Rare Beers Get Another Friend in the Market

Lust Wine and Spirits has of yet no website (a blog only), two locations (one in Roscoe Village and one near UIC in University Village), and a focus on wine, with a sophisticated owner (the Twisted Spoke guys) is a rare and good / great beer retail location in Chicagoland. MrQuartetman and I paid a visit to the University Village location in early March, and despite a mere one cooler of beer, they have an excellent beer lady (we met her) and some nice rare selections.

The shop holds tens of wines, lots of good ones, and a long wooden bar with wine selections and one beer tap (out when we were there), and a quite small footprint overall.

According to the beer lady this is the go to place for Goose Island's rare bottles. It may be the only place that has bombers of Extremely Naughty Goose, and it's no wonder it's only here, at $30 per bottle. Mr. Hall (Goose owner) apparently asked them to sell it as a rarity (to pay for the new website?). It is a great ale, but too pricy for us. Try this rarity at Goose Clybourn, currently on tap for no more than $7.

They also have Hitachino's Commemorative Ale, Poperings Hommel ale, Sam Adam's Double Bock, and several more rare singles, no sixpacks here, no macros. Most bottles were fairly priced considering the rarity.

This place joins West Lakeview Liquors as among the few retail locations in Chicagoland where you can find unique and even well "aged" beers.

We recently ran into Sam's Clybourn beer buyer recently and noted that they carry some rarities, like the 2002 Aventinus, a wheat dopplebock, which the maker ages in it's own mountain cellars. So in a pinch you can now find a few places around the city to pick up a well aged beer. Not all beers hold up well over time, they usually must be bottle conditioned (live yeast still in the bottle) and higher alcohol (usually above 8% by volume). Bottle conditioned Ales that are well aged can be spectacular.

I would site one I had recently as the beer of the year so far, a 2003 version of Bare Trees, a wheatwine (reviewed in detail at the link by dOb, the guy who brought it to the tasting, thank you man) made by Two Brothers. Sublime.

Good to see these stores know that some beers age as well as most wines. Great to have them around and I hope they keep up with more well aged beers.

A Nice Spot on a Golf Course?

Yes, the Wilmette Public Golf Club off Lake Ave. has a totally rebuilt clubhouse with a hoppin' dinner location. It serves as the 19th hole for golfers but it's much more than that.

We went on a Friday with neighbors who know one of the serving staff. That helps this review for sure, but the food was very well done. Seafood or Fish fry platters for all, and all were enjoyed. A nice starter salad, plus full plate (two options) with each entree make this a bagain meal around $12 per head. Now on top of that they have decent taps, including Sam Adams, Fat Tire, and Anchor Steam. A big full menu beyond the Friday fish specials, from sandwiches to steaks. For the food and atmosphere, a B+ and considering the value in a A's for sure. The beer list could use more micros, but not a bad selection considering.

Great for families or couples going out, the only complaint is that the crowd is older, no teens or 20's here. Well we weren't looking for a disco anyway. Much fun and good value food to be had.

Update on the Craft Beer Segment by the WSJ

From today's WSJ, paper of the American Dream, craft beer is doing well, even in tough times. Included are comments by the Metropolitan folks, our newest makers of craft beer (mostly lagers which is fine with me).