One more to add.

Caveats:

1) It's off the beaten path

2) It's part of a chain

3) It's a bit gimmicky (yard-long beer glasses available)

Despite that, Yard House has an amazing 130 beers on tap - most pretty interesting picks. And pints are only $2.50 on Mondays.

1880 Tower Drive (The Glen development), Glenview

Just to add another worthy bar specializing in beer:

A cousin of Clark Street Ale House, Sheffields always has an outstanding selection of Belgian and domestic beers.


Sheffield's
3258 N Sheffield

There was another dance club on Clark near, I think, Erie that had an Irish name.

O'Banion's ?

I could be wrong, it's been quite some time.

JSM

Whether or not there is dancing,where would you go for barleywine,Christmas ale?

Most of my dancing is done in the living room these days, but I highly recommend that you keep an eye out for Sierra Nevada's Holiday Ale [forget the exact name] and their Bigfoot barley wine. Outstanding brews. I buy a case of each every year and nurse it 'till the next.

Giovanna

Giovanna wrote:I highly recommend that you keep an eye out for Sierra Nevada's Holiday Ale [forget the exact name]

Celebration Ale. Good stuff.

For the Barley Wine and Seasonal beer hunter, take note:

Bell's Batch 6000 Commemorative Barley Wine is at the Clark Street Ale House (742 N. Clark Street).

Worth your dollars if you're in the area.

Ciao,

rien

Now that we've segued into seasonal beers, here's my tip. I bought a case of Goose Island Christmas Ale last year. After a few bottles, I concluded I didn't like it. Too much of everything: too bitter, too much carbonation, unbalanced, just didn't do it for me. Still, being loath to throw out beer, I stuffed the case into my wine-cellar, beer locker, air conditoner storage room. This past week, I went down there, and pulled some out to give it another try. Wow. What a difference a year makes--the flavours had smoothed out, carbonation was reduced, the overly bitter notes were gone--It had turned into a very nice dark beer, ideal for the winter. I'll probably keep an eye out for after Christmas overstock and hopefully get some on sale to age for next year.

Aaron Deacon wrote:

Giovanna wrote:I highly recommend that you keep an eye out for Sierra Nevada's Holiday Ale [forget the exact name]

Celebration Ale. Good stuff.

I know they have this on tap at Hackney's in Printer's Row.

Rien, if you haven't tried Darwin's yet (on Damon, around the corner from the Map Room), they've been carrying several of the Unibroue brews (from Quebec). MR is a better bar, but a serious trawl through the Unibroue waters is a fine thing every now and then.

See how dull I've become?Back in the day I would be on the giving end of this advice.My bar radar went blank.

hattyn, man, rage against the dying of the light (or whatever they call it in Comp Lit classes). My secret is that I maintain diplomatic relations with people young enough to stay up after midnight and get the inside skinny on bars from them. Disclosure: Though my first rock concert was Paul Revere and the Raiders at the Amphitheater, I haven't begun wearing adult diapers, either. Still, I've been too old for Danny's in Bucktown since before it was there.

Sheffield's used to have a great beer selection but I've heard reports (not substantiated by a first hand visit) that they've degraded ... used to go there to savor Victory's Storm King on tap, but there were many other tempting choices.

rien[/quote]

I must disagree, if anything, Sheffield's beer line up is stronger than ever. They really work to seek out excellent craft brews with an emphasis on the midwest. And they have installed a kitchen with some pretty tasty BBQ. You have to do that first hand visit.

Antonius wrote:Huettenbar in Lincoln Square... lots of great German beers and a very pleasant atmosphere.

Stopped in Huettenbar for a drink tonight, not the first time I've been, but may be the last. Two of us bellied up to the bar, one with more belly (me) than the other and ordered two wild turkey, double, soda back.

$10.50 each for the double wild turkeys, on the high side of reasonable, but the theatrically pretty bartenderess said $26. When I pointed out $10.50 twice was $21, she said soda backs were $2.50 each.

$2.50 per glass for bar gun seltzer water as a back for straight whiskey? Never in my decades of drinking have I been changed for a soda back, much less $2.50, though she did say no charge for refills.

rant over, thanks for listening

G Wiv wrote:

$10.50 each for the double wild turkeys, on the high side of reasonable, but the theatrically pretty bartenderess said $26. When I pointed out $10.50 twice was $21, she said soda backs were $2.50 each.

$2.50 per glass for bar gun seltzer water as a back for straight whiskey? Never in my decades of drinking have I been changed for a soda back, much less $2.50, though she did say no charge for refills.

Kind of reminds me of the following dialogue:

Bobby: Yeah, now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a check for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven’t broken any rules.

Waitress: You want me to hold the chicken, huh?