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.... more ›

Our Saturday night was spent under a mass of clouds at the Windy City Wine Festival, brushing up on varietals with which we were unfamiliar. One of the exhibitor booths was promoting a limited edition beer, "Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager." The surname should have been a dead giveaway that this beer was brewed in all sorts of wrong. But, we had to taste it anyway; certainly we weren't surprised to find that this shite tasted like Miller High Life with a melted Hershey bar added to the mix. Turned out, that's what it was; another cynical offering from Miller Brewing. It reminded us of how much we love our favorite stout. more ›

Some readers might think that, with all the posts Chicagoist files regarding alcohol, we’re probably halfway to a new liver. The truth is that we’re getting older and we tire easily. Sometimes, we don’t feel like making the effort to open the fridge. Last night, we did make the effort. Then we pulled out our “beer of the week” and cursed ourselves, because we needed a corkscrew for the damn bottle. Such is the case when drinking a Lindemans lambic. more ›