We were running around finishing Christmas shopping Sunday when we found ourselves near the Gage. Dirk Flanigan's Michigan Avenue tavern makes quite possibly the best poutine in the city, teeming with cheese curds and rich elk ragout. It's a hearty dish that requires a hearty beer to match. We weren't in the mood for an Imperial IPA, but our first two choices were 86'ed. By process of elimination, Harpoon Brewing was the recipient of our thirst and food pairing skills. more ›

We're going to close out "Ska Month" here at Chicagoist with a review of one of their flagship beers. Springtime is perfect for red ales, and we picked up a six-pack of Ska's Pinstripe Red Ale a couple weeks back at Warehouse Liquors in the South Loop for $8.99. A bit overpriced, but Warehouse is one of those liquor stores that's convenient, and their staff is knowledgeable, even if the cashier said that Pinstripe reminded him of "Killian's, only sweeter." more ›

Spring is in the air, and we're going to try something different this month for "BotW." For April, we're featuring selections from a single brewery we feel deserves some recognition, and chose Durango, Colorado's Ska Brewing Company. We e-mailed Ska co-founder Bill Graham last month, who gave us some background on the company: more ›

Chicagoist isn't one to brag, but we had a golden ticket to see Tom Waits last night at the Auditorium Theatre. While we were blubbering like a five-year-old on his first day in kindergarten as Waits sang an appropriately boozy rendition of "Tom Traubert's Blues", we wondered if we could name a beer that we wrote a review over a year ago "beer of the week." We decided, "Why not?" more ›