Author: chicagocraft

Follow This Rainbow

I’m a sucker for anything tropical. Pineapple, mango, coconut-scented sunscreen—GET IN MY BELLY. And as a foodie, I also love herbaceous flavors. That’s why finding this Rainbow Seeker Pineapple + Sage Hard Cider by Blake’s Hard Cider Co. had me thanking the alcohol gods in the aisle at Garfields.
Bright colors on the can = bright flavor inside. I have to admit, on the first sip, all I tasted was your typical apple cider. Delicious, not teeth-rot sweet, but not quite as dry as I typically like, especially after an afternoon of picking up rain-splattered dog poop and mowing the lawn.
Once I remembered I was writing an article and not just farting around and drinking, I let myself experience this semi-sweet cider. That’s when the pineapple flavor revealed itself to me like a shy lover.

Moment of honesty: I was raised on canned pineapple. I love my mother. She’s nearly infallible. But this and microwaveable bacon may have been her only two mistakes.

But this. This little can of ROYGBIV is nothing like canned pineapple. The pineapple is natural, real, and subtle, more of an undertone lending bright acidity than a main player, and it gives this gluten free cider that fresh-from-the-Jewel-produce-section flavor.
The sage? Nowhere to be found, I’m sorry to say. Maybe someone with a more sensitive palette can pick it up, but I can’t taste it, and it kind of breaks my heart.
At 5.5% ABV, beer bros would call this a “sessionable” cider. This zesty little can ain’t gonna slam you to the floor, which means you get to drink more than one. Hell, you can drink more than three and probably be ok to sensibly text your ex. Try it.*
Rainbow Seeker is part of Blake’s Hard Cider Co.’s Kinder Cider Series, which partners with nonprofits to give back to communities. This psychedelic colored can touts the company’s partnership with the Human Rights Campaign.

As a millennial (deal wit’ it), I like products that support causes. I like buying products from companies that support others’ wellbeing. And more than anything, I like knowing that my drunk is helping out our LGBTQ community. That means I’ll definitely be trying the rest of Blake’s Hard Cider’s collection.

*Chicago Craft is not liable for any text messages leading to the breakup of a current relationship or .

Katie O’Shaughnessy
Foreign Correspondent, Ciders

Duck, Duck, Gose!

http://Chicago-craft.com

After sifting through a sea of stouts, IPA’s and sours, we find ourselves looking for something new. This frothy cross-roads may not only take us on a boozy adventure, but ultimately leads to something reborn from history…

The Gose beer.

Think of it as a slightly salty take on a sour with a low ABV. Some people love this brew, others say it tastes like sweat. But we say give it a try, I mean, where is your sense of adventure? Welp, some Chicago area breweries have been mixing this into their brews as of late and people are noticing. They do add a small percentage usually, as the original brewed in the 13th century might not be your (or most of the world’s) thing.

The Original? Well it began it’s salty beginnings in Goslar, Germany around 1265 by a one armed monk named Rohan. Rohan had a a river near his home (the Gose river) that had an unusually high salinity. He used this water and a 50% grain bill of malted wheat and the concoction took off. Goes breweries popped up all over the area and by the 1800’s Rohan was rich… and very dead. By 1945 and the outbreak of WWII, his Gose was also buried. The country was nationalized and closed all the gose-style breweries. But in the mid 50’s some inventive soul found the recipe in a sock drawer and it started again. Then that guy died and gose once again died.
In 1980 it started up again and ceased in 1988, probably because in 1988 people only drank 4 different beers. (outrage!)

20 years later came the American craft beer movement and brewers were scrambling for ancient recipes and once again our gose popped up. This time it was diluted with other beers, to make it a bit more palatable.

The first time I tried a gose it was almost 100% gose and I wanted to die, much like Rohan. But now it’s being used in creative ways and is worth a shot. It’s sessionable and unique. The slight salinity compliments the brew, much like pretzels, beer nuts or arguing about politics.

Off color Brewing’s Troublesome, Revolution’s No Pun Intended, Noon Whistle Guava Nose Smack, Founders Green Zebra and others are formulating Gose variants. Toast to Rohan and give them a try!

(Rohan and the 1265 date was totally made up, however everything else was factual, but less fun)

600 Bottles AT Beer On The Wall…

We visited Beer on the Wall this weekend. You should plan on visiting soon, and bring your portly schnauzer and imbibe steadily.

…take one down and pass it around. Or drink it yourself.

We visited Beer on the Wall this weekend. You should plan on visiting soon, and bring your portly schnauzer and imbibe steadily–since this place is dog friendly!

This establishment tucked into the old downtown of Park Ridge gives you a plethora of options from IPAs to Stouts to Sours to Ciders. What makes it unique is that not only can you order drafts (or flights) from their ever changing 12 taps, but you can grab something from the fridge as well. Or coffee…. or whiskey.
This set up makes it easy for you to try something singular, instead of investing in a whole six pack. The comfy seating and friendly atmosphere let’s you kick back, or make a quick stop and take something home from a wide array of beverages. There’s also an outdoor space to soak up the sun and heckle the good people of Park Ridge from afar.

You can tell this place is run by a person that cares about craft beverages and employs people with the same passion in a non-beer-snobby attitude. They have plenty of tastings, pairings and events year-round to check out. The day I showed up they had a shuttle bus taking people back and forth to the Overlord release at 3 Floyds – something I hope to take advantage of next year!

I walked in pretending to be a newbie to the craft scene, never leading them on that I am associated with any craft platform to see how I was treated. (the clout that comes from employed by Chicago Craft is quite overwhelming you see… actually, I’d probably have to pay more than you.) The two bartenders were friendly and informative. The place was pretty busy even though it was pouring outside and a party came in to set up in the back.

A nice addition to everything else is the chalkboard area behind the bar. You can leave a message and $$$ to buy a friend a drink or pay it forward, etc. This has certainly caught on and it’s “chalked” full of friendly notes and banter. “Christine – try the hazy $8” or “Jim – get off your damn computer and have a Pollyanna $10” is a sample of what you’ll find up there.

All in all this is a well thought out shop/bar with good people and crazy variety. So stop by 106 Main Street in Park Ridge and enjoy! We did, and so did the schnauzer.

p.s. They have a new location opening in Arlington Heights later this year.

Cheers! Raise your Spirits.

Thanks for joining us in this new network!

2019_05_08_WELCOME

5/8/2019 Beer Guy? Wine Girl? Binary Spirit Person?

Drinks can (and should) cross gender lines. How we enjoy or what we enjoy to imbibe takes us on journeys with people, places and adventures. The Chicago area is passionate about the craft and is growing exponentially. How do you keep track of it all?

That’s where we come in.

Today starts a new network of people that will keep you informed of all things and maybe guide you to new haunts, fest, bottles and drafts. Our crew here is excited to begin the journey with you so BELLY UP!

We are a group of beer/wine/whiskey/vodka/etc people that are diverse as the city itself. We will be offering things you should check out and keep you updated on releases and such all in a casual atmosphere with original content.

Each month we will spotlight a brewery, distillery, cocktail, etc that we think rates high on our list.

Cheers… and thanks for following Chicago Craft.