Oktoberfest at Flossmoor Station

Flossmoor Station in Flossmoor, IL will host an Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 3rd.   There will be outdoor grilling from noon until 4p with Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Bavarian Pretzels and more on the menu.  The outdoor beer menu has $4 pints of Munich Dunkel, Hefeweizen and Dortmunder.  A traditional German lunch and dinner menu specials will also be available inside the restaurant.

There will be a special bottle release of Collaborative Evil for $12 a bottle beginning at 11a.  You can get your numbered line ticket at the hostess desk upon arrival.  12 bottle limit per person.

Flossmoor Station is a just a short Metra trip on the University Park line from Chicago!

1035 Sterling Avenue
Flossmoor, IL

Also at Sheffield's...Great Lakes Brewery Beer Dinner

Sheffield’s Beer School is teaming up with Great Lakes Brewery for a special beer dinner on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 7 p.m. The four-course, German style meal will feature six beers at $60 per person. The beer pairings presented at this dinner will include the following:

• Dortmunder Gold | Reception Beer

• Elliot Ness Amber Lager | Paired with a charcuterie platter consisting of sausages (smoked bratwurst, liverwurst, wild game sausage, etc.), cheeses, cornichons, and pumpernickel/rye bread accompanied with Dusseldorf mustard.

• Oktoberfest | Paired with German beer soup.

• Grand Cru | Paired with the classic German “Choucroute” consisting of house-smoked pork loin, sauerkraut, apples, and potatoes in savory juices.

• Glockenspiel | Paired with a dessert of warm, fresh doughnut bites with XX (assorted dipping sauces).

• Blackout Stout | Conclusion Beer - guests will receive a complimentary snifter glass of this Great Lakes stout.

Starts at 7:00 p.m. at Sheffield’s Lakeview location. Call for your reservation today – (773) 281-4989.

Sheffield's Annual Octoberfest

Sheffield's celebrates Octoberfest on Saturday, September 19th from 3p-6p by serving up beer, brats, pretzels and music from the Polkaholics.  A sampling of beers will be available.


On Draft:
Great Lakes Oktoberfest
Bell's Octoberfest

In Bottles:
Paulaner Oktoberfest
Spaten Oktoberfest

On Tap in the Beer School Bar
Lefthand Oktoberfest
3 Floyd's Gorch Folch
Metropolitian Krankshaft Kolsch
3 Floyd's Munsterfes


3258 N. Sheffield Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

North Coast Brewery Tasting at the Bluebird

Sample thirteen beers from North Coast Brewery in Fort Bragg, CA at the Bluebird on Tuesday, September 22nd from 7:30-9:30p.  The beer line up is as follows:

Red Seal Ale, Scrimshaw Pilsner, Blue Star Wheat Beer, Old No. 38 Stout, Acme IPA, The Pranqster Belgian-style Golden Ale, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Barrel Aged Old Rasputin, Le Merle Belgian-style Farmhouse Ale, Brother Thelonius Belgian-style Abbey Ale, AND a two year vertical of the Old Stock Ale: both the 2008 and 2009.

North Coast's XX Anniversary Ale, a belgian style ale brewed with agave, will also be poured.  This beer has never been poured in Chicago and is not for sale in Illinois.  

Flatbreads and snacks will be served. Price is $25 per person. Reservations are required. Email info@bluebirdchicago.com

Online Wine and Beer Notes

I am a little late in the game in joining the world of online beverage notes.  I started keeping wine notes in a moleskine journal about 3 years ago at the suggestion of a wine purveyor from Randolph Wine Cellars who felt that drinking and recording was the best way to learn.  For me, it is a bit more of an obsessive/compulsive thing that I do now as a matter of habit whenever I pop a bottle open at home.  I am a "recorder" and note taker by nature, so this practice lends itself to my personality.  However, in doing so, I have learned a thing or two about how both the taste and perception of any given wine is ever evolving and dependent on umpteen variables.  Comparing notes on the same wine across vintages or the same vintage over time is always interesting.

I was recently at an informal beer tasting at a friend's home and he was taking beer notes on his iPhone and uploading them directly to the Internet.  His friend was taking notes the old fashioned way in a journal with the intent of uploading them to the same website.  I mentioned that I keep wine notes, but am not very good with beer notes (stemming from a deep felt insecurity with my ability to identify such flavors as 'band aid' - a legitimate, albeit unsavory note).  They asked about which website I use for my wine notes, which made me realize I wasn't even aware of a site that would allow users to keep 'online notes.'  Now I am.  Here are a few:

Wine Notes:
www.logabottle.com
www.grapemojo.com
www.corkd.com

Beer Notes:
www.MyBeerNotes.com

MK Small Plate and Goose Island Beer Pairing - September 15th

Time: 6pm
Date: September 15th
Location: MK
868 N. Franklin
Chicago, IL 60610
312.482.9179
Cost: $25

Enjoy 3 appetizers paired with 3 Goose Island Beers.

Menu:

Frito Misto ( zucchini, lemon, green olives)- paired with Sofie

Frog legs, chanterelle mushrooms, leeks and fermented black garlic puree- paired with Matilda

Seared pork belly, caraway scented brussel sprouts and beer braised pearl onions- paired with Demolition

Slow Food Chicago Hosts Harvest Dinner at Socca

TomatoFest Finale-Harvest Dinner At Socca
Chef Roger Herring celebrates the end of Chicago TomatoFest (a Harvest event celebrating heirloom tomatoes) with a dinner at Socca. Chef Herring, along with other chefs from around the city, will serve bites of their Old School BLT’s featuring the last of their local heirloom tomatoes. Candid Wines will provide wine and sangria.

Where: Socca,
3301 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657

When: Sunday September 20
Time 4-7 PM.

Cost: $60 includes wine and sangria form Candid Wine

For Reservations: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/81832