Ah, the Coen Brothers. They've given us many memorable tales of kidnapping, murder, and betrayal. But none has grown in cult status quite like The Big Lebowski. Since it's theatrical release (10 years ago yesterday!), and despite its subsequently tepid box office gross, the film has become a huge hit on DVD and has even inspired it's own yearly get-together, known as Lebowski Fest. The Fest gives all the Dude enthusiasts a chance to come together for a screening of the movie, costume contests, White Russians, and, yes, lots and lots of bowling, giving everyone a chance to scream "OVER THE LINE!" more ›

"This place feels like Northside," we remarked to our dining companion as we sat down at the Five Star Bar & Grill on 1424 W. Chicago Ave. Despite the rock-and-roll-inspired decor (which was strangely matched with the weapons-inspired overhead lamps), we felt like we could have been dining on N. Damen — same frat-boy atmosphere, same mediocre selection of standard bar fare, and same feeling as we left of "did we really just spend... more ›

Remember last year when you all got your collective tights in a wad over speculation that Goose Island was being bought by Anheuser-Busch? It's nice to have some hometown pride, but in the world of brewing it's also hard to find a major beer company that isn't involved with a craft brewery in some fashion. It could be a stake in the company. It could be the use of a major beer group's distribution network to market and sell their product. But the days of a small brewery sticking with a small distributor are largely a thing of the past. more ›

We had a Blue Moon milkshake a couple of years and were completely perplexed by the flavor. Was it some sort of blue raspberry concoction? A white chocolate-based ice cream with blue coloring? We couldn't figure it out, so we decided the flavor was decidedly "blue" in taste, and left it at that. While we knew it reminded us of something, we couldn't quite put our finger on it until reading someone else's description of its flavor as "like the milk after a bowl of Froot Loops." more ›

Here's something to waste your time, and the remaining good areas of your livers, without getting Trivial Pursuit answers wrong. The premise of "365-Beer" is a simple one: participants attempt to drink 365 different beers in 365 days. For those of us with some common sense, there are lower targets available. Every beer logged then enters a larger database, giving participants an idea of the range and scope of breweries that they may have... more ›

Regular readers and commenters may be noticing a theme the past week in Chicagoist's posts: they seem to be centered on alcohol. Between last week's hot toddy recipe and yesterday's glögg post (a recipe we alter slightly every year just to keep things interesting) it's almost shaping up like the twelve cocktails of Christmas. more ›

Tonight is the last total lunar eclipse until 2007. You'll be able to see it with the naked eye, but scientists say binoculars or low-grade telescopes will still enhance the experience. And unlike solar eclipses, it's safe to watch. Chicagoist thinks a romantic eclipse picnic is in order, drinking Blue Moon beers and eating moon pies and mooning people and listening to "Bad Moon Rising." We're big on themes. more ›