Emmett's Tavern & Brewing Co.

The newest installment to our beer travels took us to Emmetts Tavern and Brewing Company in Downers Grove on August 30, 2008.

Now that Illinois is entirely non-smoking in bars and restaurants (whoo hoo!) we are able to sit in the bar and enjoy the entire bar atmosphere without developing emphysema. The big screen TV had the University of Illinois football game on and the crowd was really into it. That kind of energy always makes beer taste better.

However, the beer and the food at Emmett's were good and our server was great.

We started with a McCarthy Red Ale and a Victory Pale Ale (pictured left to right) and both were very good.

Appetizers included the Great Lakes Walleye Bites (which sounded disgusting to me but actually were better than some fish and chips I've had) for Tony and a 1/2 order of the salad wedge for me.

After the larger than usual appetizers we opted to split the Brew House Angus Burger.

For dessert, we split the Double Barrel Oatmeal Stout. This is probably one of the best, most complex oatmeal stouts I've had in a long time.

We agreed that Emmett's is worth the trip. We'll go back!

Crown Brewing

Mmmm, another delicious brewpub to add to the list. Crown Brewing is new - brand new (opened June 13, 2008). Jim Cibak, Brewmaster poured the Pale Ale for us last Monday and I fell in love with it. I've actually been craving it all week. I know it was going fast so he is probably already out.

This place is a keeper, though. Right now the beer selection is small but the beer is fresh, complex and (the two we tasted) have been worth coming back for.

Keep up the good work, Jim!

International Brewers Day - Who Knew?

As I do frequently (okay, daily!), I was checking my RSS feeds from the various blogs to which I subscribe. Our old friend Andy at Flossmoor Station was kind enough to point out that today is International Brewers Day. The website contains a plethora of information on the first observance of this obscure but no less important holiday. Thank you, Jay Brooks, for creating a holiday to thank the people who help us enjoy beer!

Tony and I extend a heart-felt "Thanks" to all of our brewer friends at our favorite brewpubs across the United States! God Bless!

Mini Celebration of Indiana Beer Week 2008

Although we are unable to participate in "formal" events this week, Tony and I were joined by our good friend Steve for a small microbrew tasting on our patio Monday, July 14th.


Several wonderful beers were sampled. The gentlemen started with a Flossmoor IPA but I began my tasting with a bottle of Mad River Steelhead Double IPA (which we all shared).

The beer was extremely tasty with a sweet aroma - which I likened to toasted marshmallows. It was very drinkable and would pair nicely with grilled food.
Captain Steve brought a bottle of Victory Brewing Company's HopDevil Ale.

According to their website, "Menacingly delicious, with the powerful, aromatic punch of whole flower American hops backed up by rich, German malts. HopDevil Ale offers a roller coaster ride of flavor, coasting to a smooth finish that satisfies fully."

We agree. This was a delicious, hoppy ale with great color and taste.

We finished our tasting with two bomber bottles from our good friends at Three Floyds. We drank a Fantabulous Resplendence as well as a Blackheart. Both beers have been on rotation once or twice at the pub and are hoppy and strong. Of course the bottles pale in comparison to the fresh brews enjoyed at the brewpub. Currently Triple F has the Fantabulous Resplendence on tap along with an AlphaNaught which has Tony's name written all over it!

Rock Bottom - Orland Park

Hmm, I guess we're officially beer snobs. We visited the Rock Bottom in Orland Park, IL. We'd heard this was a really good one. But I was disappointed. Yeah, the IPA was as light as a Lite. My Pale Ale was drinkable but not even good. Tony had two of the IPAs so it couldn't have been too bad. The restaurant itself was nice (new and clean).

The stop at Rock Bottom was dinner on our way to the former World Music Theater (and former Tweeter Center now known as First Midwest Amphitheater) to see Joe Cocker and Steve Miller. The show was awesome! But, they wanted $12 for either a Blue Moon or a Fat Tire. What are they thinking? So, we stopped at Flossmoor Station on our way home to cleanse our palates and drink some good beer.

Quick overnight to Michigan

We barely had 24 hours but we made a quick jaunt up to Grand Rapids, Mich. We were anxious to check out the new Founders location and we heard (from Tom at Flossmoor) that HopCat was a great place to check out.

Hopcat was really cute and the food we had was great! We started with the quesadilla (marinated chicken, spicy chipolte black beans, house blend cheese & fresh spinach grilled in a flour tortilla). Oh, and we had a couple of beers, too!! We both started with Shorts brews. Tony had the Huma Lupa Licious IPA and I had the Hop the Dingle IPA. These were our first Shorts beers but we had heard of this brew pub on our first trip to Michigan (about three years ago). Now we know what all the buzz is about. Our waitress, Meghan, predicts that Shorts will be bigger than Bells some day. We ate dinner there - Tony had the Mac and Cheese with spinach and Sloppy Joseph added (see photo). I had the Olive Burger. Both were yummy.


We kept on sampling the beers with the Firkin Friday cask conditioned Bells Amber Ale (Tony) and I tried the special brew from world famous brewer Michael Plank - the Black Lager. Both beers were outstanding.

Tony also had the Flying Dog Double Pale IPA. "It is a good imperial IPA." was the review from my husband.

I bought a shirt (which I'll model in a later posting) and we hit the road and headed off to Founders. We had visited the old location the last time through the West side of Michigan (almost three years ago).











Founders new location is very nice and spacious. We sampled some of our favorites (the Pale Ale and the Centennial IPA).

We played a little pool, ate some peanuts and listened to the band for a bit.



We woke up the next day still interested in more beer so we hit the road and stopped at New Holland Brewing for a little lunch and beer.

I started with a 1/2 pint of the Mad Hatter IPA and Tony had the Imperial Hatter.


I ate the Presto Pesto salad (Mixed greens topped with chicken, red onion, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese and mozzarella. Served with pesto dressing) - I got it without the 'shrooms.

Tony had the Pilgrimage sandwich (a hearty turkey sandwich loaded with sprouts, tomatoes, onion, cheddar cheese, cucumbers, guacamole, salsa and sour cream served on focaccia with a side of pesto ranch).


Next came the Existential Imperial IPA for Tony. We sampled the Poet Oatmeal Stout and the Dragon's Milk Ale (barrel-aged). I ordered a 1/2 pint of Red Tulip Ale. All the beers were tasty and the food was great.


The trip was wonderful. We really enjoyed our visit to New Holland. The atmosphere is welcoming and warm. Our server, Brett, was friendly and helpful.

We'll be back to this pub often!

Disappointment in Munster

Yes, Dark Lord Day 2008 was disappointing in that the 3F ran out of the Dark Lord before we got to the front of the line.

Knowing that the crowd would be bigger this year than in the past, we set out earlier than last year (apparently not early enough!) fully prepared for a full day at Three Floyds. We stopped and ate sandwiches before going so as not to be too loopy - too early. I packed a backpack full of tissues, napkins, my camera, phones, snacks, water, paper and pen, etc. All of the essentials for tasting beer, experiencing the aura of Dark Lord Day and networking with other beer enthusiasts.

Tony dropped me off to get in line while he ran the last of our preparatory errands (getting cash, pretzels and other things I forgot to pack). Due to the extreme weather conditions on April 26, 2008 - he also brought me my ski coat just in case I started to get really cold!









I arrived around 11:45 a.m. and the line snaked its way from Three Floyds south on Indiana Parkway, all the way around the perimeter of the School Town of Munster Service Center parking lot and back north toward the brewery finally spilling over into a neighboring business' parking lot.

There were four saving graces to the otherwise unfulfilling day... The sun helped to keep us warm despite the temperature in the low '50s and the gusting winds, having two of us in line allowed for Tony to make the hike up to the pub and purchase beer for us to drink while we waited (we also brought a cooler with Two-Hearted Ale and Crooked Tree IPA), we met very nice people around us in line who all had a great sense of humor and turned us onto some pubs we had never tried, and a familiar character to regular readers of Jen and Tony's Beer Blog - Captain Steve (shown here with Tony) stopped by in between gigs to share a beer and visit with us while we waited in line.

Around 3:15 or so someone from the brewery came around to announce that they only had enough Dark Lord left to accommodate people to a certain point in the line (pretty darn far ahead of where we were in line) so Tony and I decided to call it a day. We had fun waiting and we also had a Pop Warner fund raiser to attend that evening to help support our good friend, "The Coach."

Luckily we still have two bottles of Dark Lord 2007 on hand. I guess we will have to savor those as we make plans to get an earlier start next year. Perhaps it is time to camp out the night before?!

22 Days and Counting...

He is coming... the Dark Lord is approaching! Can you feel the excitement starting to build? I know I can.

In approximately three weeks the area surrounding Three Floyds in Munster will be filled with microbrew enthusiasts from the four corners of the world who have been waiting for a year to buy this "Gargantuan Russian Imperial Stout brewed with coffee, molasses, and honey; 13% abv"

Tony and I attended Dark Lord Day 2007 sort of by accident. We had heard of it but hadn't planned to attend. Our good friend, "Captain Steve" waiting in line for several hours but had to leave to go to work. He called Tony to see if we wanted to come take his place in line. We decided to "take one for the team" and go assume his place.

We were amazed when we arrived at the cars, and hoards of people waiting to get a taste of the Dark Lord. The line seemed to move pretty quickly but I think it was because Tony ran over and got us some Gumballheads to drink while we waited and we had great people in front and in back of us in line.
As a matter of fact, we've bumped into the two couples in back of us in line several times. We affectionately refer to them as "the kids" and they are a blast. I've searched for the email to list their names, but I can't find it. Suffice it to say, they are a great group! (Here I am in the middle with the girls in July at the Indiana Microbrewer's Festival in Indianapolis)

So, if you don't have plans on Saturday, April 26 try to stop by 9750 Indiana Parkway in Munster, Indiana between 11 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. for food, music, beer sharing, new friends and of course - The Dark Lord.

The "Triple F" on a cold night

Kirsten cooked a great smelling new dish of Chicken Vindaloo for dinner. It smelled wonderful all day in the crock pot but it tasted a little less delicious than we had hoped. So, "plan B" had always been to hit Three Floyds. We headed there tonight for beer and a bit of food. Kir and I ate the potato cheese soup - super yummy. Tony ate the chili (super tasty and a bit spicy!)

Luckily the Dreadnaught was back on tap for Tony. He loves it. I started with an Alpha King. Kir worked on her A.P. Euro [history] homework and tried to study for her test tomorrow. Tony finished up with the Behemoth - Barleywine and I had an Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (North Coast Brewing).

It was very dark chocolate tasting - bitter and roasted, but good. Not as sweet as I'm used to, but very good.

The food is always tasty at Three Floyds and the beer never lacks imagination and flavor.

Our First Flossmoor Station - Mug Club Event!

So, first of all - I didn't take pictures. Since this was our first mug club event at Flossmoor Station I wasn't sure if it was that kind of event. I'll know better next time and take a few shots. Luckily Andy did. Take a look at their blog - the first picture shows Tony and me in the food line!

We attended the Post Holiday Mug Club Party on Saturday, January 26th. We enjoyed Hoppy Little "O" and sampled many bottles that members brought to share.

We caught up with old friends / colleagues - Mike and Libby and made some new friends - Terry and Mich.

The food was delish - as always. We were treated to salad, rolls, garlic bread, pasta primavera and some kind of mostaciolli with chicken in a light tomato sauce. Everything was great!

We spoke briefly to Matt as he was very busy and we got to meet "Brewer A" (a.k.a. Andy)!

We're already looking forward to our next Mug Club Member event!

Colorado Pub Trip - Day Four 12/29/07

Ever since we decided to visit Colorado, I had been intrigued with a pub I found on Beermapping called Cheshire Cat. I hadn't been able to find a website for them but I was drawn to it. This might have been our favorite pub of all!


We tried a sampler which contained Golden City Red (a decent red), Fat Cat Strong Ale (yum!), Black and Blue (the porter with currants - interesting), and the Tabby Porter (delicious!).

Tony ordered a pint of the Fat Cat Strong Ale and I had the Tabby Porter.

Lunch was also unforgettable. Tony ate a reuben frankfurter which actually was a hot dog with 1000 island dressing, sauerkraut and swiss cheese on it. He got a side of "mushy peas" and crisps (kettle chips.) I ate a White Rabbit made with chicken instead of a "slider." A chicken breast with bacon, blue cheese and grilled onions. I also had the crisps but I opted for baked beans instead of mushy peas.

The bar itself was charming and inviting. There were quite a few regulars at the bar so we grabbed the cozy corner booth.

The Cheshire Cat is an old house and the dining rooms are gorgeous. Check out their web site for more information on the history of the building.

As Tamara brought us beer and food, Tony explained our beer blog to her and told her why I was walking all over the place taking lots of pictures. She grabbed a couple of business cards and asked me to jot down our blog URL on one and she left me the other. The next thing we knew, Charlie - the brewer (and her dad!) came to our table. We talked beer for quite a while and he gave us advice for places to visit as we continued our travel later that day to Boulder. Then he told us to "bring our glasses" and follow him to the basement for a tour of the brewing facility. We saw the set up and tasted three different beers (the Pilsner, the Black Lager and the Arrogant Brit ESB).

Charlie rolled out the red carpet for us and treated us like VIPs! Even without the extra special treatment, this place is a keeper. I can't wait to visit again. Tony and I would feel right at home sitting in our corner booth sipping more Cheshire Cat beers.


Once in Boulder we found our way to Mountain Sun. Once I got used the funky smell in the place (I wrote "smelled like sweaty college kids and unbathed hippies") the chips, salsa and beers were outstanding.

Tony tried the F.Y.I.P.A. and I had the Illusion Dweller IPA. Both were extremely good. The F.Y.I.P.A. was as close to Flossmoor as we've been able to find. Tony quipped that "This beer is wonderful. I could drink this all night." He was right. The beers were great. Maybe they were stronger than other beers we had - or perhaps it was all the tasting we did at Cheshire Cat (or the scent of the room) but I didn't want to stay "all night." We walked down Pearl street to BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse. We tried four different beers (Piranha Pale Ale, BJ's Jerimiah Red, BJ's P.M. Porter and Tatonka Stout. Tony thought they beers were fine ("they were decent") but I didn't care for them. They probably weren't as bad as I thought they were. I had tasted an awful lot of really great beers that day and these just didn't match up.

Last but certainly not least for the day we visited Bull and Bush on the south side of Denver. Our waiter, Patrick (pictured here with Jen) was great and once he found out what kind of beer we liked even suggested we try a beer that wasn't on the regular menu. I liked the Tower ESB and Tony enjoyed the Man's Beer - Colorado IPA. The special "Justice IPA" was also good (much like a Three Floyds Dreadnaught) and Tony loved it. Tony tried the Cobb salad with tuna and I had a Kobe burger with avocado and blue cheese. Both entrees were delicious. The beer and food were great.

Colorado Pub Trip - Day Three 12/28/07

On our way to Colorado Springs, we stopped at Rockyard Brewing in Castle Rock. The bar is very cute inside with a giant fireplace separating the bar from the dining room. We split a pint of Hopyard IPA. It was excellent. We then each had half a pint each. Tony tried the Double Eagle Ale - a wheat beer and I had Lightning Strike Stout. Both were very good. We ate salad wedges with blue cheese crumbles and tomatoes. It was very tasty!

Once we got to Colorado Springs we visited two pubs which happened to be located across the street from one another.

Phantom Canyon Brewing Company is an adorable corner bar with great beer and delicious food. We split two dinners - they were both great. Pasta Primo (right - Italian peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, sweet basil butter, four cheese tortellini and toasted pine nuts. (this one was my favorite!) Tony prefered the Grilled Chicken Breast Rigatoni (left - red onion, artichokes, asparagus, sun dried tomatoes in a lemon basil butter sauce).

The Phantom IPA was very good. The Railyard Ale and Zebulon's Peated Porter were good but the Cascade Amber Ale was a bit too sweet for our taste. The Phantom IPA's were "the bargain of the trip" because we drank them during Happy Hour and so they were only $2 each!

We headed across the street to try the beer at Judge Baldwin's. Tony ordered the Wellington Pale ale and I tried the Dark Vienna Lager. These were rather disappointing beers. My quote from my notes says "Bleh!" We actually left beer behind.

Colorado Pub Trip - Day Two 12/27/07

Before we left the Dillon area we visited Dillon Dam Brewery. We tasted the Extra Pale Ale and it was "very good." We both had the French onion soup and salad. It was a "nice pub, nice layout." according to Tony.

Later that evening we ate dinner at Wynkoop Brewery back in downtown Denver before the Avalanche vs Red Wings game. We loved this place! The beer was great, the food was great, and the bar was awesome inside (and we didn't even get upstairs to the pool tables!) Tony had the trout special and I had the Monterey Chicken Sandwich.

Tony tried the Monkey Fist IPA and I had the St. Charles ESB. I tried a sip of the Railyard (Red) Ale.

For dessert, I tried the special B3K Schwarz Bier (Black Lager). Smooth, rich, full - delish! Tony had the Sagebrush Stout. The entire experience was wonderful.

Next trip to Denver - this place gets a second visit for sure!