Over The Christmas in Chicago

Christmas this year took me to Chicago, IL and Grand Rapids, MI, and while on my travels I was trying to really take in the success of craft brewing in the USA today. I took every opportunity throughout the holidays to try a wide variety of American beers that I either hadn't heard/or hadn't tried.

The first night of the holidays was spent having dinner and drinks at Lillie Q`s in Wicker Park. Our plan originally was to check out `The Southern`, which had many good reviews, but it just wasn`t looking that appealing from the exterior. Just one block down we found Lillie Q`s. It is a creatively built, very wooden, and almost ranch-like joint. The beer list was quite extensive and impressive. The choices made were:
1- Dogfish Head`s Midas Touch Ancient Ale
2- Breckenridge Brewery`s Vanilla Porter
3- Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale

First of all, Dogfish Head`s Midas Touch Ancient Ale. Dogfish Head is a brewery based out of Delaware (hi, i`m in delaware - wayne`s world) and is one of the fastest growing breweries in the USA today. You can currently watch Dogfish Head present a series called 'Brew Masters' on the Discovery Channel (excellent show). They also recently featured in the 2010 Toronto Beer Week Festival. I ordered it completely based on its name, and knowing of Dogfish Head Brewery. I had no idea what to expect, and I must tell you it is one of the most exciting beers I have drank in my life. According to their website, Midas Touch is a `strong ale based on residue found on drinking vessels from the tomb of King Midas, dating to the 8th Century BC. The recipe is claimed to be the `oldest-known fermented beverage in the world`. The bottle states that it is made with barley, honey, white muscat grapes, and saffron. A crazy concoction that just works so well. Everything about this beer was a whole new experience of beer drinking for me. Weighing in at 9% alc, it carries a strong right-hook to the face, however its flavours are subtle, yet long-lasting. Every ingredient that is used is clearly tasted after a few sips of the Midas Touch. Just simply pure brilliance.

The next beer was Breckenridge Brewery`s Vanilla Porter. This Brewery is based out of Colorado, and has been brewing since 1990. The Vanilla Porter has a deep, rich colour and texture that resembles an A&W Root beer. A Porter is a dark beer usually brewed with brown malts. Stout comes from the Porter family, and is known as double-porter. The Vanilla Porter is made from red vanilla beans, and you immediately get a whiff of a sweet vanilla-chocolate-mocha sensation. It has a rich lasting coffee-hazelnut finish. This is not usually a beer that I would choose from a fridge first. However, I did enjoy it, and sitting warm in the winter inside from the cold is a perfect setting for the Vanilla Porter.

Last, we have Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale. Lagunitas is based out of California, and was founded in 1993. I like the humourous, and eye-catching style of Lagunitas branding and packaging. The smiling chick on the Sumpin Ale could be a sketch drawn from the Beach Boys song, California girls. The Little Sumpin is a hoppy pale ale that combines with a good dose of citrus fruitiness. It is more of a summer beer, but it was still enjoyed in December.

Slainte