Monthly Archives: January 2013

Resolutions v 2.0

I had a chance, on Monday, to try the Goose Island Clybourn Resolutions Stout on cask. As the beer was the subject of my last post, I thought I’d share my impressions with you. We’ll talk about something other than beer in my next post. I promise.

First though, if you’re curious about what “cask” beer means, Wikipedia has a nice article on it. So does All About Beer magazine. Both indicate there’s a possibility that a place advertising “cask-conditioned” beer is misrepresenting themselves. I don’t have the expertise to know for sure by looking at a beer, but I have no reason to doubt GIC or the brewers there.

For this post the most relevant information about cask beers is the fact that cask-conditioned are served warmer than draft beers and with substantially less carbonation.… Continue reading →

Resolutions: Coffee Beer and Coffee in the New Year

One of the best things about being a regular somewhere is getting to know the people at your local haunt. You learn that X bartender or barista is a bit of a nerd or Y server is an actor or Z cashier is also from your home state and would kill for some green chile[1].

Yes, I’ve learned all of those things and more about various people who work at assorted places I am or have been a regular.

One of the other wonderful things about being a regular is that these same people get to know you a bit. They geek out with you over a Neil Gaiman book or swap recipes with you. Or, in the case of the junior brewers at Goose Island Clybourn (GIC), they slip you a sample of a then-soon-to-be-released coffee beer (Resolutions), and send you home with a bag of the coffee they made into that beer for your coffee-nerd husband.… Continue reading →

Tell Me About Your Heritage Places.

So, my last post touched on the idea of the Field Museum of Natural History being a piece of Chicago’s heritage, if not the whole world’s heritage. I’d like to expand on that idea a bit, because it’s one that fascinates me. But, more than that, I want to know about your places.

I think we all have some basic idea of what this means. Even if we couldn’t name a one, we all know there are designated World Heritage Sites, but I’m not sure how many of us know exactly what that means. I know I didn’t. I just had, and have had, a sense of the word “heritage” and places I’d consider part of my/our cultural heritage.

I also find “heritage” to be one of those words where I feel I know the meaning, but probably couldn’t give a good verbal definition if asked.… Continue reading →

The Field Museum Pissed Me Off. Thus, I’m Giving Them Money.

When I first read the Chicago Tribune article about the Field Museum of Natural History (the Field) cutting scientists, curators and scientific research, my first thought was, roughly, that I had not just signed up to be a member of this museum for the leadership to turn around and gut the place.

Yeah, I was pissed.

Later, I was saddened, and worried for some people I know personally who will be impacted, directly or indirectly, by this choice. I spent some time thinking about the impact the Field’s scientists and scientific programs have had on my scientific development and got a bit mopey. Then I got to thinking about how the Field figures prominently into my future plans for my beloved nieces and nephews…

I’m back to pissed.… Continue reading →