breaded fried mushrooms are excellent, big-capped mushrooms with some cream cheese inside."

And this Atlanta salmon encrusted in Dijon bread crumbs. But wait, there's even an Asian twist with their ahi tuna salad.

Brian Durkin: "Tapas roll out on April 15, and this an example of how it's gone from an Irish pub to more of a modern and fine dining, with more interesting menus and making everything from scratch."

Wow! Definitely not the classic Irish pub! But like a pub, they still have a bar. And if you are new to martinis, why not try a flight of martinis? For 9.99, you get 3 martinis, and within that we found their signature Adam and Eve martini.

Brian Durkin: "The Adam and Eve martini—it's kind of a twist on the apple martini. It's just a little different, more tart that you are usually used to, and the addition of the lemon sweetens it up a little bit, along with some cinnamon on the rim of the martini.

And the bar is a place for deals every day of the week.

Brian Durkin: "We have 3-dollar drafts on game nights. There are also 4-dollar Bloody Mary pints on Sundays."

And you don't want to miss another special night.

Brian Durkin: "Every Tuesday night we do live music. During the winter months, we do it in the restaurant itself, during the summer months we do it on our patio. Usually it's more of a jazz band, we have some Brazilian jazz bands that are pretty popular."

A modern dining experience from a restaurant with Irish roots is why this place made our list of Best Bars.

Wow, the transcript is no where near what was actually said in the video. They even put quotes around Brian Durkin's "words" but that's not exactly what he said.

CU Bars in the News, St. Patty's at Tumble Inn

From WCIA, CBS 3

St. Patty's at Tumble Inn

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Tumble Inn for their 63rd Anniversary! Nichole Szemerei brings us the scene.

If I'm not mistaken at about the 4 minute mark, sitting at the end of the bar is a former hootress named Ashley.

Tumble Inn is located at 302 South Neil Street.

CU Beer Weekend, March 19

Seven Saints

Rotating Taps:

Southern Tier Unearthly IPA
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout

Wednesday: Whiskey Wednesday, half off Canadian and Micro

Radio Maria

Tap list:

1. Two Brothers Monarch Wit $4
2. Coney Island Lager $6
3. Two Brothers Coffee Red Eye Porter $5.5
4. Founders Double Trouble $5
5. Dark Horse Scotty Karate $4
6. Corsendonk Brown Ale $6.5
7. Founders Imperial Stout $6
8. Veltins Pilsner $4
9. Kwak Belgian Ale $6
10.Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout $5
11.Ballast Pointe Sculpin IPA $6
12.Capital Rustic Ale $4
13.St Bernardus Prior 8 $6
14.Ska Modus Hoperandi $6
15.Chimay White $6.5
16.Moylan Dragoon's Dry Irish Stout $4.5
17.Left Hand Milk Stout $4
18.Two Brothers Moaten $6
19.Southern Tier Krampus $6
20.Dark Horse Tres Blueberry $5
21.Southern Tier Choklat $6
22.Bell's HopSlam $5
23.Pyramid Apricot $4
24.Victory Moonglow $4.5
25.Capital Eisphyre $5
26.Weihenstephaner Weissbier $6
27.Southern Tier 422 Pale Wheat Ale $2.25

Friday: Happy Hour with free appetizers 4:30 - 5:30, Kulmbacher Eisbock $4 .
Saturday: $4 Jeremiah Weed drinks and $6 Jeremiah Week John Daly's, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: $2 wells, $1.25 PBR
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine; Board Game Monday
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft; Trivia Night 11pm with MC Juice
Thursday: $5 Mojitos



March 28: 6pm; Pinot Noir Dinner, $85 (7 seats left)
April 1: 7pm, Downtown Champaign Classical Music Fest, free, 7-8:30pm
April 11: 6pm, Kids Art4Kids to benefit Crisis Nursery, $7 in advance $10 day of

Blind Pig

Rogue Kell’s Irish Lager; Newport, Oregon, Euro Pale Lager, 5% abv
Moylan’s Dragoon’s Dry Irish Stout; Novato, California, Irish Stout, 5% abv
Moylan’s Irish Red Ale; Novato, California, Red Ale, 6.5 % abv
Schlafly Irish Style Extra Stout; St. Louis, Missouri, Foreign Stout, 8% abv
Southern Tier Choklat; Lakewood, New York, Imperial Stout, 11% abv
Unibroue Maudite; Canada, Belgian Strong Ale, 8% abv
Southern Tier Gemini; Lakewood, New York, Imperial IPA, 10.5% abv
Capital Blonde Doppelbock; Middleton, Wisconsin, Doppelbock, 8% abv
Fullers London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Tremens; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 8.5% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Victory Prima Pils; Downington, Pennsylvania, Pilsener, 5.3% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Rogue Double Mocha Porter; Newport, Oregon, Baltic Porter
Moylan’s Celts Golden Ale; Novato, California, Golden Ale, 5% abv
Monk’s Cafe; Belgium, Sour Ale, 5.5%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
Left Hand Widdershins; Longmont, Colorado, Barleywine, 8.8% abv
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
Scaldis; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 12% abv
Rogue Nitro Shakespeare Stout; Newport, Oregon, Stout, 6%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv

CASK: Arcadia Hopmouth

Wednesday: Two Brother's Brewery Hog Heaven Night

Two Brothers Brewery is releasing two new beers! - The Long Haul Session Ale and The Resistance IPA. These beers are being released early on CASK only to Black Dog and The Blind Pig.

Start your night out at Black Dog with their "Pig Fixe" menu and The Long Haul Session CASK Ale. Then head over to The Blind Pig for The Resistance IPA CASK and be among the first to sample these new beers!

We will also feature the Resistance IPA, The Bear Tree and Cane & Ebel on draught.

Blind Pig Brewery (the Piglet)

Blind Pig American Pale Ale
Katie's Belgian Stout
Blind Pig Weizen Bock
Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout; Marshall, Michigan, Smoked, 8% abv
Two Brothers Monarch Wit; Warrenville, Illinois, Witbier, 4.5% abv
Moylan’s Kilt Lifter; Novato, California, Scotch Ale, 8% abv
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye; Healdsburg, California, India Pale Ale, 8% abv
Schlafly Pilsner; Maplewood, Missouri, Pilsener, 4.9% abv
Rogue Dead Guy; Newport, Oregon, Heller Bock, 6.5% abv
Heilemans Old Style; Woodridge, Illinois, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Bells Hopslam; Kalamazoo, Michigan, Imperial IPA, 10% abv
Piraat; Belgium, Belgian IPA, 10.5% abv
Guinness; Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv

Sunday: 7-9 Trivia, $1 Old Style, $2 Jameson Whiskey, $3 Guinness Draughts
Monday (March 15): $1 off all bottles; Blind Pig Brewery Beer Club

Drink through a list of 150 beers, at 75 receive a Blind Pig Brewery Beer Club shirt, at 150 name on the Club Hall of Fame Plaque.

Crane Alley

Bells Batch 9000 12.5%
Bells Sparkling Ale 9.0%
Bells Consecrator Doppelbock 8.0%
Bells Oarsman 3.8%
Bells Java Stout 7.5%
Bells Amber Ale 5.5%
Green Flash Le Freak 9.2%
Ohara's Irish Red Ale 5.4%
Dark Horse Too Cream Stout 8.0%
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 13.0%
Weihenstephaner Hefe Weizen 5.4%
Guinness 4.2%
Rogue Kells Irish Lager 5.3%
Avery New World Porter 6.7%
Pabst Blue Ribbon 4.7%
He'brew Linny's RIPA 10.0%
Unibroue Ephemere Apple 5.5%

Coming Soon:

Mikkeller Nugget IPA
Mikkeller Simcoe IPA
Mikkeller Cascade IPA
Mikkeller Amarillo IPA
Mikkeller Nugget IPA
Schlenkerla Rauchbier
Einbecker Mai Ur Bock
Weston Cider
Founders Imperial Stout 10.5%
Green Flash Imperial IPA 9.2%
Port Brewing Midnight Sessions
Lost Abbey Serpent Stout 10.7%
Dogfish Head Old School Barleywine 15.0%
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
Avery Mephistopheles 16.8%
Great Divide Hercules IPA 9.1%

Specials for the weekend of March 19

MONKFISH CEVICHE - Monkfish ceviche over belgian endive and topped with avocado

PORK TENDERLOIN - Kurobuta pork tenderloin wrapped in mangalista loin bacon with roasted new potatoes, green beans, and a maple-whiskey demi glace

BISON SHORT RIBS - A three bone bison short rib with mashed potatoes, oyester mushrooms, bacon roasted brussels sprouts, and walnut cream sauce

Mike n' Molly's

Tap List from last week:

Guinness
Blanche de Brussels
Harp
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier
Rogue Juniper
Strongbow
Avery the Czar
Miller High Life
Hebrew Lenny's RIPA
Acme IPA

Friday: The Chemicals, 9pm
Sunday: $1 High Life, $2 Tullamore Dew and John Powers and rails, $3 (16 oz)Guinness
Monday: Abe Froman Project, 9-10pm, free/ Rockstar Karaoke, 10-2, free; $1 PBR
Tuesday: $1.25 High Life; $.50 off all taps
Wednesday: Bingo, 9:30-midnight, free; $2 Mickey's Big Mouth; $2.50 rails
Thursday: $2.50 Stella Artois bottles

Black Dog Smoke and Ale House

Capital Maibock
Two Brother's Domaine Dupage
Two Brother's Red Eye Porter
Ohara's Irish Red Ale
Schlafly's Irish Extra Stout
Moylan's Dragoon's Dry irish Stout
Cask: Arcadia IPA

Wednesday: Two Brother's Brewery Hog Heaven Night (see Blind Pig above)

Cowboy Monkey

Friday: The Handcuffs, $5, 10 pm
Saturday: Bible Belt Sinners, $5, 10 pm
Tuesday: Open Mic Night, free, 10 pm
Wednesday: Salsa, free, 10 pm

Highdive

Friday: DJ Delayney, $5, 10 pm
Saturday: DJ & Dancing, $5, 10 pm
Monday: 80's Night, free, 10 pm
Tuesday: Open Mic Session, $5, 10pm

Canopy Club

Friday: Redneck Remedy, $6
Saturday: AD/HD: A Tribute to AC/DC, $7
Tuesday: The Piano Man, free, $3 Real Long Island iced tea
Wednesday:Rave to the Grave
Thursday: The Sugar Prophets, $5

May 19, MASTODON... that's right MASTO-fucking-DON!!!! $23, 6pm

CU Beer Club

Wednesday: March Meeting at Crane Alley, 6:30. Theme is "imports". Bring some beer that's not made in the U.S. It's free, just bring a beer.

CU Bars to enjoy the great outdoors

The weather is getting nice, it's time for a beer. Where are you gonna have it?

In downtown Champaign you have a lot of options.

Mike n' Molly's has one of the largest beer gardens around. They have a good beer selection to go with it.

Blind Pig Brewery has a beer garden out the back door. Currently, they are the only place in town to get beer made locally.

Cowboy Monkey fills the alley after hours with their beer garden. You can even sit in the gazebo.

Seven Saints has outdoor seating under an awning.

Blind Pig (original) has several table set up outside.

Highdive has a fenced in back area that seems more like a porch.

Bentley's Pub has a new beer garden/outdoor seating area.

Guido's has outdoor seats, inside the railing.

Out at the crossing both Billy Barooz has outdoor seats, as does Jupiters (a few outdoor seats downtown as well).

In Urbana, Crane Alley has several tables in the alley. Sometimes the wind whips down the alley, but in calmer weather it's nice and normally out of the sun.

CU Bars in the News, the Buzz, The Music Issue

The Buzz has several features today on Music. In it they discuss DJ's, and several venues.

Music Issue Venue: Cowboy Monkey

Mucis Issue Venue: Canopy Club

Music Issue Venue: Mike n' Molly's

Music Issue Venue: Iron Post

Music Issue Venue: Assembly Hall

Music Issue Bars and Restaurants

Remember, you can find info for who's playing at most of those venues each Friday here, at my blog.

CU Bars in the News, Bars and police ready for St. Patty's Day

From WAND, NBC 17

Bars and police ready for St. Patty's Day

From Bentley's Pub, in Champaign.

Alcohol in the Local News, Alcohol at the Hall

From WCIA, CBS channel 3

Alcohol at the hall

From WAND, NBC 17

Buying alcohol at UIUC's Assembly Hall

Darklord Day Golden Tickets cluster fuuuuuuuk

I got mine and Kridz tickets ordered, did you get your order processed?

The announcement that tickets were available came at about a couple minutes after 7 pm central time.

It linked you to http://3floyds.myshopify.com/. The site is still up, and seems to be working better now.

The initial rush was probably insane. The myshopify server definitely couldn't handle the load of thousands of eager beer people trying to get tickets at once. I got several messages from friends saying they were having trouble getting through.

There's also several tweets discussing the issues with the site. Everyone does seem elated that they finally did get through. That, or they quit.

I'm not sure the number of tickets they are going to sell, but my confirmation number and the girlfriends were about 2,500 apart. So, they went pretty quick.

If you are still looking for them, try quickly. If you missed it, someone will be selling the tickets on EBay, as soon as they are received.

The amount of beer per ticket hasn't been released yet, neither has the price.

Again, you can probably expect to get 4 bottles for each ticket, at $15 per bottle. Your 8 pack of beer will cost $120.

I'm not sure what Three Floyds can do to prevent the frustration that many people expressed this evening. They need to find an online retailer that can handle thousands of simultaneous requests. Shopify just didn't cut it.

Additionally, the earlier message of "after work" was kind of bogus, as it caused many people to think that the tickets would go on around 5 pm central time. This left several people (including myself) sitting at their desks, thinking that at any moment, the tickets would be available. How many people were panicking thinking they would be on their drive home when the sale was announced?

Having the sales on St. Patrick's Day was probably also a bad idea. With the ambiguity of the sales being today, many die-hard beer fans stayed up all night waiting for the announcement (Hoosier beer geek for example) I did it last year, this year I made sure my phone would wake me. Those people who stayed up all night, probably spent the rest of the day waiting for the message. Now, on one of the world's most popular alcoholidays, they haven't slept, and are probably really cranky.

I'm still going, and I still love the beer.

Just got a message that 10 minutes ago, a buddy got through with number 6778, which is about 2,500 after kridz number.

See you on April 24.

Some other comments from friends...

"is it legal to bill 3 floyds for that hour of my life that i'm never getting back?"

"Screw you 3floyds. Was on site immediately and never did get an order page. Site was a big f'n joke. $40 shipping? Piss off."

"I'm trying to get a damn golden ticket, but the site is down :("

(I got my tickets) "me too... but it was like pulling teeth"

"Anyone else getting the "we are having technical difficulties"?"

(at 7:20) "i think they are sold out" me: keep trying "i will keep trying"

*edit* well, it's about an hour and 20 minutes after the sale started, and the website is saying they are sold out.

*edit #2* 3 Floyds has an updated blog post.

All shipping charges are being removed. So if you had the $4 one or the $20 one, you won't be paying that.

CU St. Patrick's Day events

Several bars around town are having special events for St. Patrick's Day tonight.

Mike N' Molly's will be having corned beef and cabbage, also some of the better Guinness in downtown.

The menu includes, Corned Beef n Cabbage, Horseradish half-mashed potatoes, and Bread Pudding... also, some kind of brown bread for sop... and there is plenty to sop... mmmmmmmm sop. 5pm til it runs out. But we doubled the amount of food from last year, so I expect it'll last til 7 or 8.

Seven Saints will be serving corned beef and cabbage as well. Tonight is Whiskey Wednesday, and they will have Irish Whiskey in addition to the regular Scotch Whisky available.

will bring Irish AND Scotch Whiskeys 50% off...as well as corned beef and cabbage for dinner! Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Bentley's will probably have a Guinness special, in addition to most likely having an Irish band playing traditional music.

Join us for our 7th Annual St. Patrick's Day Party! Mom and Pop (and Kay) will be serving up corned beef and cabbage starting at 5pm and Exorna will be playing your favorite Irish drinking songs around 9:30. Specials on Guinness, Smithwicks, and Irish Whiskey as well as give-aways. And, our new patio will be open!!!

Crane Alley has adjusted their tap list to have several Irish, or Irish style beers available, including Ohara's Irish Red Ale, Rogue Kells Irish Lager, and the traditional Guinness. Crane Alley will also have a bag-piper after 10:30.

St Paddys Day Specials ~ Corned Beef, Guinness braised cabbage, and roasted new potatoes ~ 20oz Guinness drafts-you keep the glass, and Jameson specials!!!!!

Jupiter's downtown is running a Guinness special for $5 get an imperial pint (Guinness glass) keep the glass and $4 refills.

Memphis on Main apparently has green beer, if that's what you are looking for, at their St. Patricks' Day Party at 8pm.

Billy Barroz has Corned Beef and Cabbage. Also has $4 Smithwicks, Guiness, and Irish Mists' ( Jameson, Sierra Mist, and a splash of Bitters.)

Alcohol in the Local News, Irish Whiskeys

From WCIA, CBS 3

GREENORE Single Grain 8 Years - Cooley Greenore Single Grain is a truly unique whiskey as it is the only expression of Irish Single Grain whiskey in the world. Single Grain whiskeys are very rare as most grain whiskey is normally mixed with Malt whiskeys to make Blended whiskey. Grain whiskey is ma...

Irish Whiskeys

Brian Bowman from Sunsinger Wines & Spirits, visits the morning show.

Darklord Day Golden Tickets

According to a recent Three Floyds tweet, Darklord golden tickets will go on sale "after work".

After work we'll put the pot of golden tickets at the end of your rainbow.

So, if you did this year, what I did last year; you are probably going to be really tired. I hope it doesn't ruin your St. Patrick's Day, many people's favorite alcoholiday.

Tickets will probably be available at the Darklordday.com website. They cost $10 each, and you can get 2. A household can get 4. If you have any friends, they can get 2. Last year, each ticket allowed you to purchase 4 bottles of Darklord. The beer has been coming in 22 ounce bombers, and normally cost $15 a bottle. Since you had 2 tickets, you could get 8 bottles. Then you could fill up the other 4 spaces with other beers. Last year, the beers you could get included their collaboration with Dogfish Head entitled Popskull, and the collaboration with Mikkeller named Oatgoop. The previous year, the other buzzed beer was the Mikkeller collaboration, Hvedegoop.

There's no word on what other beers will be available.

There will be bands playing throughout the day, normally starting after noon.

There will also be ATM's on site, since it's a cash-only operation.

With the $20 for golden tickets, which will ensure that you get your share of the beer, you also get a free glass of the beer, per ticket. Your total investment, based on four $15 bottles per ticket will wind up being $140 (20 for tix, 120 for beer). Take more than that, because you'll want more.

Here's what you can expect throughout the day.

Show up early (don't get there at 11, there will be a HUGE line; early means about 8 or 9), take the first parking spot on the road that you can find. Start walking, following the crowd. They know where they are going. Go stake out your position in line. Get to know the people in line with you, you'll be with them for several hours.

Since you now know your line neighbors, go for a little walk. Check out what guest breweries are inside. Have a beer. Last year there was a cask section of beer. Have a cask beer. Get in line for the brewpub. Go inside, see what they have on tap. Last year there was 3 version of Darklord on tap; regular, oak aged, and vanilla bean. HAVE THE VANILLA BEAN!!! After you are done in the brewpub, GET OUT!!! There is a line to get in. Don't sit in there all day: one comes out, one goes in.

Make friends with everyone in every line you are in. If/when you cut in a line, offer the people around you beer.

Take a sampler glass with you, don't take a big ass Fat Sandwich glass! Go visit the tables and tables and tables of beer. Try stuff you haven't had. SAMPLE IT, you aren't there to drink all the beer that someone else brought.

Bring something interesting (beer) with you. Bring a cooler with good beer in it. Bring sandwiches. Bring other things to munch on. Find a camping spot across the street from the line. Set up shop. Take a grill. Take food to grill.

Have a designated driver.

Make pretzel necklaces.

Don't get into a fight (no matter how much I try to provoke you).

Don't get fall down drunk, if you do, don't be surprised if people laugh at you.

Don't break your bottles.

Do drink plenty of water. Do eat. Do have fun. Do walk around. Do meet people. Do prepare for any kind of weather. It's been warm, it's been really cold, and it's been rainy in the three years that I've gone. Be ready for all the weather. Shorts under jeans is a good idea. Do take sunscreen. Do put sunscreen on your bald head! (or sides of your mohawk)

Crane Alley Bell's Beer Dinner

On Monday, March 15, Crane Alley held a Bell's Brewery beer dinner.

Tickets were $65 each. It included almost all the beer you could drink, not that there was very much room for much beer.

Prior to the first course, Bell's Oarsman Ale was served. It's sort of a Berliner Weisse style beer. It's not high in alcohol, but it does have lots of flavor. Berliner Weisse normally is a very tart beer, but this one wasn't too bad on the tartness. The beer was served as a palate cleanser. Additionally, that glass was refilled as much as needed during the evening. Oarsman is currently on tap at Crane Alley.

The first course was a Monkfish Ceviche. It was served on a Belgian Endive. It was citrus cured, with scallion, red onion, oregano and cilantro. On top was some avocado and tomato. It was a pretty good ceviche. This was paired with Bell's Sparkling Ale. The beer was described as a Belgian Triple. It was a pretty good pairing with the ceviche.

The second course was a braised bison short rib. It was served with a mirepoix, oyster mushrooms brussel sprouts and Mangalitsa bacon with a walnut cream sauce. Several of the people at my table considered it to be the best course of the night. The meat was very tender and slide right off the bone. This was paired with Bell's Amber. Bell's Amber will always hold a soft spot in my heart, as it was my gateway beer.


The third course was roasted duck leg with pan seared foie gras. It was served in a prickly pear sauce, and was paired with Bells Two Hearted Ale. Someone at another table took offense to the beer being named an "ale" because it's listed as an "IPA". Well, what does the A in "IPA" stand for?

The main course was Snake River Farms Kurobuta pork tenderloin. This was served wrapped in the mangalitsa bacon. It was served with beet gnocchi, in a maple syrup reduction made with Bell's Consecrator Dopplebock, it was served on frisee. It was paired with Bell's Consecrator Dopplebock. This was my favorite meat of the night. The sauce was excellent, and the pork was delicious. Wrapped in the fancy bacon, it was outstanding.

The final course was a sweet potato doughnut. It was served with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with pralines and spun sugar, that looked like wheat. It was served with Bell's Java Stout. Several people would have claimed this was their favorite, if that honor didn't go to the short rib.

Upon completion of the dinner, Bell's Batch 9000 was tapped and served. This is a special beer commemorating the 9000th batch of beer made at the brewery. It's a really good beer. Crane Alley was serving it for $5 in a snifter (about 6-8 ounces). It's definitely been aged in barrels. It's listed as an imperial stout, but it seemed like an American strong ale, similar to Lost Abbey the Angel's Share. It was very rich and flavorful. It was almost hard to finish the snifter, even though there was only about 8 ounces.

It was a good dinner. I didn't leave hungry. I don't think anyone else did either. The meal wasn't rushed, giving you time to appreciate each dish. The beer was plentiful, even though only served in the sampler glasses, they kept the glasses full. They didn't take away any glasses that still had beer in them, allowing you to have an entire collection in front of you at the end of the night, if you really took your time. There wasn't too much time in between courses, which was nice. Sometimes there is a lag as the kitchen is trying to get caught up, but this time, there was just enough to take a quick break and then head back up.

I'm not sure what the next dinner will be, but if you hear about it (look at the "Beer Weekend" posts) you should consider going. At $65 it is a bit expensive, but there are quality ingredients going in to the food. At one of the dinners, I overheard one of the kitchen staff thanking Aaron (the Crane Alley GM) for letting him help on the dinner. He was happy that he got to work with some really good "product". So if people who work with the food are impressed with it, you probably might be too.

CU Bars in the News, Pickup truck crashes through Mahomet bar to steal automated teller machine

From the News-Gazette

Pickup truck crashes through Mahomet bar to steal automated teller machine

MAHOMET - Champaign County sheriff's are looking for a pickup truck with severe rear-end damage that was used to steal an automated teller machine from a Mahomet bar early Tuesday.

...

Coile said Mahomet police were at the Bobcat of Champaign business on Jones Court in Mahomet about 6 a.m. taking a report of a stolen truck that matched the description of the one that busted through the wall of the Lake of the Woods Liquors.

Some journalist needs to go back to school. It took 5 paragraphs for them to get to the "WHERE". Just saying "Mahomet bar" in the lead doesn't count.

Story is also on Illinois Homepage.

ATM Stolen from Mahomet Bar

The Champaign County Sheriff's office is investigating the theft of an ATM. Someone drove a pickup truck through a Mahomet bar early this morning to get to the machine. It happened about 2 a.m. at the Lake of the Woods Bar and Liquors store. It's located on Prairieview Road. Deputies describe the vehicle as a newer model white pickup truck. They're looking for a truck with severe rear end damage. Deputies aren't saying how much cash was taken from the ATM.
Stay with WCA 3 News for the latest information.

Stay with WCIA 3...

Also on WICD15

Another ATM Stolen

Story is on main news page and doesn't have a link, I hate that. Make your stories accessible via a link.

A burglary at the Lake of the Woods Liquor Store in Mahomet - leaves another local business with extensive damage -- and a stolen ATM. According to the Champaign County Sheriff's Office, they are looking for a white, late model pick up truck with back end damage caused by the truck backing into the store. This is the most recent of a string of ATM burglaries - with one happening earlier this year at a gas station in Monticello.

CU Bars in the News, Dozens of tickets issued during bar checks in Champaign

From the News-Gazette

Dozens of tickets issued during bar checks in Champaign

CHAMPAIGN – Bar checks performed by local and state authorities late last month and early this month resulted in a number of citations for underage drinkers and bar, restaurant and convenience store employees.

Illinois State Police and Champaign police, as part of Operation Campus/Tap details on Feb. 27 and March 6, issued 64 citations.

Here's the highlights:

– CO Daniel's, 608 E. Daniel St.; 1 citation.

– Cowboy Monkey, 6 Taylor St.; 0 citations.

– Station 211, 211 E. Green St.; 9 citations.

– It's Brother's, 613 E. Green St.; 9 citations.

– Legend's, 522 E. Green St.; 2 citations.

– Murphy's Pub, 604 E. Green St.; 7 citations.

– Chester Street Bar, 65 Chester St.; 7 citations.

– Fire Haus, 708 S. Sixth St.; 5 citations.

– Boltini Lounge, 211 N. Neil St.; 0 citations.

– Joe's Brewery, 706 S. Fifth St.; 7 citations.

– Guido's, 2 Main St.; 0 citations.

– Blind Pig Brewery, 120 N. Walnut St.; 0 citations

– Campus area streets: 17 citations.

Why they put in the zero citations is confusing, but it shows that some bars are doing their job. Those were Cowboy Monkey, Boltini Lounge, Guido's, and Blind Pig Brewery. You'll also note those are all downtown and not campus bars.

CU Beer Weekend, March 12

Seven Saints

Rotating Taps:

Southern Tier Big Red
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout

Wednesday (St. Patrick's day): Whiskey Wednesday, half off Irish and (regularly scheduled) Scotch
Thursday: Beer Class, 9:30 $10

Radio Maria

1. Schlafly APA $4
2. Schneider Weisse $6
3. Two Brothers Northwind Stout $5
4. Founders Double Trouble $5
5. Dark Horse Scotty Karate $4
6. Corsendonk Brown Ale $6.5
7. Founders Breakfast Stout $5
8. Zywiec Pilsner $6
9. Kwak Belgian Ale $6
10.Kulmbacher Eisbock $5
11.Ballast Pointe "Big Eye" IPA $4.5
12.Capital Rustic Ale $4
13.St Bernardus Prior 8 $6
14.Eugene City 200 Meter Ale $5
15.Chimay White $6.5
16.Moylan Dragoon's Dry Irish Stout $4.5
17.Left Hand Milk Stout $4
18.Two Brothers Moaten $6
19.Southern Tier Krampus $6.5
20.Southern Tier Old Man Winter $4
21.Southern Tier Choklat $6
22.Bell's HopSlam $5
23.Pyramid Apricot $4
24.Victory Moonglow $4.5
25.Capital Eisphyre $5
26.Weihenstepnaner Weissbier $6
27.PBR $2.25

Friday: Happy Hour 4:30 - 5:30, Two Brothers Northwind Stout $4 .
Saturday: $3 Bacardi and $6 Bacardi Mojitos, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: $2 wells, $1.25 PBR
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine; Board Game Monday
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft; Trivia Night; 11pm with MC Juice
Thursday: $1 off house specialty cocktails

March 28: 6pm; Pinot Noir Dinner, $85.
April 1: 7pm, Downtown Champaign Classical Music Fest, free
April 11: 6pm, Kids Art4Kids to benefit Crisis Nursery

Blind Pig

Port Brewing Midnight Sessions; San Marcos, Califonria, Schwazbier, 5% abv
Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball; Petaluma, California, American Strong Ale, 9% abv
New Belgium Mothership Wit; Fort Collins, Colorado, Belgian White, 4.8% abv
Left Hand Juju Ginger; Longmont, Colorado, Spice Ale, 4% abv
Dogfish Head Chicory Stout; Milton, Delaware, Stout, 5.2% abv
Unibroue Trois Pistoles; Canada, Belgian Strong Ale, 9% abv
Boulevard Single Wide IPA; Kansas City, Missouri, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
Atomium Grand Cru; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 8% abv
Fullers London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Tremens; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 8.5% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Left Hand Polestar Pilsner; Longmont, Colorado, Pilsener, 5% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Rogue Double Mocha Porter; Newport, Oregon, Baltic Porter
He’Brew Lenny’s RIPA; San Francisco, California, Imperial IPA, 10% abv
Monk’s Cafe; Belgium, Sour Ale, 5.5%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
Left Hand Widdershins; Longmont, Colorado, Barleywine, 8.8% abv
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
Petrus Oud Bruin; Belgium, Sour Ale, 5.5% abv
Rogue Nitro Shakespeare Stout; Newport, Oregon, Stout, 6%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv

CASK:
Founder's Reds Rye

Wednesday, March 24: Two Brothers Brewery is releasing two new beers! - The Long Haul Session Ale and The Resistance IPA. These beers are being released early on CASK only to Black Dog and The Blind Pig.

Start your night out at Black Dog with their "Pig Fixe" menu and The Long Haul Session CASK Ale. Then head over to The Blind Pig for The Resistance IPA CASK and be among the first to sample these new beers!

We will also feature the Resistance IPA, The Bear Tree and Cane & Ebel on draught.

Blind Pig Brewery (the Piglet)


Blind Pig American Pale Ale
Katie's Belgian Stout
Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout; Marshall, Michigan, Smoked, 8% abv
Schneider Aventinus; Germany, Weizen Bock, 8.2% abv
Moylan’s Kilt Lifter; Novato, California, Scotch Ale, 8% abv
North Coast Red Seal; Fort Bragg, California, American Pale Ale, 5.5% abv
Schlafly Pilsner; Maplewood, Missouri, Pilsener, 4.9% abv
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout; Marshall, Michigan, Dry Stout, 4.5% abv
Heilemans Old Style; Woodridge, Illinois, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Bells Hopslam; Kalamazoo, Michigan, Imperial IPA, 10% abv
La Caracole Saxo; Belgium, Belgian Ale, 8% abv
Guinness; Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv

Sunday: 7-9 Trivia
Monday (March 15): $1 off all bottles; Blind Pig Brewery Beer Club

Drink through a list of 150 beers, at 75 receive a Blind Pig Brewery Beer Club shirt, at 150 name on the Club Hall of Fame Plaque.

Crane Alley


Konig Pilsener 4.8%
Green Flash Le Freak 9.2%
Fullers Esb 5.9%
Dark Horse Too Cream Stout 8.0%
Three Floyds Robert The Bruce 7.0%
Left Hand Widdershins Oak Aged Barleywine 8.8%
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 13.0%
Weihenstephaner Hefe Weizen 5.4%
Guinness 4.2%
Dupon Avec Les Bons Voeux 9.5%
Rogue Brutal Bitter 6.2%
Avery New World Porter 6.7%
Pabst Blue Ribbon 4.7%
He'brew Linny's RIPA 10.0%
Unibroue Ephemere Apple 5.5%
Founders Centennial IPA 7.2%

Coming Soon:
Mikkeller Nugget IPA
Mikkeller Simcoe IPA
Mikkeller Cascade IPA
Founders Imperial Stout 10.5%
Green Flash Imperial IPA 9.2%
Bells Two Hearted Ale 7.0%
Port Brewing Midnight Sessions
Lost Abbey Serpent Stout 10.7%
Bells Java Stout 7.5%
Dogfish Head Old School Barleywine 15.0%
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
Avery Mephistopheles 16.8%
Great Divide Hercules IPA 9.1%

March 15, Monday: Bells Beer Dinner, $65 tix available at the bar, Bells batch 9000 tapped after the dinner.

Specials for the weekend of March 12

KINGSTON CHEESE STEAK - Flank steak marinated in jerk seasonings topped with onions, peppers, and melted mozzarella

SHRIMP AND GRITS - Sauteed shrimp with corn jalapeno, green onion, garlic, and tomato over cheese polenta

POACHED SALMON - Olive oil poached salmon over balsamic wilted spinach and bacon. Served with a roasted red bell pepper sauce and herb roasted new potatoes

Mike n' Molly's

Tap List:

Guinness
Blanche de Brussels
Harp
Southern Tier Chokolat
Rogue Juniper
Strongbow
Avery the Czar
Miller High Life
Hebrew Lenny's RIPA
Acme IPA

Friday: Tina Sparkle (Exit 182 Festival) 10 pm
Saturday: Pet Lions (Exit 182 Festival) 10 pm
Sunday: $1 High Life, $2 Tullamore Dew and John Powers and rails, $3 (16 oz)Guinness
Monday: Abe Froman Project, 9-10pm, free/ Rockstar Karaoke, 10-2, free; $1 PBR
Tuesday: $1.25 High Life; $.50 off all taps
Wednesday: Bingo, 9:30-midnight, free; $2 Mickey's Big Mouth; $2.50 rails
Thursday: $2.50 Stella Artois bottles

Black Dog Smoke and Ale House

Victory Hop Devil
Schlafly Hefeweizen
Two Brother's Red Eye Porter
Ohara's Irish Red Ale
Oscar's Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Left Hand Milk Stout
CASK: Summit Horizon Red Ale

Wednesday, March 24, (see Blind Pig above)

Cowboy Monkey

Friday: Justin Martin, $5, 10 pm
Saturday: Vanattica, $5, 10 pm
Tuesday: Open Mic Night, free, 10 pm
Wednesday: Salsa, free, 10 pm
Thursday: Blues Jam, free, 9:30 pm

Highdive

Friday: Band of Heathens, $12, 7 pm; DJ Delayney, $5, 10:30 pm
Saturday: Feudin Hillbillys, $7, 9 pm
Sunday: Stanton Moore (drum clinic) for tickets call 217-352-drum, 2 pm
Monday: Kilborn Alley, $3, 8 pm; 80's Night, free, 10 pm
Tuesday: The Tossers, $12, 9 pm

Canopy Club

Friday: Summer Camp 2010: on the road
Sunday: Pizza Pitcher & a Movie (baseball flicks) The Sandlot 6pm, Field of Dreams 8pm, Major League 10pm
Monday: One Dollar Wild Mondays with Jobu, $1 beer and well; Felix Culpa, $7, 6pm
Tuesday: Trivia Diner: Live Game Show/The Piano Man
Wednesday:Rave to the Grave
Thursday: Chicago Farmer, $7

May 19, MASTODON... that's right MASTO-fucking-DON!!!! $23, 6pm

the Guinness exBEERiment

Thursday, March 11, along with a couple other people, I went out attempting to find what bar in downtown Champaign has the best Guinness Draught.

Before we went out, I put together a little information on Guinness (most of the information was from Wiki)

Guinness Drought is a stout, specifically a Dry Irish Stout. Originally the beer was called a porter and was brewed by Arthur Guinness at the St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin. In 1759, Arthur signed a 9,000 year lease on the St. James’s gate brewery at 45 pounds per year. The St. James’s Gate brewery covers 64 acres and has (at times) been the largest brewery in the world; it is still the largest stout brewer.

All Guinness Draught is brewed at the St. James’s gate brewery. Other versions can be brewed elsewhere. The Guinness extra stout that you purchase in stores is brewed in Canada. There are several versions of Guinness: Guinness Draught (served in kegs, cans, and bottle); Guinness Extra Stout; and recently the Guinness 250^th anniversary.

Guinness is served on nitro (you can tell by the long black thing on the tap). Nitrogen provides the creamy head and creamy mouthfeel. Draught Guinness is served with a nitrogen/carbon dioxide mixture (normally 70/30 in USA; in Ireland 80/20) The nitrogen isn’t as soluble in the liquid as is the co2, so that the beer doesn’t have a co2 fizzyness. On tap the beer is pushed through a plate with holes to help in the formation of the “surge”.

Flavors that can normally be detected while tasting Guinness are coffee, possibly chocolate, and a "roasty toasty" flavor. Guinness has an ABV of 4.1 to 4.3%. It is made from water, barley, hops, and brewer’s yeast. Additionally, it is treated with isinglass finings that help to remove solids in the wort prior to fermentation. Isinglass finings are made from fishes’ air bladders.

The “perfect pint” (according to Guinness) should take 119.53 seconds to pour. It should also be a double pour. Draught Guinness should be served at 6 C (42.8 f)

*soft history* The double pour comes from previous traditions of serving people a mixed aged beer (three threads?) Old beer was poured into the glass until it was ¾ full, then let stand. Then newer gassier beer was added which produced the foamy head.

Guinness is owned by Diageo.

So, with a little bit of info about the beer we headed downtown to attempt to try Guinness on Draught at as many bars as we could find it on.

The group had a person who loves Guinness (Jon); a person who hates Guinness (Kristy); a person who used to like it but is now indifferent (me); and a person who doesn't really seem to have an intense like or dislike for it (Brandon). Andy, GM of Seven Saints also accompanied us to another of the bars. We took a thermometer with us and asked the bartenders as much info about their Guinness as we could.

+ We started out at Seven Saints. 7S sells Guinness in an Imperial Pint (20 oz) for $4.50. According to Andy, the keg we were drinking from had been tapped 3 days prior. He said they normally go through about a keg and a half a week. Their nitrogen to carbon dioxide mixture was 75/25, which seemed to be the norm in downtown (as opposed to the 70/30 mixture that was mentioned in the wiki article). Andy said they clean their beer lines every other week. The beer was served at 41.9 degrees.

Since this was our first stop, it served as the baseline for the evening.

Appearance:
Kristy: "looks like a milk shake"
Andy: (biased but still valid) a perfect pour, has a finger of foam
Jon: dark with foam rising to the top, about 3/16" foam above the glass

Aroma:
Jon: little coco smell, bread
Brandon: slight bread
Me: a bit chocolaty, coffee, and roasty
Andy: balanced hop, roast, acid and barley

Mouthfeel:
Andy: perfect head and body
Kristy (an imperial stout lover): thin
Me: creamy, kinda thick, drying
Brandon: smooth

Taste:
Brandon: smooth, kinda roasty
Jon: bitter, foamy
Kristy: bitter finish, slight coffee aftertaste
Me: Dark toast, bitter, subtle vanilla

Overall:
Me: Not a bad pint, gets "burneder" as it warms
Jon: an OK Guinness
Andy: "nothing wrong... we'll see if someone is more right"

+ Our next stop was next door, at Mike N' Molly's. Murph was bartending and knows his product. He was also very accommodating to our questions. He believed the keg went on Wednesday at around 9 pm. They do a 75/25 nitro/co2 mixture. They normally go through about 4 or 5 kegs of Guinness a week. The beer was $4.75 and served in an imperial pint. It registered at 41.9 on the thermometer.

Appearance:
Me: 1/4 inch of head
Jon: Foam travelled to the top fast (the surge)

Aroma:
Me: almost has a sour/tart smell
Jon: has a woody smell
Andy: less bready, more acidic

Mouthfeel:
Andy: perfect feel
Brandon: good
Jon: feels good
Me: creamy, feels colder, drying
Kristy: thin and smooth

Taste:
Kristy: not as roasty, not as strong
Me: Not as roasty, finishing bitter
Jon: little smoother with a slight dark barley aftertaste
Andy: less bready in flavor, more round, more acidic finish

Overall:
Kristy: seemed weak
Jon: tastes like Guinness
Brandon: not as enjoyable as Seven Saints
Me: not bad
Andy: weaker flavor, colder?

Noted differences:
Me: no chocolate flavor at first, warms up with a bitter chocolate flavor
Andy: weaker flavor, colder?

+ Our next stop was Jupiter's (Classic). Andy got called back to work, so he wasn't able to spend the rest of the night with us. Jupiter's also uses a 75/25 mixture (we didn't' get any other answer, so I'll be leaving out the nitro mixture from now on). The keg had been changed out on Wednesday. Jupiter's goes through about a keg and a half a week. The beer was served in a normal pint (shaker) glass, it didn't appear to be a cheater shaker glass, so it should have been around 16 ounces instead of 14. It cost $4 for the glass. Jupiter's is running a special for $5 you can get it in an imperial pint and keep the glass, and there are $4 refills; this special runs through St. Patrick's Day. Ours was presented at 45 degrees.

Appearance:
Brandon: presented with a clover, which is not as pretty
Jon: beer glass instead of a Guinness glass
Me: 1/2 inch of foam with no apparent surge
Kristy: not a good pour, settled weird

Aroma:
Kristy: smells funny
Me, Brandon, Jon: smells fishy

Mouthfeel:
Jon: normal, compared to the others
Kristy: slightly thicker
Me: thinner but still creamy... gritty

Taste:
Kristy: a little bitter
Me: astringent, not as bitter, almost grape-y
Brandon: not the funky aftertaste of Mike N' Molly's

Noted Differences:
Me: thinner, less flavor, bleachy
Brandon: weird

Jupiter's was the first place where the differences in the beer were really apparent. When we were there, the bartender didn't know any of the answers to our questions about the age of the keg, and how many they go through. Jon went back later, and asked one of the managers and got the answers. He also got an imperial pint in the keeper glass, and said that the fishy smell was gone.

+ The next stop was Guido's Bar and Grill. We talked to Foo, he said they go through about 1 or 2 kegs a week. The keg we were drinking from was probably put on, on Sunday. Based on the frothy-ness of the pour, he assumed it was near the bottom of the keg. Due to it being so foamy, the pour took significantly longer than 119.53 seconds. When we got our beer, it registered 56 degrees. It was served in a regular 16 ounce pint/shaker glass and cost $4. Did you notice I said it was 56 degrees when we first started drinking. I thought the thermometer broke, so we got a glass of icewater, and that registered 31 degrees, so 56 is probably close to correct.

Appearance:
Me: similar
Kristy: little head

Aroma:
Brandon: I could smell that one
Jon: not much smell
Kristy: no smell

Mouthfeel:
Me: thinner, less creamy
Brandon/Jon: warm
Kristy: thin, warmer than the rest

Taste:
Me: sweeter, oddly not bitter
Kristy: not a lot of bitterness
Jon: like a warm Guinness

Overall Impression:
Jon: not any kind of bitterness
Brandon: not as smooth
Me: "wow, hot!!!", almost like a Pepsi

Noted Differences:
Brandon: warm Guinness
me: way to hot

+ Our next walk was down the street to the Blind Pig Brewery (the Piglet). The bartender was busy, so we didn't get the opportunity to ask any questions. The beer cost $4.50 and is served in an imperial pint. It came to us at 41.6 degrees.

Appearance:
Kristy: good pour, nice head, really thick head
Brandon: good head
Jon: thick foam
Me: thicker head, probably a more recent keg

Aroma:
everyone: there is no smell

Mouthfeel:
Jon: little more satisfied than the last
Kristy: thicker
Me: milkshakey

Taste:
Jon, Me: bitterness is back
Brandon: not fishy
Kristy: bitter, smooth

Overall Impression:
Me: this might be the best of the night
Jon: m m m good
Brandon: I like it

Noted differences:
Me: It's a much better experience when not by the upstairs shit tube.

+ We left the Piglet and headed to the main Blind Pig, right down the alley. As we were walking down the alley, we said "candyman" three times, and of course, he appeared. Brandon talked to the bartenders, and Blind Pig goes through a keg about once every other day. It was served in an imperial pint for $4.50. Our beer was 43.4 degrees.

Appearance:
Kristy: good pour, nice thick head
Jon: looks like Guinness
Brandon (seeming to lose interest): yummy
Me: 1/3 inch head or so

Aroma:
Jon: not much
Brandon: same, not fishy

Mouthfeel:
Kristy: thin
Jon: cool and refreshing
Brandon: smooth

Taste:
Me: kinda like a cream soda
Kristy: bitter, smooth
Jon: bitter with a barley aftertaste
Brandon: (sticking with his new adjective) yummy

Overall Impression:
absolutely no comments

Noted differences:
Jon: similar to the brewery
Me: bitter chocolate, not a bad pint, some vanilla tones

+ The final bar that we managed to get a Guinness at was the Esquire Lounge. According to our bartender, Esquire goes through about 3 kegs a week, almost one every other day. It costs $4.50 for a traditional pint/shaker. It was served at 43.5 degrees.

Appearance:
Me: good dimpling, surge still present and visible (downward moving bubbles) with a shamrock
Jon: normal
Kristy: nice pour, good head, thick
Brandon: had the down buttles

Aroma:
Jon: like Guinness
Brandon: similar

Mouthfeel:
Kristy: slightly thicker
Brandon: not as smooth
Jon: normal

Taste:
Me: coffeer, more roast, more acidic
Kristy: more flavorful on the front end
Brandon: a little more coffee

Overall Impression:
Brandon: ehh... meh...

Noted differences:
Esquire has peanuts available.
Kristy: don't eat peanuts with the beer
Jon: not good with peanuts
Me: doesn't work with peanuts

+We then walked down to Bentley's pub. We walked in and the bar seemed completely full, for Karaoke. We didn't anticipate it being that full right around 10, and we had hoped to save Bentley's for last, as they probably go through as much Guinness as any other bar. However, due to their being full, and no place for us to sit and do our exBEERiment, we weren't able to finish there.

Overall, there wasn't a hugely clear cut winner. The best of the night was probably the Blind Pig Brewery. Any of the bars serving Guinness in an imperial pint were perfectly acceptable beers. I was pleased that many of the bartenders and managers knew what they were talking about with the beer. They seemed able to guess the fullness of the keg based on how it poured, which I found interesting. A foamier glass usually meant the keg was getting empty.

There definitely was a big loser on the night. Guido's definitely had the worst beer. It was warmest, by about 10 degrees, and had the most differences in feel, aroma, and taste. Based on the rate they go through kegs, I would recommend never going there on a Thursday night for Guinness. If they go through 2 kegs a week, then pretty much every Thursday will be the end of a keg. If it's changed out on Sunday morning, then the keg will routinely run out around the end of Thursday night, and then they will go through a keg on the weekend and put a new one on, on Sunday morning.

Other lessons learned are that in the case of Guinness on Draught, the newer the keg, the better it is going to be. If it's older, it just seems to be not as lively. It's had more time to interact with the nitrogen and carbon dioxide. It doesn't seems as good.

Also, don't eat peanuts while you are trying to drink a Guinness, nobody enjoyed that.

We believe the Jupiter's fishy smell was probably from a dirty glass. Kristy claims that there is a distinct onion smell in both Jupiter's downtown and at the Crossing that gets into her clothes. Even though the glass is glass and shouldn't absorb smells, it seemed to have something distinctly off. We believe this may be because any washcloths that are used to clean/dry glasses will also have absorbed the onion smell. As Jon's keeper glass was never used before, it didn't have the opportunity to get the onion smell.

The bars didn't really know that we were coming, so it was almost a surprise inspection. Murph at Mike N' Molly's was aware we were going to be doing it at some point, and Andy definitely knew we were coming, but they didn't do anything special. If an average person just walked in off the street, the beers we got were representative of what they would have gotten. This could have been their impressions.

From best to worst, the Guinness that evening would be:

1. Blind Pig Brewery
2. Blind Pig
3. Mike N' Molly's
4. Seven Saints
5. Esquire
6. Jupiter's downtown
7. Guido's

2-4 are pretty much interchangeable.

CU Bars in the News, Urbana Issues Alcohol Citations

From WICD, ABC 15

Urbana Issues Alcohol Citations

Urbana- Two bars and one restaurant in Urbana face thousands of dollars in fines and risk getting their liquor license suspended or revoked.

Urbana police arrested three people Friday March 5th for selling alcohol to minors.

The three people who were arrested by police also can face up to one year in jail for selling alcohol to minors.

The crimes took place at Milo's Restaurant, The Iron Post and The Rose Bowl.

Milo's; the Iron Post; and the Rose Bowl.

Exactly why there is stock footage of B-Rad from Radio Maria mixing a cocktail doesn't make any sense. Brad wasn't arrested. Brad works in Champaign, not Urbana.

March 11, Beer Class, the Guinness ExBEERiment

Tomorrow, Thursday, March 11, the Seven Saints beer class will set out to find who has the best Guinness in downtown Champaign.

Everyone over 21 is invited. There is no cost to join, you just have to pay for your beer.

We will be meeting at Seven Saints at 7 pm. Please, don't show up on an empty stomach, there will be a lot of Guinness consumed.

The goal is to find out where in downtown is the best Guinness. The thinking behind this is that if a place does Guinness right, they will probably be able to do the rest of their beers correct too. We will be looking for any differences from one bar to the next. The object is not to get drunk, it's to find out where the best glass of Guinness is.

The bars that we will hit include (but are not limited to/ in no particular order) Seven Saints, Mike n' Molly's, Blind Pig, Blind Pig Brewery (the Piglet), Esquire (they should have Guinness, they have signs all over the place), Guidos, Jupiters, Bentley's. Any other place that has Guinness on tap will probably be added.

If you come, I recommend having a drinking buddy, someone to split the glass with, as there are 7 bars listed so far. Guinness is normally served in an imperial pint, so that's a lot of liquid in an evening.

So, show up at 7Saints around 7, and bring a buddy, there's a lot of Guinness to be drank.

Alcohol in the Local News, Champaign council to reconsider grant to combat underage drinking

From the News-Gazette

Champaign council to reconsider grant to combat underage drinking

CHAMPAIGN – The city council on Tuesday night voted to reconsider a federal grant it previously had voted to reject: $11,392 for underage drinking enforcement.

You may remember recently the city council refused the money. There has apparently been a change of heart.

The council will take a second vote on whether to accept the federal money at its March 16 meeting.

The money is apparently part of a larger grant for the Mental health Center of Champaign County.

Exactly what underage drinking has to do with mental health is beyond me.

Before voting to deny the grant at its first trial, council member Tom Bruno said he was against it because he questioned "the morality of accepting federal grant money for local purposes."

Apparently it's ok to accept federal money for mental health, but not for underage drinking.

Dumbest Unofficial partier

From the News-Gazette

Worst charges out of Unofficial: magic mushrooms, hitting a cop

URBANA — A Champaign man who admitted to police he was cultivating hallucinogenic mushrooms is due back in court next week with an attorney.

Did that just say he "admitted" to police.

When officers accompanied Cullinan to his room, they also found two jars that Cullinan said he had injected with psilocybin spores. He told the officers he was planning on cultivating the psilocybin mushrooms when they grew.

Exactly how high was this guy when the cops showed up?

Founders Nemesis

Nemesis has made it to Champaign Urbana.

According to a source... It's available at Friar Tucks and at the Corkscrew. I've heard that corkscrew is only selling two bottles per person. Not sure on the Tucks availability, probably the same. My source says that neither received very much.

If you can get there before me... don't take it all.

If I get there before you.. I will take it all.

Nemesis is a wheatwine.

Just got back from Corkscrew... they are out, and were out on Sunday.

Scott just called Friar Tucks, they apparently still have some.

Alcohol in the News; hey babe, can I buy you a beer?

From Time

Study: Women Who Drink Tend to Be Thinner

For anyone trying to lose weight, one of the first indulgences to get cut from their diet is alcohol. After all, alcohol packs 7 kcal/g - a good-size glass of wine packs more than 150 calories - an extravagance that could stymie efforts to slim down.

But maybe it's time to put that wine glass back on the table. New findings from researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston reveal that women who drink moderately are less likely to gain weight over time than those who don't. Before you start stocking your kitchen with vodka instead of vegetables, however, experts caution that the relationship between alcohol and weight may not be that simple.

...

After 13 years, women consuming the highest amount of alcohol per day (more than two drinks daily) were 30% less likely to be overweight and nearly 70% less likely to be obese than non-drinkers, the team found.

...

The association led the team to consider several possible explanations. First, it could be that women who drink more simply substitute alcohol for other sources of calories - in essence adopting a form of the liquid diet. Indeed, when the researchers analyzed the data, it appeared that the women who drank the most got fewer of their total calories from nonalcoholic sources than other women, but also consumed the most calories overall. Women having one to two drinks daily, for example, consumed 1,738 kcal/day, compared to the 1,670 kcal/day of teetotalers, but they took in 177 fewer kcal/day from nonalcoholic sources. Whether or not this substitution is a conscious decision on the women's part still isn't clear, and the study wasn't designed to find out.

...

Basically, the story says that women who drink tend to eat less, and use the alcohol calories INSTEAD of food calories. Men who drink tend to drink AND eat.

CU Bars in the News, St. Pat's Drinks

From WCFN 49 News

St. Pat's Drinks

Andy Borbely, GM of Seven Saints, talks about Irish Whiskey.

He uses a Chicago Cubs bottle opener... thank you Kristy.

Go to Seven Saints for Whiskey Wednesday on St. Patrick's Day for Irish Whiskey.

Beer in the News, Books About Beer

From WCIA, CBS 3.

Page Turners: Books About Beers

Ryan Franklin from Mattoon Public Library mentions a few books about beer.

Pints and Purls - Portable Projects for the Social Knitter, Karida Collins and Liby Bruce

B is for Beer, Tom Robbins

The Short Course in Beer, L.F. Hoffman

The Gourmet's Guide to Cooking with Beer, Alison Boteler

1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, Adrian Tierney-Jones

Rob seems really interested in beer, Andy should invite him to Beer Class at Seven Saints on Thursdays at 9:30.

Books I would recommend about beer are:

Ultimate Beer, Michael Jackson (not that Michael Jackson)

The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food, Garrett Oliver

The entire line of the Classic Beer Styles Series, if someone wants to buy me Lambic, I'd be very thankful. I have #1, Pale Ale, and #8 Scotch. Others in the series are Continental Pilsner; Oktoberfest/Vienna/Marzen; Porter; Belgian Ale; German Wheat; Bock; Stout; Barleywine; Altbier; kolsch; Brown; Mild Ale; Bavarian Lager; and Smoked. Most are available on Amazon. (Apparently there's also a Bavarian Helles)

If you want a list of beer books I don't recommend, I can give that to you too.