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Beer Day

Today’s post is nontraditional, but we couldn’t resist, given that in 1989 on this day Iceland repealed its prohibition on alcohol and Beer Day was born (Icelandic is a awesome language, so some key words are translated below). So, as we look back over our beer loves and hates of the last month, we tell you which brews are do’s and which are dont’s.

Have fun picking some of these up for your own Beer Day celebration, and send us your pics!

The Do’s:

Blue Moon
Belgian White Wheat Ale

While it might be predictable, one should definitely enjoy Blue Moon’s Belgian White Wheat Ale more often than the saying would suggest. With a cloudy gold colour, minimal head and moderate carbonation, this wheat ale (öl) actually captures the traditional Belgian brews of Antwerp quite well. A faint, sweet aroma can be appreciated when the glass is first raised to your lips, while aromatic orange (appelsínugulur) notes complete the drink. While we prefer it draught with an orange slice (try to make it Valencia), it’s perfect chilled and one of the quintessential springtime ales.

Hopothesis
IPA (Indverskt föl öl)

There’s nothing quite like an IPA, and Hopothesis’ new brew, with a light head and amber colour, medium carbonation and mellow bitter nose, present one of the most Indian-style Pale Ales we’ve tried in a long time. Complete with a nutty aftertaste that is unique to this brand, Hopothesis sets the bar high and achieves with this fantastic ale. Recommended with hearty ethnic food and American favourites: here’s hoping for an Indian Summer.

Liefmans
Cuvee Brut

Strange beers are fun, and we think with all the ice in Iceland (well, we know that Greenland is actually the icey one, but what the heck), they would just love a fruit beer, given that one usually eats only elk up there (this might be an exaggeration, we’re not sure). This one’s from Belgium and consists of a Flemish brown ale aged for 18 months along with whole cherries (kirsuber). The rich malt base and the slightly sweet and sour flavor make you quite confused about whether this is a wine (vín), beer (bjór) or spirit (andi), but the bittersweet nose along with moderate carbonation leave you in no doubt: it’s a beer, a beer worthy of the anti-prohibitionists and good enough to keep you warm for the remainder of the snow season (snjór árstíð).

The Don’ts:

Angry Orchard
Hard Cider: Apple Ginger (Erfitt Eplasafi: Epli Engifer)

Springtime is not the traditional time for cider, and perhaps that’s why this light gold little number didn’t really work out. Autumn would have been a better time for this headless, moderately carbonated beverage with a juice-like aroma, that reminds one more of a Juicy Juice than any type of cider. Marketed as apple ginger, it features zero ginger notes and no sharp taste, seemingly pear-like (pera-eins) in its flavoring. Go for a cloudy, traditional, still harder cider in the future, and steer clear of this “100% Kids” drink.

Barrel Trolley Brewing Company
Amber #5

If your beer (bjór) palate has not really matured since college, you’re going to love this one. Reputedly an amber ale, this beer comes complete with no head and a malty, light flavour, reminiscent of a Miller High Life. Completely normal, but not quite the junk fraternities spew out, we wouldn’t recommend this amber ale for the money it costs. Then again, perhaps we’re too sophisticated over here.

Smuttynose Brewing Co.
Robust Porter

Apart from having a deeply unattractive name, Smuttynose lets you down on another front as well: the artwork. It’s actually beautiful, but it seems to be one of those many breweries that puts far too much money into a graphic designer and much less into the beer it is making. A black beer (svartur bjór) with light head and a malty, bitter smell, it is actually not that unpalatable, yet its dark taste lacks the complexity of more notable porters. Medium carbonation does do the product much service, and we can imagine such a concoction being served in Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, but not many other places.

The Maybe’s

Breckenridge Brewery
Vanilla Porter Ale

We weren’t sure where to place this one, so we’ll let you decide. Dark reddish in colour with moderate head and a bitter, vanilla caramel (vanillu karamellu) nose, it had minimal carbonation and the flavour of a milk stout (mjólk digri). In fact, this beer is less bitter than most porters and has a pleasant, smoky aftertaste, but perhaps lacks the fullness in flavour that would merit buying it on its own. Good in a variety pack, but make sure you have a good alternative, as this beer is just not unique enough for us.

Duvel Moortgat Brewery
Duvel

This strong golden ale is a Belgian standard. Fairly simple and lacking in the complex flavors of other Belgian beers, Duvel nonetheless provides a solid imported beer for the globetrotters of drinking. Primarily a pilsner-based ale, it also has herb (jurt) and citrus (sítrus) notes, with a nice amount of carbonation. If you’re not comfortable ordering European beers yet, this is a good starting point.

Maredsous
Triple (þrefaldur)

Maredsous is primarily an awesome beer because of its backstory, rather than content. Brewed by monks of the Maredsous Abbey of Denée in Belgium, it seems more like a novelty than a beer, and we can imagine this Friar Tuck’s having a bit too much of their own ale for our amusement. A tripel (although they spell it “Triple” on the label), it’s rather strong with a sweet caramel malt and slight bitterness. Hints of earth (jörð), grass (gras) and anise (anís) shine through, although we believe one would be better set with a less well-known abbey ale than this mass produced version.

P.S. Við vonum að þú njótir þessa dýrindis (og sumir ekki svo góður) gjafir og fagna bjór dag og í lok banni fullkomlega og hjartanlega. Mundu: senda okkur myndirnar þínar!

(We hope you enjoy these delicious (and some not so delicious) offerings and celebrate Beer Day and the end of prohibition fully and heartily. Remember: send us your pics!)

Paris Club

(parisclubchicago.com)

(parisclubchicago.com)

WHAT: Paris Club (French)
WHERE: 59 W. Hubbard St.

OUR RATING: Do It!

It seems that Storefront City has been in a decidedly French mood lately (but then again, we’re always a little bit Gallic at heart). So, when we trotted over to Paris Club this week for a Belgian beer and food tasting, we got a aangenaam [pleasant] combination of libations and hors d’oeuvres from the fields of Flanders, as well as the more traditional Parisian nourriture [food].

(parisclubchicago.com)

(parisclubchicago.com)

When you enter Paris Club, a sense of class descends upon you, although you would not feel out of place here in some very nice jeans. Perfect for an afterwork treat, it’s beautiful, chic, fun and countrified. We had a peek at their dining room, and it looked lovely and rustic, complete with brick walls, yet still had a very modern Chicago feel. The space is very open, with their “bar room” associated with, but still apart from, their more elegant dining area. With high leather backed chairs and intimate lighting, the bar area is great for a drink and a quick bite, too.

(parisclubchicago.com)

(parisclubchicago.com)

Adam: Specifically, we had come to Paris Club to enjoy a Belgian beer tasting from the likes of the Duvel Moortgat Brewery of Breendonk, Liefmans Brewery of Oudenaarde (est. 1679, so very old indeed), De Koninck Brewery of Antwerp, Maredsous Abbey of Denée, and Brasserie d’Achouffe. However, since we have an all-beer monthly special coming up later this week, we thought we’d save our reviews until then and concentrate on the wonderful food offerings from Paris Club that you can get any time.

(parisclubchicago.com)

(parisclubchicago.com)

While many delicious appetizers were available, I’m only going to talk about the best, so you can order them too! Firstly, make sure that you have a large hunk of bread ready. Sourdough or fresh French bread is provided for no extra cost, and goes fantastically with the smoked trout pâté, although this particular offering is not always available. Make sure that you try their cheese also, as they are pretty standard in France, but not in America. I recommend the Normandy camembert (if available on the day you visit), along with the bonne bouche (actually a Vermont cheese), although the latter lacks some of the typically creamy character of a goat cheese. Actually, you can try this cheese either on your sourdough or on a wonderfully savoury pretzel croissant ($4.95), as the soft, buttery bread complements the harder cheese most excellently.

(parisclubchicago.com)

(parisclubchicago.com)

For a slightly heartier dish, try out the poutine ($9.95), a generous heaping of frites, beef short rib, gravy and cheese. This dish is actually Québécois, and relatively new on the food scene (yet nonetheless exploding in popularity), but truly speaks to the Francophone credentials of the Paris Club (even Vermont was once French, hence the name and the presence of Vermontian cheese on the menu).

(parisclubchicago.com)

(parisclubchicago.com)

Alicia: Despite my German heritage, I am not the biggest consumer of pork, but Chicago is really into the charcuterie scene right now, and Paris Club has joined in on this fad. To get the best feel, therefore, I sampled their very unique and delicate country pâté filled with pistachios and their thinly sliced saucisson sec, both of which were complemented by a stone ground mustard just bursting with flavor. I also sampled their pork rillettes, which brought me back to my first accidental grocery purchase when studying abroad in Paris. The smoky/salty/peppery pork was luxurious, and perfect when paired with the acidity from pickled mini gherkins and onions.

(parisclubchicago.com)

Country Pâté

To celebrate the Belgian beers on hand, servers also brought a variety of sliced sausages to our table, which I believed to probably have been weiβwurst, knackwurst and bockwurst, all of which were super juicy and delicate, and well paired with their sweet and spicy Dijon mustard.  Not items that I think are usually on offer there, but they definitely knocked them out of the park.

(parisclubchicago.com)

(parisclubchicago.com)

I think what ultimately impressed me the most about Paris Club, however, was really the service provided by their staff. Despite this being an entirely free event, I felt as if I must have paid a pretty high price to get in here, because not only was there an ambitious selection of food available to sample, but I almost felt like we were waited on constantly. Sure, the waiters did try to push us a bit to order from the bar, but they were all very friendly and every time we looked around there was always another waiter to offer us a croissant (and they always pronounced it right, too).

(parisclubchicago.com)

(parisclubchicago.com)

Final thoughts: Highly recommended for some pre-dinner snacks and drinks, we’d love to come back to the Paris Club and try their mains, which sound traditional and affordable, of course with some fun twists. And of course, their associated nightclub Studio Paris is also on our future docket. Well done at bringing a little bit of Paris to the Near North Side!

P.S. We’re going back to Paris Club on Monday, March 11th to taste Mauritson’s Wine from 5-8pm and try out another selection of hors d’oeuvres. The event is totally free, so we hope to see you there! If you are coming, let us know!

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