Prairie Rock
127 S. Grove Ave.
Elgin, IL
Ph. (947)622-8888

I haven't been to the original Prairie Rock brewpub in Elgin for almost as long as it's been open. The brewery and restaurant opened in 1995 just north of the Grand Victoria Casino. I was with the Marcofrau out in Geneva and St. Charles on a Saturday morning when we decided to drive up to Elgin and have some lunch at Prairie Rock. The crowd was pretty light, but not bad for the Sunday after Christmas. We ordered a sampler of seven beers which included the regular brews; Prairie Light, Prairie Pale, Rock 'n Red and Vanilla Cream Ale, as well as a Wee Heavy, Three Nickel Stout and an Alt bier. All the brews were very fresh (served from tanks) with the Wee Heavy sticking out as the best beer. The Prairie Pale was our next favorite and was reminiscent of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, albeit lighter with a little less hops. The Rock 'n Red reminded me a bit of Emmett's 1AM (see below). The Alt was quite good, too, as a lighter example of the style. We weren't that hungry so we split a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and some garlic smashed potatoes. The sandwich was certainly spicy enough and the smashed potatoes had enough of a garlic kick. The kitchen went through the trouble of serving us our food in separate baskets, with separate little crocks of potatoes which was a nice touch.
The pub looked about the same as it did back in 1996. (Should've brought the new camera.) The interior is brick, with a sort of old warehouse feel, with a stone bar along one side of the room. All kinds of vintage beer advertising graces the walls as well as a copule of snowmobiles. (Yes, snowmobiles.) Several TVs made for easy monitoring of the Bears game. I did notice a jukebox, but it was not in use, as people seemed more interested in the TVs. I browsed the menu and events calendar and noticed several great specials> Kids eat free on Sundays, Mondays are $2 beers, Tuesdays are $3 schooners and 50 cent shrimp. Prairie Rock is definitely a great asset for the Elgin area and worth a visit if you're in the neighborhood.

posted Dec. 26, 2004

Emmett's Ale House


5200 Main St.
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Ph. (630)963-2739

It's been a long time since I sampled any of Emmett's brews. I trekked up to their original location in West Dundee back in 1999. The new branch of Emmett's in Downers Grove is one of two new locations; the other is in Palatine. The Burns family did a nice job of remodeling the old Founder's Hill, painting the outside and pretty much completely changing the inside, with lots of new woodwork and new floors. We (myself and Carol) stopped by on a Tuesday, just two days after opening, and found the level of service and the quality of the food and brew pretty much right on the money. We had a burger (a little rare, but it was only day two of operations!) with white cheddar cheese and the homemade fresh potato chips for $8. Since it was our first time at this new Emmett's we went with a sampler of five beers (for $5.75) that included the Light, the Victory Pale Ale, Centennial Amber, 1AM Ale and Hefe-Weizen. All the beers were quite good and extremely fresh. The light was very light, but still had a fresh "beer" aroma and crisp graininess that wasn't at all distracting. A very drinkable beer that's a good alternative for marcobrews such as Miller or Bud. The 1AM Ale was a bit of a red color, light-bodied with just a touch of caramel malt and hops, sort of an improvement over a Killians and probably a good introduction to beers with a little more hops. The Victory was the hoppiest beer, with a caramel malt flavor, hop nose and fairly big hop finish. The Centennial Amber was a bit more rounded than the Victory, but still had a bitter finish. The Hefe was a tart wheat beer, missing the phenolic banana and clove of some German unfiltered wheat, but very drinkable and fresh. I'll definitely be going back more of it this summer. The guest brews were mostly Belgian bottles and included Liefmans Goudenband, Lindemans Framboise, LaTrappe Quadrupel, Hoegarden (draft), Chimay Grand Reserve (blue) and Saision Dupont. I didn't try any of the guest beers, but I did ask our server what else was on tap (if anything) and he mentioned Miller and Miller Lite. I found it interesting that these macrobrews were priced the same as the house brews; sort of encouraging the light beer drinker to try some of the fresh light beer made at the brewery. Pints were very reasonable at $3.75 and half-pints at $2.50. I don't expect this price to hold.
I have to admit I was anxious about visiting Emmett's. I was never that impressed with the quality of beer at the old brewpub (I don't necessarily fault the brewers), but anybody who enjoys good beer (such as Goose Island or Rock Bottom) and lives near Downers Grove or is visiting the area should try this place out. Overall, good beer and good food in a cozy pub-like environment done just as well as the brewubs in downtown Chicago.

Govnor's Pub & Public House


220 N. Randall Rd.
Lake in the Hills, Ill.
Ph. (847)658-4700

I'd been meaning to get this place for quite some time; really ever since brewer Terry Richardson left the old Fox Bay/Rio Zorro brewpub in St. Charles and joined Ron Buck as brewmaster. I feel bad that it's taken me that long to visit the place. Although it is a little far from my neck of the woods, it was worth the trip, as the beer and food alike were very tasty. Govnor's is an Irish pub, but the beers and food are fairly typical of a brewpub. The decor has the flair of an Irish pub with lots of wood trim, along with sturdy chairs and tables. I couldn't help but notice the copper signage above the serving tanks in the brewery emblazoned with the quote, "In Food and Beer We Trust" framed by two lions, giving a unique touch to the decor. Another two lionheads hang above the bar in the center of the room.
The beers tasted (in a sampler) included Leprechaun Light, Celtic Cream Ale, O'Kelly's Hefeweizen, Public House Pale Ale, Shamrock Stout and Dingle Dubbel. My wife and I also split a cask-conditioned pint of American Pale Ale. All of the beers were very well-made. The Light was very fresh, not too sweet, and actually quite dry. A very appetizing light beer. The Celtic Cream Ale had more malt than the Light, but not as much hops. The slight tartness made this beer appealing, but I preferred the light. The Hefeweizen was quite tart, crisp and a bit sweet. The Hefe would be quite sweet if weren't for all the esters from the yeast. The Public House Pale Ale seemed like a good example of an English pale with kicked up hops played against caramel malt flavors. The finish was long and bitter. The Shamrock Stout had a light body, but was full of flavor with a hint of roasted grains in the aroma. Nothing beats fresh stout. The coffee-like flavors mixed with bit cocoa made this a tasty and very drinkable stout. The Dingle Dubbel seemed lighter in color than other beers I've had in the same style. The body was light, too, but the reward came in the finish. This dubbel expressed some raisiny notes along with bits of plum towards the finish, which was spicy and laced with alcohol. Finally, the cask-conditioned American Pale Ale was blond in color with a huge hop aroma and poured with plenty of foam. It was a very hoppy, very smooth APA that could qualify as an IPA at 66 IBUs. The hop finish in this beer was very long. I kept tasting hops about a half hour after we left the pub!
I had the potato soup, which was very creamy and thick, and rather rich tasting with diced potato and bits of bacon. My wife Carol had a buffalo chicken sandwich, was subtly spiced, but still tasty.
All I can say to sum up is keep up the good work Ron and Terry!

Onion Pub and Brewery
2221 Pepper Road
Lake Barrington, Ill.
Ph. (847)381-7308

Finally made it out to one of the new brewpubs around Chicago and took a Saturday afternoon drive up to the Onion Pub and Brewery in Lake Barrington. I've actually had a craving for Paddy Pale Ale and Jack Stout ever since the owners of the Onion Pub closed their microbrewery. What we discovered was an out of the way cozy pub that featured lots of wood and a roaring fireplace that was very welcome on a cold December Day. The pub and dining room our separated into two distinct areas at the Onion, the demarcation sort of being the two-sided fireplace. We sat in the pub, which featured some interesting tiered cocktail tables with thick brass rails. We didn't have dinner, but we did have a snack, which consisted of a 9-inch three-cheese pizza that was very tasty.
We ordered a sampler of beers to go with out pizza. The sampler included a pumpkin ale, Helles, pale ale, stout and barleywine. I also tried an additional sample of the winter warmer, which was served off handpump, along with the stout. The first beer I tried was the pumpkin. It had a huge aroma of pumpkin pie and spices. The pumpkin pie flavor wasn't nearly as prounced after tasting this brew, but it did offer a distinct flavor to an otherwise well balanced beer. (Not too sweet or too bitter.) The Helles had a neutral aroma and a light grainy character. It was very refreshing and a good one to try again in summer. The Paddy Pale Ale was one of the beers we were hoping to find. It was enormously hoppy in the aroma, in fact, it was hoppy through to the finish. The Jack Stout was incredibly coffee-like in its aroma with a wonderful coffee and roasted flavor that was perfectly blended with the hops. An excellent stout and one of my favorites. I tried to take some home in a growler ($15 for the jug and beer, $10 for refills) but none of the handpumped beers are available to go. Big bummer! Carol ended up getting a pint draft of the Pale Ale and I was able to move on and try the barleywine which had a very strong malt flavor, but lacked the full body of many barleywines that I've tried. I sort of appreciated this, as it made the beer a little easier to drink, even though the alcoholic kick was a cause for a pause.
Overall, the Onion Pub is a classy brewpub, and worth the trip.

Dec. 6, 2003

America's Brewpub

205 N. Broadway
Aurora, IL 60507
Ph. (630)892-0034

  The Brewpub that the late Walter Payton started several years ago is stil producing great beer at the Roundhouse Complex in Aurora, Illinois. I met a couple friends at America's Brewpub which is situated in a building formerly used to repair locomotives around the turn century. It is a very grand structure that features a large gazebo as a centerpiece to the old roundhouse. The beer garden (although more a courtyard) is quite popular in warmer weather and sports two gigantic fireplaces and a putting green. The gazebo is one of the more distinguishing characteristics of the brewpub, but of course I am more interested in the inside, namely the beer.
  The Payton Pilsner is a soft, slightly bitter and spicy beer that is somewhat reminiscent of A Czech pilsner. It is very thirst quenching and has a sustained head after being poured in a glass. It by far goes best with brewpub's pizzas. I had the smoked salmon pizza which was very tasty. Other beers tasted included: an ESB and an IPA called Triple 777.
I was hoping to find another specialty that can be found at the brewpub, which is the Hemp Ale, a very good example of this style of specialty beer. I have had only one other hemp-flavored beer before, called Hempen Ale, and it was very good. The hemp provides a spicy, almost grassy taste that mixes well with the hops in the beer. I know "grassy" doesn't sound very good but it's probably the best way to express the unusual taste( unless you now what marijuana tastes or smells like.) Oh, and for all you stoners out there, the beer doesn't contain any THC, or other mind-altering substances -- except alcohol.

updated Feb. 7, 2004

Blue Cat Brewpub

113 18th St.
Rock Island, IL 61201
Ph. (309)788-8247

  This trip to the Blue Cat Brewpub basically stemmed from a discounted overnight stay at the Country Inn & Suites in Davenport, Iowa. We knew there was a brewpub, and in my continuing quest to get to all the brewpubs and breweries in Illinois, we headed west. The Blue Cat is situated right along the river, and nestled in a small entertainment district, with many other bars, clubs, and restaurants nearby. There is the also of the areas famous floating casinos nearby, too. As I think about it this trip was actually a nice getaway from the Chicago area and I would recommend it.

Enough blabbering and onto what's really important. The beer! How is the beer at the Blue Cat? It is mostly quite good, with some unusual brews, including Honey Bee Ale. The Honey Bee has by far the most honey I ever tasted in any beer. There is honey in the aroma, and a huge honey taste that offers a slight medicinal, sugar "burn." This has got to be expensive to brew! This beer is not for the uninitiated craft brew drinker and only for those who like honey. You have to like honey to like this beer. The other standouts were the Guatemala Coffee Stout, which was a chocolately stout with a nice coffee roastiness, and the Wigged Pig Wheat, a clean tasting American-style wheat beer that was very refreshing. Stout lovers will dig the Guatemala Coffee Stout because of its roastiness and nice firm body and light beer lovers will like Wigged Pig, because well, it is light and refreshing! Other ales in the line-up included Off the Rail Pale (a decent medium pale ale with a light toasted malt flavor), River Jack IPA (lacks hop aroma for the style and a bit shy on bitterness, but other wise quite good) and Big Bad Dog (a dark, malty sweet, but light bodied clone of Old Peculier, and English Old Ale.) All the beers were about $2.75 a pint.

We had our beers with dinner, which consisted of a lightly-fried Catfish meuniere with a side of Italian green beans and rice pilaf for myself, and a mountain of meatloaf and mashed potatoes topped with vermouth-laced gravy for my wife. Yummy!! Both are dinner were good, but I was a bit jealous of my wife's dinner. A comprehensive menu at reasonable prices!

Nov. 4, 2000

Duneland Brewhouse & Restaurant

5718 S. Franklin
Michigan City, IN
Ph. (219)878-9180

   This is an interesting little brewpub situated right off I-80 in Michigan City, Ind. I say that it is interesting because its probably the first brewpub to be housed in what looks like an old Shoney's restaurant. I first stopped at this little place on the way back from Michigan. Traffic was jammed up (as usual) along I-80. When we saw the billboard that read "10 handcrafted beers" we thought it would be a good spot to rest. A sampler of beers made by Duneland included a pale ale, an amber ale, a stout, a light ale, a wheat ale and  a raspberry wheat beer. The best beer by far was the Salmon Tail Pale Ale. It has a pleasant hop bitterness and flavor almost reminiscent of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. This beer was not quite as refined, but a very refreshing hoppy beer that made for a wonderful refresher after sitting in traffic. I ended up liking the Salmon Tail so much that I bought a growler and a growler cover that has a handy shoulder strap. I've used the cover a great deal travelling to other brewpubs, but I admit I haven't been to Duneland for a couple years.

Emmett's Tavern & Brewery

128 W. Main St.
West Dundee, IL 60118
Ph.  (847)428-4500

   A new brew pub in West Dundee, Illinois. The place had a historic feel that seemed to fit well into its surroundings. West and East Dundee are historic towns that sit on each side of the Fox River. Much of that history was depicted in the facade of the brewery and inside on its walls. An almost opulent feel to the place is made possible by the beautiful wood trim that really makes the place feel elegant, and somewhat antique. However, the modern brewhouse contradicts the fancy walls, with its copper and stainless steel.
   The beers were all very good, leaning towards bitter, with the exception of a Scottish Ale and Dunkel Weizen. The beers tasted included a Golden Ale, Pale Ale, Bitter, Scottish Ale, Porter and Dunkel Weisse. The Golden Ale was the lightest beer, but still quite tasty and somewhat bitter for such a light beer. The Pale Ale had the most aroma and the Bitter was true to its name as the most bitter beer. The food was not tasted.
   This brewpub was worth the trip for us, but I wouldn't go too far out your way to visit the place. However, if you're in the area and want a tasty, solid beer with bitter backbone, this is your place.

Sept. 1999

Flossmoor Station

1035 Sterling Ave.
Flossmoor, IL 60422
Ph. (708)957-2739

   Some would say that when you live in the western suburbs of Chicago that Flossmoor is long way to go for a beer, but this far south suburb's brewpub has a lot to offer. On a packed Saturday night (Feb. 5) there was every attempt made to make our experience very pleasureable and one of the best I've had at a brewpub.  Flossmoor Station excels at making beer -- their brewmaster's special, which was in the sytle of an India Pale Ale, proves that they can make award-winning beer. (Check out the special soon, it changes throughout the year.) In fact, a couple of the regular beers, such as one of their wheat beers, have won awards. Along with wheat beers are a red ale, a golden ale and a stout. Fans of honey-flavored beers should definitely check out Flossmoor Station, as the pub usually has two on tap. If you're thinking of visiting this brewpub, but are not sure if you want to bring the kids, by all means do so. Flossmoor Station caters to kids providing fun (and non-spill) cups for the little buggers. There is also a coloring contest kids seem to enjoy. What will the kids drink? Why not a Goober Brau --  a root beer named after the pub's mascot dog!

Feb. 5, 1999

Goose Island Brewpub (Lincoln Park)

1800 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL
Ph. (312) 915-0071

   Considered by many to be the flagship brewpub of the Chicagoland area for the last 10 years, Goose Island provides a range of beers unlike many other brewpubs around the country, and has in turn attracted beer drinkers from around the world. Each year the brewers at Goose Island churn out several dozen different styles of beer. In fact, brewmaster Gregg Hall took it upon himself to brew 100 different beers last year in celebration of the pub's anniversary. I first started going to Goose Island about eight years ago, when I was still learning about beer, and the brewers there have always inspired me to keep learning. I'm even working on my own M.B.A., or Masters' of Beer Apreciation, which seasoned drinkers can fulfill by drinking according to season. Every month there are different beers at Goose, and anyone who drinks them all can get their M.B.A., and earn some nice prizes.

There are many great things other than the beer that bring me back to Goose Island: one is the late night menu, another is the complimentary brewpub tour and tasting at 3 p.m. every Sunday. Yet another reason I keep visiting Goose Island is their sponsorship of great beer festivals, such as the Real Ale Festival, which features authentic handpumped and cask-conditioned ale. Goose Island also makes a point of serving this authentic handpumped ale year-round. Usually one or more of their current beers is available in a cask-conditioned format. Very tasty!! This place is a five-star brewpub and is the best recommendation for anyone visiting Chicago!

Harrison's Brewing Co.
15845 LaGrange Rd.
Orland Park, IL 60462
Ph. (708)226-0100

(Reviewed by Ryan Morrison, Marcobrau Beer Pages Correspondent)

   On Saturday, September 16, 2000, my fiancee and I shared dinner at Harrison's Brewery and Restaurant in Orland Park, Illinois.  I had previously sampled some of Harrison's brews at the Downer's Grove Spring brewers festival in 1999, yet I hadn't been to the brewpub until this past Saturday night.
  Nancy and I arrived at the brewpub around 5:30 p.m., and the place was hoppin'! The pub's clientele consisted of the financially upward set of Orland Park; mainly well-dressed consumers of the immediate booming area looking for a good meal and a good drink.  The interior of the place reflected the wealth
of the area:  A pleasant familial environment, with lots of oak trim, and a big, clean dining area.  The very well designed bar was a nice place to start our evening.  Since we had about a 15 minute wait for the dining area,  we decided to head to the bar for a drink.
  After perusing an extensive beer list (about 10 available drafts), I chose the Millennium Pale Ale.  This ale is described as "a classic American pale ale" with a 4.5 abv.  This bronze coloured ale was a very quaff-able brew.  It had a nice hop nose, and a great malt/hop balance.  I enjoyed this beer. Nancy opted for a soda with lime.  Soon after we finished our drinks, our table was ready.
   We sat down to a nice meal of seafood.  We decided to share the seafood platter, which was one of the "specials" of the evening.  It consisted of three jumbo shrimp, lightly breaded, seasoned very well, and stuffed with crab meat.  In addition there was a filet of whitefish, smothered in a brie sauce, and also a stuffed lobster tail, which was fantastic!  To accompany this wonderful meal, I chose a cask-conditioned pint of Harrison's India Pale Ale.
   The IPA was good, and (as cask-conditioned ale should be) served at cellar temperature, yet it didn't deliver the intense hop character that I was expecting.  It was a cloudy, golden coloured ale, with just the right amount of carbonation (head retention was nice), and a good malt accent, yet I asked myself:  Where are the hops?  I believed the beer to be more in the "bitter" category, rather than an IPA.  Perhaps Harrison's version was more along the lines of a British-style IPA, with an understated hop content.  Who knows? Either way, it was a pleasant brew, that fit nicely with my meal.
   All in all I would recommend a visit to this upscale brewpub.  The service was great, the atmosphere bustling, and the food outstanding.  It may not have Goose Island caliber beer, but then again, not many brewpubs do.  Just head out to this good respite from Consumerist America (dozens of strip malls and 2 major malls nearby), and enjoy the pub!

Cheers,

Ryan
September 16, 2000
 

Jamesport Brewing Co.

410 S. James St.
Ludington, MI
Ph. 231-845-2522

This small brewpub is located in a historic building in downtown Ludington. Jamesport offers about eight to 10 beers with the occasional guest tap from other microbreweries in Michigan (nice touch!) The best beers we tasted at our last visit were the English Mild, Black Cherry Porter, ESB and Scottish Strong. Each of the beers were quite good. The Black Cherry had a full cherry aroma and the ESB was quite extra hoppy.I've been to Jamesport several times and the beers have been consistently tasty. On our last visit we toured the brewery with lead brewer Tom Buchanan. Tom was in the middle of lautering some grain for Jamesport's hefe-weizen but took time out for a quick tour. All the beer at Jamesport is made on site and tapped from serving tanks in the basement. I took a growler of the ESB home with us and it proved to be quite very tasty after a long ride back to Chicago. I've had lunch (seafood salad) at Jamesport and it was very tasty. The appetizers are good, too. The soft pretzels go particularly well with the sampler of the brewery's beers.
One of the unusual aspects of Jamesport is that the brewing equipment is in the basement of the building. It can be viewed through a glass panel in the floor of the bar area. Another nice touch is a collection of brewerania that includes some really nice antique serving trays from old Wisconsin breweries.
If Tom is around and he's not too busy feel free to ask about a tour. He's a top-notch guy who is more than willing to explain how stuff works.

updated Aug. 18, 2004


Lunar Brewing Co.

54 St. Charles Road
Villa Park, IL 60181
Ph. (630)530-2077

  This is my hangout. My wife and I used to visit this place about every Wednesday, when pints of the house brew were a $1 off. This corner brewpub is situated in a suburb outside Chicago and has been our near-weekly escape to reflect on the work week. It may not be as big and polished as some brewpubs around the Chicago area, but that's okay, because instead it is quite cozy! On most occasions there are no fewer than 10 of the brewery's own beers on tap, mingled with a few other select imports and local microbrewed ales. There's also a handpump put to use in the cooler months. Our last visit comprised of tastings of a porter and IPA. A raspberry beer is alwasy on tap as is a German Kolsch. If all this weren't enough there is a an extensive list of bottled beer, which includes micros and imports, and some Belgian beers, too.

May 9, 2004

Piece

  This trendy brewpub and pizza parlor is located along North Avenue in the Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. It is most famous for its celebrity owners (Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick is an investor) and celebrity employees (Piece once employed some of the MTV Real World cast.) Unfortunately, that's all this place might be famous for, as I found the beers to be thin-bodied and a bit boring. I'm sure the light golden Kolsch-style beer I had would have been a bit better with the pizza, but without this crusty delight, the ale lacked body and flavor. I don't like thin bodied and watery beers. An English ale, and ESB, also was tasted. It was rather light bodied, too, and lacked the robust malt and hop flavors that define this classic style of beer. I had to give this place a poor review, but there's a lot of room for improvement. Fortunately, the bar is stocked with many excellent guest beers, among them Three Floyds and Sierra Nevada.

Millrose Brewery

45 S. Barrington Rd.
South Barrington, IL 60010
Ph. (847)382-7673

  This place is a complex-of-sorts featuring large dining rooms, and several adjacent "tap rooms" as well as a gift shop and garden. Make sure and check out the adjacent gift shop. Lots of tasty stuff including meats, cheese, wines, beer and a lot of crafts. Quite a nice place boasting a rustic atmosphere, complete with a grand fireplace at one end of the main bar room. The eight beers on tap at the time (Oct. 24) included a good collection of ales and lagers. The standouts were the Panther Ale, a rich malty and hoppy beer; the Country Inn Ale, somewhat bitter with a pleasant hop taste; the Octoberfest, malty and toasty to style; Dark Star, a German-style dark lager (quite good with caramel notes and roastiness) and a solid Czech-style pilsner.
  Millrose, with its rustic setting was the perfect autumn spot, and a great place for a group friends to get together for a good meal. (The food was not tasted but looked very good.) Millrose also seemed like a great place for large party; we spotted a bride and groom celebrating their nuptials.

Oct. 24, 1999

Ram Restaurant & Big Horn Brewery

1901 McConnor Parkway
Schaumburg, IL
Ph. (847)517-8791

(by Carol, the Marcofrau)

  Oh, those single working girl days! Remember those? Well, maybe not if you're still single or not a girl. Or, not working. But if you want a small taste of the old life -  you and the office gang crowded around a bar ordering over-priced booze with your coat on at 7:30 on a Thursday - zoom up Interstate 355 to Ram Restaurant and Brewery in the Schaumburg Festival Entertainment District. If you are in the position to reminisce, you can do so with an ironic smile. And with a hefty pint of tasty brew in your L.A. Latté'd nails.

  We've been watching the Ram take shape for some time now because of its proximity to IKEA, our second home during the winter months. On a recent very November-y Thursday night we went browsing at the blue Swedish garden of domestic delight and decided to try out this new brewpub. We knew it was big and that the happy hour and expense account crowd was probably big on it, so we did not expect much. It was flurrying as we walked up the steps and into the ski-lodge-on-steriods decor. The bar was packed, but the huge chalkboard suspended on the cliff-like wall offered an India Pale Ale (IPA), so we decided to try one beer. I ordered the IPA and Marcobrau ordered the pilsner. Not seconds later the barmaid was struggling under the weight of two huge glasses of beer - the size usually reserved for free refills of soda pop. I handed her a $10 bill, sure that she would require more for all that beer.
Nope -- the tab was $7.50, or $3.75 each!!! Geez! We grasped our beers and sipped. Mine was a perfectly fine, certainly hoppy enough and lightly amber colored IPA. I was impressed because normally suburban brewpubs don't offer up adequate hops. Marc assessed the pint - a good 18 to 20 ounces, he guessed - and tasted his pilsener. It too was impressively good, along the lines of America's Brewpub's Payton Pilsner or the (late, lamented) Fox Bay Brewing Company's Pottawattomie Pilsner.
   While drinking, we were agog at the wall of alcohol surrounding the four hockey games on the televisions over the bar. We did not look at the menu but surmised that this was one of those big plate restaurants where you can lose a small child in the pasta. Also, we noticed that the Ram was the restaurant but the beers were made by the Big Horn Brewing Company. We ALSO noticed that the bar waitresses were encouraged to make the most of their plunging neck lines.
   Ah, beers and boobs in Schaumburg as a gentle snow begins the winter season. What constitutional crisis?

Nov. 20, 2000

Bars and Pubs | Brewpubs | Breweries | Belgian Beer
Homebrew 101 | Suds Stories | What's New | The Tasting Room