Weekend Diversion: Night Of The Ponies
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Around Town
Around Town
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For those of us who took a snow day, we have the option of reaching into the fridge for a beer. Few beers help bide one's time during a spell of bad weather quite like a stout. Regular readers know that we prefer English stouts over their Irish counterparts. They're heavier, richer, and haven't been sullied by Gaelic hands. Typically, English stouts are brewed with little additions, like oatmeal, chocolate, or coffee.
The Suffolk-based St. Peter's Brewery is housed in old farm buildings, on a site dating back to the thirteenth century. This 11-year-old brewery produces both traditional English beers and unique choices like a honey porter, grapefruit beer, and a spiced wassail. Most of their selections are bottled in replica Revolutionary War-era flask-styled bottles. Our favorite St. Peter's selection is their old-style porter. As we're writing this, however, it doesn't hit the spot quite like their cream stout, a half-liter bottle of chocolate bliss.
St. Peter's brews their cream stout using Fuggles and Challenger hops, and a blend of four barley malts. Like most English stouts, St. Peter's cream stout is thick, almost like syrup. Because of the way it's bottled, it doesn't have the cascading head most of us associate with stouts. The head on St. Peter's produces large, soda-like bubbles. This beer could benefit from an added nitrogen widget, for decanting purposes. Sipping this, you'll pick up a nice chocolate flavor on your tongue. It isn't as sweet as Young's Double Chocolate Stout, or overpowering like Sam Adams Chocolate Bock. The flavor here is reminiscent of bittersweet baking chocolate, becoming more prominent as the beer warms to room temperature. It drinks great by itself, or blended with a fruitier beer, like New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red, or Lindeman's Framboise, for a dessert in a glass.
We found St. Peter's Cream Stout at Lush Wine & Spirits' University Village location for around five dollars. That's a bit higher than what Sam's sells St. Peter's Golden ale, but we live closer to Lush than Sam's, and are willing to pay extra for the convenience. For the lady in your life who loves chocolate, it's cheaper than an assortment of bon-bons, so think about picking up a bottle this evening. St. Peter's Cream Stout is a beer worth strapping on snow shoes to buy, and it's Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week."
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that stuff is overpriced and complete crap. even worse that the bottle which looks big at first is actually flattened.
I thought it was pretty tasty, but yeah, overpriced. And, uff da, did it wreck my insides.
Let me get this straight. For most people on this blog, if someone can afford to buy a condo they are yuppie idiots who aren't "real" Chicagoans, and should pack it up and move to Naperville at their earliest convenience.
Yet, if I can't afford to drink fancy beer like St. Peter's or dine at whatever restaurant is hip for this week I am also not worthy, because anyone who drinks or eats anything mainstream is boring and also belongs in the suburbs.
Seems like this blog is filled with posers. You claim you love the variety of the city life, yet anyone different from you doesn't have the right to live here.
i actually like that stuff. they have it at jake's on north clark street
i've had a few of those at jake's on north clark street. i thought they were decent
Don't know where you're getting that from, Steve S, I mean, "posers", but if you're new to this series, it isn't about who can afford what, it's about celebrating beer in all its forms. Which means that we're trying to look at more than just the mainstream brands. It certainly isn't an indictment on anything regarding modern city living. And at $5, it's affordable for anyone who wants to try it. Especially if you're paying $4 for a Miller or a Bud at a concert or ball game
I'd ask you to get over yourself, but the advice would probably go over your head.
You should try Left Hand Milk Stout. It's amazing! We get it on tap at Poor Phil's in Oak Park, and recently bought a six pack from a local liquor store. I LOVE it.
for some reason, every time i have a St. Pete's, it reminds me of soy sauce...
RIP Bell's Double Cream Stout. You shall be remembered fondly.
ps. in a traditional stout, there is absolutely no chocolate or coffee. they just taste like it (it's the roasted malts).
pps. cascading bubbles are unique to nitrogenated beers, which isn't the norm for any style of stout, except perhaps the dry irish. (nitrogen gives a creamy mouthfeel at the cost of some flavor).