CU Beer Weekend; April 30

Seven Saints

Rotating taps:

Southern Tier Hop Sun
Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Wednesday: Whiskey Wednesday; Bourbon (possibly)

Radio Maria

1. Capital MaiBock $4
2. Green Flash Le Freak $6
3. Ballast Point Sea Monster $6
4. Bells HopSlam IPA $5
5. Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA $5
6. Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale $4.5
7. Founders Imperial Stout $6
8. North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner $4
9. Goose Island Pepe Nero $6
10.Port Midnight Sessions $5
11.Dogfish Head Aprihop $4.5
12.Port Shark Attack Red Ale $5
13.St Bernardus Abt. 12 $6.5
14.Mikkeller Cascade Single Hop IPA $6
15.Southern Tier Hop*Sun $4
16.Moylan Dragoon's Dry Irish Stout $4.5
17.Left Hand Milk Stout $4
18.Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour $6
19.North Coast Old Stock $6.5
20.Dark Horse Tres Blueberry $5
21.Blanche de Bruxelles $5
22.He'brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A $6
23.Boulevard Tank 7 $4
24.Victory Moonglow $4.5
25.Capital Imperial Dopplebock $5
26.Ayinger Brau Weisse $5.5
27.PBR $2.25

Friday: Happy Hour with free appetizers 4:30 - 5:30; Scott Sivers' Special $4 pint of Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout, $3 pints of Left Hand Milk Stout; DJ at 10pm
Saturday: $4 Jeremiah Weed drinks and $6 Jeremiah Weed John Daly's, Salsa Night at 10.
Sunday: $2 wells, $1.25 PBR
Monday: 25% off bottles of wine; Board Game Monday
Tuesday: 1/2 price wine by the glass
Wednesday: $1 off all beers on draft; Trivia Night 11pm with MC Juice
Thursday:$5 Mojitos & $6 Brazilian Cosmos

Blind Pig

Cask: Two Brothers Cane & Ebel
Great Divide Claymore Scotch; Denver, Colorado, Scotch Ale, 7.7% abv
Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat; Topsham, Maine, Fruit Beer, 4.6% abv
New Holland Envious; Holland, Michigan, Fruit Beer, 7.5% abv
Kostritzer; Germany, Schwarzbier, 4.8% abv
Founders Breakfast Stout; Grand Rapids, Michigan, Imperial Stout, 8.3% abv
Unibroue Trois Pistoles; Canada, Belgian Strong Ale, 9% abv
Pangaea Lilijas Hop Nest Monster; Wisconsin Rapids, WI, India Pale Ale% abv
Original Sin Hard Cider; New York, New York, Cider, 6% abv
Fuller’s London Pride; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Delirium Tremens; Belgium, Belgian Strong Ale, 8.5% abv
Blue Moon; Golden, Colorado, Belgian White, 5.4% abv
Left Hand Polestar Pilsner; Longmont, Colorado, Pilsener, 5% abv
Stella Artois; Belgium, Pale Lager, 5.2% abv
Pabst Blue Ribbon; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Rogue JLS Paul’s Black Lager; Newport, Oregon, Schwarzbier, 5.2%
Bells Oberon; Kalamazoo, Michigan, Wheat Ale, 6% abv
Monk’s Cafe; Belgium, Sour Ale, 5.5%
Lagunitas IPA; Petaluma, California, India Pale Ale, 5.7% abv
New Holland El Mole Ocho; Holland, Michigan, Spice Ale, 8.8% abv
Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.3% abv
Lindemans Framboise; Belgium, Lambic, 2.5% abv
Blanche de Bruxelles; Belgium, Witbier, 4.5% abv
Belhaven Scottish; Scotland, Bitter, 3.9%
Guinness; Dublin, Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv

Blind Pig Brewery (the Piglet)

Blind Pig Witbier
Blind Pig American Pale Ale
Blind Pig Hard Cider
Moylan’s Old Blarney; Novato, California, Barley Wine, 10% abv
Captial Supper Club; Middleton, Wisconsin, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Black Sheep Monty Python’s Holy Grail; England, Premium Bitter, 4.7% abv
Kasteel Rouge; Belgium, Fruit Beer, 8% abv
Weihenstephaner Hefe; Germany, German Hefeweizen, 5.4% abv
Lost Abbey Red Barn; San Marcos, California, Saison, 6.7% abv
Heilemans Old Style; Woodridge, Illinois, Pale Lager, 5% abv
Avery The Maharaja; Boulder, Colorado, Imperial IPA, 10.54% abv
Castelain; France, Biere de Garde, 6.4% abv
Guinness; Ireland, Dry Stout, 4.1% abv

Sunday: 7-9 Trivia, $1 Old Style, $2 Jameson Whiskey, $3 Guinness Draughts
Monday: $1 off all bottles; Blind Pig Brewery Beer Club

Crane Alley

This just in, bottles of Mikkeller 1000 IBU.

Einbecker Pilsner 4.9%
Chimay Cinq Cents Trappist Tripel 8.0%
Dogfish Head Old Midas Touch Golden Elixir 9.0%
Lost Abbey Carnevale 6.5%
Left Hand Sawtooth Ale 4.8%
Great Divide Titan IPA 6.8%
Bells Oberon 6.0%
Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale 8.3%
Bells Expedition Stout 10.5%
Hoegaarden Belgian Wit 4.9%
Guinness 4.2%
Goose Island Pepe Nero 6.0%
Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter 5.9%
Pabst Blue Ribbon 4.7%
Bells Hopslam 10.0%
Original Sin Hard Cider 6.0%

Food specials for the weekend of April 30

BRIE SALAD - Mixed field greens with pears, walnuts, and dried cherries tossed with lemon-dijon vinaigrette and topped with brie cheese

SALMON CAKES - Honey-walnut crusted fillet of salmon with sauteed squash, zucchini, and carrots over sweet potato puree with sweet onion cream drizzle

INFERNO BURGER - Our 8oz handcrafted burger with carmelized onions, roasted jalapenos, pepperjack cheese, and 4 pepper aioli consisting of chipotle, ancho, pasilla, and habanero. Served with french fries


May 20: Founders/BrewDog Night

A night featuring the brews of Founders. We will have some small batch Founders on tap not available anywhere in Illinois. Bottles of KBS, Backwoods Bastard, Breakfast Stout, Reds Rye, Porter and Dirty Bastard. Some free gifts as well. We will also be showcasing some small batch BrewDog beers this night. Our local representative will be in attendance to give info and answer questions.

July 5: Founders Beer Dinner, 7:30 pm, price and menu tbd

Mike n' Molly's

Guinness
Harp
Strongbow
Miller High Life
Avery DuganA
Schneider Hopfenweissen
Lost Abbey Carnevale
Blanche de Brussels

Two taps I'm not sure of, one by Port, one by someone else

Friday: Inlets
Saturday: The Middle East
Monday: Abe Froman Project, 9-10pm, free/ Rockstar Karaoke, 10-2, free; $1 PBR
Tuesday: $1.25 High Life; $.50 off all taps
Wednesday: Bingo, 9:30-midnight, free; $2 Mickey's Big Mouth; $2.50 rails
Thursday: $2.50 Stella Artois bottles

Black Dog Smoke and Ale House

Founder Breakfast Stout
Hebrew Jewbelation 13
Left Hand Chainsaw American Strong Ale
Summit Horizon Red Ale
Belhaven Scottish Ale
Lost Abbey Carnevale

Cowboy Monkey

Friday: Mhondoro, 10pm, $5
Saturday: Molehill, 10pm, $5
Monday: Roberta Sparrow, 10pm $5
Tuesday: Open Mic Night, 10 pm, free
Wednesday: Salsa, 10pm, free
Thursday: Blues Jam, 9:30pm, free

Highdive

Friday: ROAR (rock out against rape), $5, 6:30; DJ Delayney, $5, 10 pm
Saturday:Dubstep Massacre, 9pm, $5 in advance, $7 at the door
Rest of May isn't filled out.

Canopy Club

Friday: Jus Marley; A Tribute to Bob Marley, 10pm, $6; Teach for America Benefit Concert, 6pm
Saturday: Fishing With Dynamite, 8pm, $5
Sunday: Pizza, Pitcher & a Movie, 80's night 6pm Ferris Bueller's Day off, 8pm The Breakfast Club, 10pm Top Gun
Monday: Third Eye Blind, 7pm, sold out (how have I not heard of this before?)
Tuesday: Trivia Diner: Live Game Show/The Piano Man
Wednesday:Rave to the Grave
Thursday: Mayday Parade, 5pm, $13 in advance; Santah cd release party

May 19: Mastodon, 6pm, $23 in advance

Other Events:

CU Beer Club
Tuesday: Happy Hour at Mike n' Molly's, 6pm

Great Taste of the Midwest
Sunday: Tickets go on sale, noon $40. (limit 2 per person)
To find a ride, go to Radio Maria on Friday for Happy Hour at 5pm.

Monday: Mail Order Sales.

Why I hate cover charges

One of the things I hate about bars, is a cover charge.

It's hard to write about something that I don't like without winding up sounding like a whining little bastard. I was about to remove everything below this paragraph, but figured I'd keep it available. I'll work further on this later. But the main points are below.

When I go out, I select a bar based on the beverage selection. Even though I provide the entertainment listings for the bars, here on the blog, I know that the reason bars have entertainment is to get people in the door and have them spend money on drinks or food.

I believe that bands should play for tips, and not for a flat rate. If you (the consumer) like what you are hearing, give them the money; if you don't like them, vote with your wallet. A bar shouldn't have to pay a band to come in to play. A patron shouldn't have to pay money to hear something they may or may not like. If the band is good enough to draw a crowd, sell tickets.

Some of the excuses given for charging a cover are: we have to pay the entertainment; we have to pay for the extra staff; people who come in don't buy enough.

CU Bars in the news; Geovanti's implements cover charge for shows

From the Daily Illini

Geovanti's implements cover charge for shows

Geovanti’s Bar & Grill, 401 E. Green St., a campus bar known for never having an entrance fee, has recently implemented a cover charge of $1.

The fee, which was implemented in the last two weeks, goes toward the costs of entertainment for customers, said Pat Galvin, general manager and alum. Entertainment, including karaoke on Wednesdays, live music on Thursdays and a DJ on the weekends are part of Geovanti’s atmosphere, but come at a price, he said.

There's some humorous quotes in the article.

“If you can’t pay a dollar, you probably shouldn’t go out, you’re not going to spend money here anyway” Galvin said.

...

For Kim Pontarelliw, sophomore in AHS, the cover price came as a shock, she said, but she is not ready to complain.

“Obviously we’re here instead of KAM’s or Station or Joe’s, where they charge five dollars,” she said.

I am against cover charges. I think I'll rant on that later today.

CU Bars in the news; Best Bar: Po Boys

From WCFN 49, Illinois Homepage.net

Best Bars; Po Boys

Po Boys, is located out at the Old TK Wendl's/Brickhouse/Wendls/a bagillion other different names, at 1901 South High Cross Road.

Here's the softball page.

They are only 1 week into the season, I'm sure if you asked nicely, they would add your team to one of the leagues (like the Monday league that only has 5 teams).

Alcohol in the News; Red Wines for Robert

From the WCIA 3 CBS Morning Show.

Red Wines for Robert

Nick Bland from the Corkscrew Wine Emporium visits.

Nick brings 2 different rose's. One from Portugal, one from Washington State.

Dark Lord Day Recap

Another DLD is in the books. Lots of beer was sold, lots of beer was consumed.

I had a blast.

We left CU around 6:45 after a couple of false starts and headed north to Munster. We arrived about 9:15 and walked up and found my co-worker Gary. He was supposed to ride with us, but didn't leave Tuscola until what we thought was too late, he got there before us.

We walked up the line, and found our usual camp site. Across the street and near the corner. We positioned the new Bruisin' Ales grooler. In our area. I had purchased a folding luggage carrier to help move beer and other supplies around that day, and it was a darn good $20 spent. Walking about a half mile while carrying a case of beer can be really tiring. Carrying a case of water, bags of charcoal, and other items also were that much more convenient.

We were the first ones in the CU Beer club to arrive. When the others showed up, they brought those neat tent things, that just go up with a bit of velcro. We had 2 of the tents at our site. If it rained, we would have been ready, instead, it was nicely just overcast for most of the day. When the others showed, the breakfast casserole arrived. Later, more sausages arrived.

I went down, and introduced myself to the guys who we'd be in line with. They were nice fellows from Louisville. Timothy and (mumbles a name). We later met up with some guys in Chicago, who were camped/tailgating right behind us. That made it much quicker.

The guest taps were set up outside, on the right of the parking lot, towards the street. There was a great selection. (look at list below). From there, I sampled or drank several of the beers. One of my favorite on the day was from Goose Island and was a Bourbon County Stout with coffee and raspberry. I also got the Brooklyn Cookie Jar Porter (yummy); Pizza Port Sticky Stout; Founders el Diablo del Noche (cask; also nummy). Also had the Dark Lord that was on tap.

This years wax is Green. Bottles are available on ebay. When we went through the line, there was a limit of 4 per ticket. Later there was a rumor that the amount was dropped to 3 per ticket. Also available was last years Dark Lord, with the white wax.

I didn't get around as much as I wanted to, and felt kind of rushed to leave. So, in that hurry, I managed to leave behind 4 bottles of green wax DL, which my friends were nice enough to bring back for me, even though I haven't seen those bottles yet. Sadly, I left my Dogfish Head bag somewhere. No one in the beer club seems to know where it is. Sadly, it's also not available online anymore.

I still didn't manage to meet too many people that I know from online anywhere. The Hoosier Beer Geek people had a DORK LORD tent set up, which was cool.

To sum up, I met some cool people; drank some great beer; bought some great beer; ate some good enough food; and didn't spend anywhere near as much money as last year.

I've been looking at video's on youtube, but haven't seen myself yet. I saw my chair, and Gary, but not me.

Dark Lord Day tap list

List is from the Full Pint.



Stone Brewing
Vertical Epic 08-08-08
Old Guardian 2006
Old Guardian aged in Red Wine Barrels

Southern Tier
Choklat
Javah
Oak Aged Unearthly

Bells
Hopslam
Poolside
Barrel Aged Hell Hath No Fury

Gouden Carolus
Cuvee’ The Emperor Blau 2007

Upland Brewing
Infinite Wisdom Triple
Light Wave
Scotch Ale
Firkin ? (surprise)

Founders
Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Double Dry Hopped Centennial IPA firkin

New Belgium
Eric’s Ale

New Albanian
Old Ale

Dogfish Head
Fort
Burton Baton
Old School

Van Steenberge
Klokke Roland

Victory
St Victorious
St Boisterous
Smoked Oatmeal Porter

Dark Horse
Double Crooked Tree

Petrus
Oud Bruin

Ommegang
Belgian Pale Ale

Schlafly
Quadruple
Barrel Aged Smoked Porter

Brooklyn
Brewmaster’s Reserve Cookie Jar Porter
Brewmaster’s Reserve Sorachi Ace

Sierra Nevada
30th Anniversary Fritz and Ken’s ale

Pizza Port Carlsbad
10th ann. Bel strong ale

Pizza Port San Clemente
B.A. Infamous Imp stout
Sticky Stout

Cigar City
Brandy winter warmer

Surly
Tea Bagged Furious Firkin

Flossmoor
.357 imp pils
1492 IPA

Avery
Moloch
Maharaja
Bourbon bbl oatmeal
Meph addict
Depuceluese
Joe American Pil
Uberschwein

Boulevard
Tank 7

Firestone Walker
Union Jack
Pale 31

Nice list.