When we were younger and less discriminating about our beer, we considered it a point of pride to be able to drink every draft selection at a bar. When we made it through every tap at Hopleaf (back when it was only a bar; how many of us can remember that?) we stopped taking on that challenge. Then we started hanging out at Skylark with frequency. With only a couple handfuls of selections, a beer... more ›

You know what today is, don’t you? It’s golden beer’s 165th birthday! Yes, 165 years ago today, on Oct. 5, 1842, Joseph Groll, a young brewmaster in Plzen, Czech Republic, discovered a technique for brewing golden beer, otherwise known as the pilsner, or Pilsner Urquell, which is the brand name now. Prior to 1842, most beers had a darker, murkier consistency and a sweeter taste. Lore has it that the citizens of Pilsen were fed... more ›

No witty introduction this week. Our fault for trying to impress the new staffers with barleywine ale and Dalmore. Thank God for French-pressed coffee. The buffet is now open. A Good German to the End: The closing of Delicatessen Meyer should have been a story we weighed in on earlier in the week and not relegated to the Buffet. To that end, Chicagoist extends a sincere mea culpa. Anyhoo, for those who haven't heard, the... more ›

It's no secret that we get letters from you fine readers. At least, those of you who don't hide behind anonymous screen names in the comments. Sometimes we even exchange mash notes with the music stars of our youth. Last week, this Chicagoist staffer received an e-mail from reader Zack, a "BotW" fan asking us what beer pairs best with a turducken. more ›

There's a longstanding quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin that states, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Although Chicagoist's belief in a higher power is suspect, we agree with the rest of Big Ben's wisdom. Beer - and other malt beverages - is also a much discussed subject among the Chicagoist staff. One staffer is obsessed with the alcoholic energy drink known as "Sparks"; just can't get enough of... more ›