When the press release for Bytox, a patch that claims to "stop hangovers before they start," came across our virtual desk, we sharpened our pencils. more ›

We preview the forthcoming PBS miniseries and share the recipe for Corpse Reviver #2, a vintage cocktail. more ›

Under dozens of kitchen sinks and tucked behind countless closet doors, something is brewing in Chicago. It's beer. More precisely, it's home-brewed beer. And with more and more beer enthusiasts adopting the hobby of fermenting their own suds, Chicago home brewers Jared Saunders and Whit Nelson realized the community begged for a place to gather, learn, talk shop and gear up. From that idea, Brew Camp was born. more ›

We caught wind this week that over the past several months, Cody Modeer, head bartender at In Fine Spirits in Andersonville, has been busy behind the scenes concocting his own potable bitters. And not just any bitters, but a replica of the fabled Amer Picon, a French spirit akin to Italian amaro that has been unavailable in the United States for some time. (Respectively, "amer" and "amaro" are the French and Italian words for "bitter.") Modeer debuted the stuff on Wednesday. In typical bitters-fanatic fashion, 24 hours later we're bellied-up at Cody's bar, angling for a sip. more ›

We got a first look at North Shore Distillery's brand new tasting room, which opened to the public on Friday. more ›

Not that there is ever a time of the year that does not lend itself to a cold libation of good liquor and fresh mixers. But few seasons seem to scream for frosty, tequila-based cocktails like summer. When the temperature goes up, the clothes come off, and the margaritas come out. Perhaps the most popular tequila drink in America, it is a concoction steeped in myth and controversy. Regardless of where it came from or how it is best served, one thing is certain . . . we have a definite love affair with this drink. Heck, it even has its own national holiday! (February!?!?) more ›

From the "We're not crying wolf" department, tickets to WhiskyFest Chicago (April 15 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago) are almost sold out, according to the press release we received in our inbox this morning. Having attended a fair share of these events, we can assure you that the $135 ticket price is a value. Get them now before they're gone. more ›

Here is the true story of alcoholic vervet monkeys in the Caribbean. Mainly we just wanted to post about drunken monkeys without referring to the martial arts style. more ›

Our friends over at Gaper's Block linked to the safe for work version of this earlier today. We, however, work from home, and have a very different definition of "safe for work." more ›

On December 5, 1933, The "noble experiment" (which was pretty much a miserable failure) drew to a close. Prohibition was finally repealed when Utah, the last state needed for a three quarters majority, ratified the 21st amendment to the Constitution. more ›

24 cans. That's how much Four Loko it would take to drop you in your tracks (in the death sense) according to a piece in Esquire magazine. In case anyone has forgotten, Four Loko is the caffeinated malt-liquor concoction that has the nation all a-tizzy, and a can contains as much caffeine as 4 shots of espresso. more ›

As we mentioned earlier today, we've been tearing into a significant amount of our beer library the past couple of days to make room for some new additions (like the Goose Island BCS Rare) and found a lot of stouts, heavy ales and porters ready for the drinking. Example, last night we broke out a 2010 Dark Lord and a 2009 Flossmoor Station Wooden Hell for an evening meetup with friends. more ›

One of our best flight ever was a British Airways flight from O'Hare to London's Heathrow Airport where we asked the Flight attendant for a Bacardi and Coke every 30 minutes until we passed out, then every fifteen after. We woke up at one point on the flight caked in drool with six rums and Coke in front of us. Those were the days. more ›

As other states across the country have banned Four Loko, City Council is ready to follow suit, and the FDA may impose a ban today that could give the alcoholic energy drink a very short life, the Chicago-based producers of the drink are engaging in damage control mode. more ›

did a simple comparison between grocery stores and bars to discover a remarkable geographically [sic] phenomenon. We had expected that grocery stores would outnumber bars and for most parts of North America that is the case. But we could also clearly see the "beer belly of America" peeking out through the "t-shirt of data." Starting in Illinois, the beer belly expands up into Wisconsin and first spreads westward through Iowa/Minnesota and then engulfs Nebraska, and the Dakotas before petering out (like a pair of love handles) in Wyoming and Montana.

Dear Megan, more ›

A stolen semi containing more than 1,200 cases of liquor was found on the South Side on Monday. The truck was reported stolen around 12:30a.m. on Friday from a National Wine & Spirits in Indiana, according to Sgt. Matthew Mount. Two men allegedly wearing ski masks commandeered the delivery truck by gunpoint after attacking the truck's driver and handcuffing him and throwing him in an empty trailer of a parking lot. After the two men drove off, the driver exited the trailer and called for help. The truck was recovered over three days later at the 12000 block of South Avenue O in Chicago and two men were arrested. It is unknown if the liquor was still in the truck when it was found. Rumors have been circulating that the 1,200+ cases were headed to Chicagoist Editor-in-chief Marcus Gilmer's house for a Halloween party. more ›

At one point in their lives, almost all beer enthusiasts have dropped in to the local liquor store to pick up a single foamy beverage. Many liquor stores, convenience marts and other booze barns sell single cans or bottles of beer in all shapes and sizes. For consumers, single cans are an alternative to grab a quick drink instead of investing in a six pack or full case. For retailers, selling them is a way to cash in on broken cases or on locals interested in a more portable intoxicant. That is exactly what some townspeople in north suburban Arlington Heights want to change. more ›

According to an article in today's Trib it looks like beer, wine and other alcoholic packaged goods could be coming soon to a Walgreen's near you. After Prohibition the drugstore began selling alcohol at many of their locations, but that was phased out in early 90's because it was deemed too costly. Now, according to company spokeswoman Tiffani Washington, new computer systems will make it easier to manage. Profits at the chain have been slipping recently. Perhaps booze can pump them back up. We're completely in favor of the change, as it would mean another way we'd be able to avoid CVS, not to mention it's easier to find a Walgreens. more ›

A young man's oafish buddies convince him to take a bus to the countryside and meet them at a college chum's guest house, where "there's lots of booze and delicious barbecue." Of course when he arrives his friends are nowhere to be found; and getting back to Seoul proves to be an unexpectedly tall order. Among the problems he has to contend with are crappy cell phone reception, con artists, and the constant necessity of being polite by accepting drinks from strangers. more ›

Following up on yesterday's story regarding the city asking bars and restaurants around Wrigley Field to voluntarily honor a ban on alcohol sales after the seventh-inning stretch during post-season "clinch" games (definition for some readers/"Cubs Fans": "a game in which the Cubs can end a series with a win, facilitating their continued participation in the postseason"). How do you think Mayor Daley reacted to the protests of business owners who said that the proposed ban lacked common sense? Rationally? more ›

Leave it to the city to throw a huge bucket of cold water on the Cubs first back-to-back division titles ever. They're asking bars and restaurants around Wrigley Field to observe a voluntary cutoff of alcohol sales after the seventh-inning stretch to keep post-playoff game celebrations from turning into... well, the 81 regular season post-game celebrations that preceded them. more ›

Metra is eliminating its bar cars come Friday. The rail service hasn't renewed contracts with vendors not because of concerns about alcohol use but because the bar cars don't bring in enough money; instead, Metra wants to use the cars for regular seating. But fear not, traveling boozers! You can still drink on the train. [Trib]
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When we filed our report from the National Restaurant Association's annual trade show in May, we were very curious about Wine Cellar Sorbets. The New York-based company and "sorbet sommelier" Dave Zablocki do not skimp on the amount of wine (or sake) used in making their sorbets, which was one of the reasons we gravitated toward the booth. more ›

Chicago is the fifth-hardest drinking city in America, according to a new analysis by Forbes, who's really feeling the ranking stories this week. We drink less than Austin, Milwaukee, San Francisco, and Providence. Providence? more ›

Even before William Ligue Jr. ran onto the field at Comiskey Park and attacked a Royals coach, Cubs fans have tried to pin the undeserving "violent" label as a negative stereotype of Sox fans [Ed.'s note: It probably has something to do with incidents like this]. Never mind that Ligue admitted to actually being a Cubs fan... or that it was outside Wrigley Field that a fan was shot and killed [Ed's note: Touché, Lipsman]. more ›

One can't have a hearty Korean dinner — or even sushi — without a bracing serving of soju. It's clear color and clean flavor is comparable to vodka, except for a slightly sweeter taste resulting from the addition of sugar in the distilling process. more ›

Newsflash: Teenagers like drugs and fucking! Sun hot, water wet, Jolie attractive, Hawking smart. And so on. more ›

Terrence Camodeca, Orland Park resident, and Village Trustee Pat Gira are working on making "airplane bottles" of liquor illegal in the OP. And then from there, to the county, and maybe...to the state? (Cue "Trumpets of Doom.") more ›