My favorite Mexican cerveza, Victoria, has finally arrived state side. I picked up my first six pack(s) over on Armitage and Leavitt and will now commence drinking in great quantities.

lots of great info, thanks for all the replies... i called the brewery and they are out of the Coffee Stout, so that's a no go on that. Binny's may still have some because when i called he confused the GI Coffee Stout with the Founder's Coffee Stout which he said has been quite popular, especially the Kentucy Breakfast Stout. i've got these on my list thus far:

- Night Stalker
- Dogfish 60 or 90 IPA
- Angel's Share
- Serial Killer Barleywine
- maybe the regular Bourbon County Stout
- maybe FFF Dreadnaught or the Blackheart @ 9% sounds good

i also want to try Pliney the Elder, but apparently i have to order that online.

MBK wrote:lots of great info, thanks for all the replies... i called the brewery and they are out of the Coffee Stout, so that's a no go on that. Binny's may still have some because when i called he confused the GI Coffee Stout with the Founder's Coffee Stout which he said has been quite popular, especially the Kentucy Breakfast Stout. i've got these on my list thus far:

- Night Stalker
- Dogfish 60 or 90 IPA
- Angel's Share I don't know if you are in the city, but I know the Map Room had this on tap Saturday
- Serial Killer Barleywine
- maybe the regular Bourbon County Stout Is it still around? I know in past years it was gone a couple months after release, but since it is only in 22oz this year I haven't paid attention.
- maybe FFF Dreadnaught or the Blackheart @ 9% sounds good

i also want to try Pliney the Elder, but apparently i have to order that online.

SSDD

There should be regular BCS all over the place. It's not just in 22 oz bottles, it was also in 4 packs. If you are going to buy Dreadnaught I would ask the store when it came in. It goes downhill pretty quickly as the hops fade fast in that one. Even after a couple of months it can be pretty mediocre, imo.

South Bay Drugs is one of the better West Coast places to order from. Joey is the guy that runs the beer sales there and is a really nice guy. You should be able to get Pliny and other goodies from the West Coast not available here.

Maker's Mark

the wimperoo wrote:There should be regular BCS all over the place. It's not just in 22 oz bottles, it was also in 4 packs.

Thanks for the correction, like I said I haven't really paid attention to it this year.

SSDD

yes, Binny's in Niles did have the regular BCS, the four packs were 2008s! i skipped on the Dreadnaught and went with the Blackheart, also got 2 Nightstalker 22s, Dogfish 90 (which i had last night and liked) and Maker's @ $21.99.

Also, someone posted on Beer Advocate that the Wrigleyville Goose Island still has Coffee BCS for sale at $20 a bottle. If you're really looking to get try it.

Iced coffee. Looking at this week's weather forecast, I expect to be drinking a lot of iced coffee.

Gin & Tonic on the deck Happy Saturday!

toasting Fathers Day and .500.

Pappy Van W., Tequila, Coors Lite, and 3 Floyds Pride and Joy.

life is damn good.

jimswside wrote:toasting Fathers Day and .500.

Pappy Van W., Tequila, Coors Lite, and 3 Floyds Pride and Joy.

life is damn good.

what's the name of that cocktail

mhill95149 wrote:

jimswside wrote:toasting Fathers Day and .500.

Pappy Van W., Tequila, Coors Lite, and 3 Floyds Pride and Joy.

life is damn good.

what's the name of that cocktail

the "crawl upstairs"

I noticed quite a few bottles of Night Stalker - as well as other Goose signature beers - at the Binny's in Plainfield.

A Manhattan...specifically, Wild Turkey 101 Rye, Punt e Mes & M&R Sweet (6:1:1) into a glass rinsed with Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse in lieu of bitters.

kl1191 wrote:. . . into a glass rinsed with Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse in lieu of bitters.

LOL! What a tremendous compromise you made!

=R=

cantillon vigneronne... it smells a bit like funky barnyard horse hair, but i cant get enough of the granny apple taste.

kl1191 wrote:A Manhattan...specifically, Wild Turkey 101 Rye, Punt e Mes & M&R Sweet (6:1:1) into a glass rinsed with Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse in lieu of bitters.

you lost me after Wild Turkey 101 Rye, but the rest of that Manhattan sounds good even though i have no idea what that stuff is

How does the big boy Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse compare to normal green chartreuse? Worth the price premium?

Goose Island Chicago Saison (cast conditioned) with
some fries & Truffle Aloll

bjackson wrote:How does the big boy Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse compare to normal green chartreuse? Worth the price premium?

Well, I only paid 8 euro at the distillery in Voiron. So, I'm not feeling the pain of nearly $40 from CocktailKingdom or some other importer. I don't think it's worth that price to a hobbyist, but I guess it depends on your love of things Chartreux. It's also used almost exclusively in drop/dash proportions, so it's possible that the 10 cl bottle will last a very long time.

If you've never seen it, the EV is 71% alcohol...it's the "original recipe" as it were...regular Green Chartreuse is dilute and sweet by comparison. What I've read suggests the majority consume it by soaking a sugar cube with it and then adding water to dissolve...in other words, making their own Green. I tried that as a nightcap last night, and it was pretty enjoyable, but not mind blowing.

Where I love it is as rinse...for the Manhattan, and when combined with certain absinthes for a Sazerac. The aromatics of the stuff are unbeatable. The only thing I can compare it to is walking into the Spice House... Audrey Saunders mentions a drink where she uses the high proof to her advantage...floating a lime wheel on top with a few drops of the elixir, then igniting it. I imagine the aroma is pretty phenomenal, not to mention the pyrotechnics.

ronnie_suburban wrote:LOL! What a tremendous compromise you made!

Life is compromise.

Two Brothers Hop Juice

22.5" WSM set up, and getting ready for those spares and tips from the pig farm.

Just about to fire up the John Deere and mow the property, sounds like its about time for that first shot of Jim BEam, and the first High Life. Might switch to Great lakes, Three Floyds, or even a Guiness later.

Modified mojitos, poolside, again. Just can't get enough of these, especially when I can stroll out to the front yard garden to grab the mint . . .

2 ounces Cruzan Light Aged Rum
0.5 ounces Coconut Jack
1 ounce fresh lime juice
0.75 ounce simple syrup
Large sprig of fresh mint
Splash of club soda

Muddle mint, simple syrup and lime juice in the bottom of a glass briefly.
Add rums
add ice to fill glass 75 full%
stir vigorously
add club soda
stir again, gently
serve
enjoy

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Modified mojitos, poolside, again. Just can't get enough of these, especially when I can stroll out to the front yard garden to grab the mint . . .

2 ounces Cruzan Light Aged Rum
0.5 ounces Coconut Jack
1 ounce fresh lime juice
0.75 ounce simple syrup
Large sprig of fresh mint
Splash of club soda

Muddle mint, simple syrup and lime juice in the bottom of a glass briefly.
Add rums
add ice to fill glass 75 full%
stir vigorously
add club soda
stir again, gently
serve
enjoy

=R=

nice, I could really use one of those right now, and a dip in that pool.

ive had a nice Sunday

Miller Lite
tobasco tequila
White wine sangria(nice)
red wine sangria(ok)
black raspberry sangria(no good)
PBR
Miller High Life
Milagro tequila

now that i am home a Miller lite, and maybe some Jim Beam

rosé

I'm awash in really good and cheap citrus that's been available at the local grocery store, so have been making margaritas the last few weeks. I don't measure anything, but if I had to guess: 1.5oz fresh squeezed lime juice, 0,75oz fresh squeezed orange juice, 1tbs simple syrup, 1.5oz Cuervo 1800, 1/2oz Grand Marnier. Shaken over ice, strained and served up.

that sounds delicious Kenny--i don't think i have ever had an entirely fresh Margarita--perhaps its time

Tejano reposado tequila. Cheap but skews a bit sweet. Mixed with juice of half lime, dashes of mexican hot sauce and dash of salt, stirred over rocks. Damn good. Tastes like a michelada, definitely more rustic than mixology. Does anyone know if this is an established cocktail?