Blog Tracker
29-04-2010, 12:54
Visit the Tandleman's Beer Blog site (http://tandlemanbeerblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/revolution-stamina-and-bryson.html)
My first Chicago drink (this time) was in Rock Bottom Brewery (more on this in a further post) a couple of hours after I arrived, knackered but slightly freshened after a shower in my lovely Hilton room. (Hotwire does not suck). I met Joel there and had a couple of decent beers while we caught up. Aware of the fact that I'd been up a long number of weary hours, I started slowly with a Chicago Gold, a lightly hopped, well balanced drinkable beer and followed up with a very nice Belgian Wit which was refreshing and lemony. Joel's German style pilsner was great too. Then off on the El to Piece (http://www.piecechicago.com/flash/index.html) (a brewpub) to meet the Rock Bottom brewer, Pete, really nice guy, whose last day it was. I should add here that he is leaving Rock Bottom to set up his own brewpub, so another one is coming for the well established Chicago scene. On entry a remarkable co-incidence. A colleague of mine from BSF at GBBF was there. We gave a double take as we recognised each other. Well you would do wouldn't you? Carl, had been stranded by the ash cloud and was awaiting his return to Amsterdam. Piece's beers will be covered later but were pretty drinkable, though by that time who knows what my palate was like, but I am informed by Andy my friend, that some mystery extra beers arrived at the end, including an "awesome barley wine". Things were slipping by then but I remember the pizza was also excellent.
Then the other boys joihttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PWOsh5tJhjM/S9lw_2sP7cI/AAAAAAAACT8/ltk3OwO30pA/s320/P1000614.JPG (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PWOsh5tJhjM/S9lw_2sP7cI/AAAAAAAACT8/ltk3OwO30pA/s1600/P1000614.JPG)ned us to make eight and it all went downhill. Off to Revolution Brewing (http://revbrew.com/beers) next where we bumped into American writer Lew Bryson, an old mate of ours, big and cheerful as ever, whose laugh could be heard throughout the packed and noisy pub (as always.) Iron Fist Pale Ale was my beer of choice with its very moreish Cascade/Centennial/Amarillo mix, but I also tried tasters of various others and while not overwhelmingly brilliant, were all very decent beers and not too strong either. Around 1.30 a.m. realising I had been up for over 26 hours, I retired, still in reasonable shape - well I was by 26 hours up standards - back to the hotel where sleep was instant. It was there (Revolution) that one of the lads fell asleep, but by then I already was, albeit in bed, not the pub.
That set the pattern, but unbeknown to me, my next drink would be a tequila cocktail. Yes really and what a cocktail and the best Mexican meal ever at Frontera Grill.
Photo is the exterior of Revolution Brewinghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8629758183547510158-965814380583500495?l=tandlemanbeerblog.blogspot.co m
More... (http://tandlemanbeerblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/revolution-stamina-and-bryson.html)
My first Chicago drink (this time) was in Rock Bottom Brewery (more on this in a further post) a couple of hours after I arrived, knackered but slightly freshened after a shower in my lovely Hilton room. (Hotwire does not suck). I met Joel there and had a couple of decent beers while we caught up. Aware of the fact that I'd been up a long number of weary hours, I started slowly with a Chicago Gold, a lightly hopped, well balanced drinkable beer and followed up with a very nice Belgian Wit which was refreshing and lemony. Joel's German style pilsner was great too. Then off on the El to Piece (http://www.piecechicago.com/flash/index.html) (a brewpub) to meet the Rock Bottom brewer, Pete, really nice guy, whose last day it was. I should add here that he is leaving Rock Bottom to set up his own brewpub, so another one is coming for the well established Chicago scene. On entry a remarkable co-incidence. A colleague of mine from BSF at GBBF was there. We gave a double take as we recognised each other. Well you would do wouldn't you? Carl, had been stranded by the ash cloud and was awaiting his return to Amsterdam. Piece's beers will be covered later but were pretty drinkable, though by that time who knows what my palate was like, but I am informed by Andy my friend, that some mystery extra beers arrived at the end, including an "awesome barley wine". Things were slipping by then but I remember the pizza was also excellent.
Then the other boys joihttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PWOsh5tJhjM/S9lw_2sP7cI/AAAAAAAACT8/ltk3OwO30pA/s320/P1000614.JPG (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PWOsh5tJhjM/S9lw_2sP7cI/AAAAAAAACT8/ltk3OwO30pA/s1600/P1000614.JPG)ned us to make eight and it all went downhill. Off to Revolution Brewing (http://revbrew.com/beers) next where we bumped into American writer Lew Bryson, an old mate of ours, big and cheerful as ever, whose laugh could be heard throughout the packed and noisy pub (as always.) Iron Fist Pale Ale was my beer of choice with its very moreish Cascade/Centennial/Amarillo mix, but I also tried tasters of various others and while not overwhelmingly brilliant, were all very decent beers and not too strong either. Around 1.30 a.m. realising I had been up for over 26 hours, I retired, still in reasonable shape - well I was by 26 hours up standards - back to the hotel where sleep was instant. It was there (Revolution) that one of the lads fell asleep, but by then I already was, albeit in bed, not the pub.
That set the pattern, but unbeknown to me, my next drink would be a tequila cocktail. Yes really and what a cocktail and the best Mexican meal ever at Frontera Grill.
Photo is the exterior of Revolution Brewinghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8629758183547510158-965814380583500495?l=tandlemanbeerblog.blogspot.co m
More... (http://tandlemanbeerblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/revolution-stamina-and-bryson.html)