Tapping Party at Rock Bottom Brewery Chicago

Brewmaster Chris Rafferty Releases Harvest Moon Rye Lager

Thursday, October 20
6-7 p.m.

No cost to attend

Brewmaster Chris Rafferty invites craft beer fans to taste the newest brew, Harvest Moon Rye Lager, at Rock Bottom Brewery Chicago. Rock Bottom will host a complimentary tapping party from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, October 20. The Harvest Moon Rye Lager is a medium-to-full bodied copper lager with unique spicy malt flavors instigated by the use of malted rye. The lager is balanced with a brilliantly perfect amount of hops and pairs well with aged white cheddar, blackened chicken, beef sliders and beer poached pears.

Rafferty has been making beer since 1994, when he got his start at Tennessee’s first microbrewery in Nashville. Since then, he has worked at various microbreweries and joined the Rock Bottom team in 2006. His beers have been awarded several gold medals at the Real Ale Festival, Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup competitions.

Rock Bottom’s monthly tapping parties are open to all, simply become a member of the “Mug Club” (anyone 21 and over will quickly be signed up in the brewpub prior to the tapping party). Following the tapping event, Harvest Moon Rye Lager will be available by the pint for $5.25.

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
1 W. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60654
312.755.9339
http://www.rockbottom.com

Zombie Dust Debuts at Elate This Weekend

Rare Three Floyds Brew on Tap

Taps Saturday, September 17
$7 draughts

Three Floyds highly sought-after (and hard to find) “Zombie Dust” beer will tap this weekend at Elate. This draft only, single hop pale ale (formerly known as Cenotaph) is made in nearby Munster, Indiana and features Citra hops from the Yakima Valley in Washington State.

Elate will feature Zombie Dust in drafts, starting this Saturday, September 17, for $7 per glass. Elate will carry Zombie Dust while supplies last. The beer will be available during brunch, lunch and dinner service.

BEERadvocate rating: A

One of the biggest revelations of the 2011 beer scene in Chicago has been the emergence of Three Floyds Brewing’s Zombie Dust pale ale, fresh from the makers of all things hops in Munster, Indiana. With this beer, Three Floyds has taken the pale ale to a new level of greatness. It’s entirely accessible yet replete with complexity. It’s sessionable, attention-getting, and utterly delicious. It disappears off taps within a day of showing up. –Chicago Foodies

ELATE
111 West Huron
Chicago, Illinois 60654
312.202.9900
ElateChicago.com

Oktoberfest Events at Timothy O’Toole’s Pub

Oktoberfest 101 Class and Weekend Party Plans

Oktoberfest 101
Thursday, September 29

Oktoberfest Celebration
Friday, September 30 – Saturday, October 1

Oktoberfest 101
Timothy O’Toole’s on-going Fall series of drinkable and edible education will continue with “Oktoberfest 101″ on Thursday, September 29. At 7:30 p.m., participants will gather to learn more about the tradition of Oktoberfest, German brews and fare. Four beers and four paired bites will be sampled, menu below. The fee is $20 per person. Please call O’Toole’s to reserve a spot in this event.

Spaten: served with warm soft pretzel and spicy brown mustard
Leinenkugels’s Oktoberfest: served with beer bratwurst with saurkraut, grilled onion and mustard sauce
Sam Adams Octoberfest: traditional knackwurst over beer spaetzel with bacon and apples
Great Lakes Oktoberfest: puff pastry with cherry preserve, vanilla ice cream with honey drizzle

Oktoberfest Weekend
From Friday, September 30 to Saturday, October 1, Timothy O’Toole’s Pub will hold an Oktoberfest celebration. Each day, from 11 -2 a.m., guests are encouraged to enjoy German beer specials (25-ounce HackerPschorr jumbo brews $6.50) and Oktoberfest-inspired fare (brat burgers, soft pretzels, Viennese beef goulash) all served by “beer wenches.” Costumes are welcomed. Fun contests, prizes and giveaways will all take place throughout the weekend.

TimothyO’Toole’s Pub Chicago
622 N. Fairbanks Ct.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 642-0700
http://www.timothyotooles.com

“Tailgating 101″ Class at Timothy O’Toole’s Pub

Pairing the Perfect Football Fare

Thursday, September 8
7 p.m.

$20 per person

Chef Corey Grupe will lead a “Tailgating 101″ class at Timothy O’Toole’s Pub on Thursday, September 8. Just in time for football season (Bears play the Falcons at home that Sunday), participants will learn to pair food and drink that’s perfect for pre-game parties. Each of the dishes and paired drinks will be discussed and tasted, while a few will be demonstrated live by Grupe. The class agenda is outlined below.

Recipe cards will be distributed and tailgating-theme prizes will be raffled off. The class will begin at 7 p.m. The cost to attend is $20 per guest. Please call O’Toole’s for reservations.

Tailgating 101

Pabst Blue Ribbon
PBR Grilled Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and Brown Mustard

Loaded Bloody Mary
Mini Chicago Style Burger

Bell’s Best Brown Ale
KC BBQ Ribs

Shiner Bock
Tri-tip Texas Chili

Black & Tan
Guinness Caramel Corn

Timothy O’Toole’s Pub Chicago
622 N. Fairbanks Court
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 642-0700
TimothyOTooles.com

Local Beer, Local Band at Blokes & Birds

Live Music by The Northside Southpaws Paired with $3 Craft Pints Every Tuesday

Tuesdays, starting July 26
7-11 p.m.

No fee to attend

The “Northside Southpaws” will perform live at Blokes & Birds every Tuesday night from 7-11 p.m., starting on July 26. Gastropub guests are invited to listen to live music (and shoot pool) while enjoying $3 pints of local craft beer. Any pint from Two Brothers, Metropolitan, Finch’s, 5 Rabbit, Flossmoor Station and Half Acre will be only $3. The full dining menu will be available as well.

Hailing from Chicago, The Northside Southpaws are an entirely unique, all-left-handed mandolin/guitar duo who perform high-energy string ragtime, old-time country, proto-grass and turn-of-the-century waltzes on left-handed resonator instruments. To read more about this local act, visit http://northsidesouthpaws.com/home.html

Blokes & Birds
3343 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60657
773.472.5252
BlokesAndBirdsChicago.com

Tapping Party at Rock Bottom Brewery Chicago

Brewmaster Chris Rafferty Releases Fear! El Chupacabra

Thursday, July 21
6-7 p.m.
No cost to attend

Brewmaster Chris Rafferty is giving beer fans the opportunity to be the first to try his new brew as Rock Bottom Brewery Chicago hosts a tapping party from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, July 21.

The brewmaster will release his “Fear! El Chupacabra” beer during the festive tapping party. Rafferty describes his creation as a “New World Vienna Lager, medium bodied dark lager, low hopped with complex malt flavors.”

Rafferty has been making beer since 1994, when he got his start at Tennessee’s first microbrewery in Nashville. Since then, he has worked at various microbreweries and joined the Rock Bottom team in 2006. His beers have been awarded several gold medals at the Real Ale Festival, Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup competitions.

Rock Bottom’s monthly tapping parties are open to members of its “Mug Club” (anyone 21 and over will quickly be signed up in the brewpub prior to the tapping party).

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
1 W. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60654
312.755.9339
www.rockbottom.com

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery Takes to the Lake

Handcrafted Beers Featured on Shoreline Sightseeing “Brew Cruise”

Friday, July 15
boat boards at 8 p.m., departs at 8:15 p.m.

$39 per person

You know Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery’s handcrafted beers taste great in any setting – from the River North’s comfortable pub surroundings to its lush rooftop patio. Now, you can enjoy your favorite Rock Bottom brews aboard a Shoreline Sightseeing ship during a very special voyage on Friday, July 15.

Shoreline and Rock Bottom are joining forces for a suds-soaked “Brew Cruise,” featuring an on-board beer tasting with Brewmaster Chris Rafferty. The nautical festivities will also offer guests gourmet snacks, created by Chef Chris McCoy, music and a cash bar (for non-beer beverages).

The 90-minute Lake Michigan journey will set sail at 8:15 p.m. from Navy Pier’s west end. The cost for Shoreline Sightseeing’s Rock Bottom “Brew Cruise” is $39 per person (plus tax). Tickets can be purchased by visiting http://www.shorelinesightseeing.com.

*A second Rock Bottom brew cruise is set to sail August 12

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
1 W. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60654
312.755.9339
http://www.rockbottom.com

Beer School Begins at Rock Bottom Brewery

Class is in Session with Brewmaster Chris Rafferty

First class takes place Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Classes follow the first Tuesday of every month

6:00pm-7:30pm
$15 per pupil

Rock Bottom Brewery Chicago will soon hold “Beer School” classes every month at the River North location. The first class, led by Brewmaster Chris Rafferty, will start on Tuesday, January 4 at 6:00pm.

These events ($15 per pupil) will include warm pretzel bites, a sampling of the current craft brews on tap, discussion of beer history, styles and flavor profiles, brewery facility tour and one ticket redeemable for a pint of beer in the pub. The class, limited to 20 students, will meet in the State Room on the second floor.

Tickets may be reserved by calling 312.755.1677. A credit card is required to make the reservation.

Rock Bottom Brewery
1 W. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60654
312.755.9339
http://www.rockbottom.com

Goose Island 101: Class and Tasting Event at Timothy O’Toole’s Pub

Timothy O’Toole’s Takes You to Suds School This July

Third Thursday Events Continue With a Goose Island Primer

Thursday, July 15
8 p.m.

$20 per person (includes beer tasting, appetizers and Goose Island souvenirs)

Timothy O’Toole’s, the welcoming pub in the heart of Streeterville, will continue its educational “101” series with a lesson in Chicago culture this July. O’Toole’s will team up with hometown brewery Goose Island for a spirited sampling session on Thursday, July 15 at 8 p.m.

Beer-loving pupils will have the chance to try a bevy of Goose Island brews, including Honkers Ale, 312, Summertime and Matilda, as well as Fleur, the recently released Belgian-style Pale Ale that is artfully blended with hibiscus and kombucha tea. The beers will be served with an array of appetizers made with ingredients fresh from the Green City Market while guests learn about pairing food and beer and hosting a beer dinner at home.

Timothy O’Toole’s Goose Island 101 class, which is priced at $20 per person, will include the beer tasting, appetizers and tips, along with Goose Island goodies. Please call 312.642.0700 to reserve your spot. The “101” series will continue at O’Toole’s on Thursday, August 19 with a spotlight on margaritas and tailgating tips scheduled for Thursday, September 16.

Timothy O’Toole’s is open Monday through Friday 11-3 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10-3 a.m.

Timothy O’Toole’s Pub Streeterville
622 N. Fairbanks Ct.
Chicago, IL 60611
312.642.0700
www.timothyotooles.com

Harpoon Beer Tasting at Smoke Daddy

Brewer John Baker Leads “100 Barrel Series” Event

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
7:00pm

Brewer John Baker from Harpoon Brewery (creator of the previously released, limited edition “100 Barrel Series – Catamount Maple Wheat”) will discuss and sample Harpoon’s 28th session of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series.

This series celebrates the year’s hop harvest with Glacier Harvest Wet Hop beer, a pale ale made with fresh Glacier hops. Smoke Daddy’s public tasting event will feature a special beer menu with Harpoon Brewery beers, including Harpoon IPA and Harpoon Leviathan Series, available in addition to the Glacier Harvest sampling.

The Harpoon 100 Barrel Series is a return to our brewing roots. We call it the 100 Barrel Series because that’s exactly what it is— one-of-a-kind limited batch creations fashioned by a Harpoon brewer. The 28th edition (Glacier Harvest Wet Hop) by Harpoon brewer Ray Dobens, has a heroic dose of fresh hops from the day of the harvest.The hop flavor and aroma from this copper-colored ale comes from a generous late addition of freshly harvested “wet” hops.

The origins of India Pale Ale (IPA) dictate its flavor profile. As a result of needing a beer that could withstand the trip from England to India via unrefrigerated sailing vessels, the English brewers took advantage of two natural preservatives: alcohol and hops. Harpoon IPA is an interpretation of the classic English style using hops and malt grown in the United States.

The Harpoon Leviathan Series surfaced at Harpoon in the summer of 2008. The series is an exploration in brewing big beers for adventurous palates. Leviathan beers will be brewed in 120-barrel batches.

Smoke Daddy Rhythm and BarBQue

1804 West Division, Chicago, IL 60622

773-772-6656

thesmokedaddy.com

Tuesdays, 11:30am-11:00pm. Free, live music at 9:00pm.