Smittytown: Chicagoist’s Beer of the Week

One of my quiet plans for 2015 was to do more guest posting elsewhere. I haven’t done much over the last five years, and I recently realized that I’d like to. It’s fun to think of what I might bring to other audiences, and to meet that challenge.

Thus, I was so pleased to get to write this week’s Beer of the Week column, and photograph the beer, for Chicagoist.

It’s obvious, when you read it, why I picked Smittytown. I love that beer, and I love the brewery.

Please, check it out and let me know what you think of it!… Continue reading →

A Smokey Beer Fizz for the Fourth of July!

I had to publish the previous version of this cocktail fairly fast, because I only had a week for the entirety of devising, naming, testing, and tasting the cocktails (there were two) as well as suddenly having an idea for the story, writing it up, and so on.

The good news was that I’d been trying to figure out a cocktail that involved 8-Bit Pale Ale and sage for a couple of years before it finally all came together for me. So I had a bit of a head start.1 And the fact that only a select few people were really in love with the original made the story come together.

But I couldn’t resist tinkering with it until I had something everyone can enjoy.… Continue reading →

Some Drink Ideas for Saturday

Here in the States, Independence Day is right around the corner. And I’ve been thinking of beverages to consume for it.

While I have a couple I’ll post tomorrow or Friday (trying to get photos now), I realized I can share with you a couple older posts I had that might spark your interest.

Tomato soda in a glass. The glass would rather have beer in it.

Tomato Soda.
Non-alcoholic.

Tip: Use only extremely carbonated soda water for this. Either make your own with something like this soda maker or use Q Club. Less carbonated makes it a less yummy drink, though still good.

Bill’s Bitter.
Non-alcoholic.

A wonderfully complex drink that’s refreshing and fun and incredibly easy to make. At this point, it’s a summer staple in our home, as well as in the home of several of our friends.… Continue reading →

Juneteenth

Note: Starting tomorrow, our nephew is visiting for the next 10 days, so this blog will be silent for his visit.

Today is Juneteenth. The celebration of the end of America’s era of slavery, as on 19 June 1865, slaves in Texas, the last remaining enslaved people, were publicly declared legally free. This year is the 150th anniversary of this momentous and fabulous event.

If you grew up in a way or place where the existence of this holiday is news to you, as I did, please go read about it. The Wikipedia article linked above is interesting and informational, and the holiday is important. Especially in light of what has and has not changed in 150 years.

Black lives matter.… Continue reading →

Travel.

I just found a CF card from almost a year ago. A lot of the photos on it are from a Hop Farm tour I took in early August last year. It was so much fun, but I never did manage to write a post about it. Now I’m in southwest Washington State and vaguely contemplating the post again. Why? Because far away in Washington state there’s a hop museum. I live in Chicago, so even a drive of two or more hours feels practically next door. Of course, one just opened recently in Wisconsin, so you’d think I could just go there. But, really, I don’t see why I can’t do BOTH1. Then write you guys a post. In late July.

It’s 85F here today.… Continue reading →