Four beer cocktails you should try.

Start your day right with a Beermosa. Photo: rocknroll 3

Mixing things with beer isn't a popular move in the Midwest, but that's 'cause we only get four months of hot weather. Fortunately Chicago has enough Mexicans, Europeans and bike messengers to support these refreshing combinations.

• Michelada - Beer, tomato juice, and lime. My favorite method of preparation involves rimming the glass with a salt/chili powder mix. I last ordered one at the Small Bar, but you can find them at most Mexican restaurants.

Photo: hexodus..

• The Bull - Tequila, beer, lime juice and ice. I can't find much about this drink on the internet, but that's cool because you can visit Humboldt Park order one at Maiz.
• Shandy - Beer and lemonade. In Germany, lemonade equals Sprite. I've received scorn, dirty looks and confusion from Chicago bartenders every time I order one, but they are damn refreshing.
• Beermosa - Just like a mimosa, but substitute PBR for Champagne. A quintessential low-brow breakfast drink. Invented in Chicago, after a Tour da Chicago race in 2003. Update: Numerous sources have pointed out the Comet Cafe in Milwaukee serving Beermosas in the late 90s. The drink is also known as a "Wisconsin Lunchbox" when combined with a shot of amaretto and pounded like a boiler maker. Wisconsin racers may have brought the Beermosa with them to the TdC, but Chicago has made it famous.

Update #2: The New York Times did the exact same article on the 30th, with a national scope. (Thanks shanty!)

Update #3: TimeOut Chicago ran this article about beer cocktails- they're blowing up!

Weekend Round-up: Summer in the city.

Photo:blaueturnschuhe

It's finally here! Time to sit on the porch at night, drink ice-cold lager, swim in the lake, cruise the hood and eat brunch outside.

I'll work out the details as the day goes on. Check back before you get off work.


Bird Names. Photo: rebecca ann rakstad

Friday

Critical Mass - I know, you're over it, but the summer rides are full of babes on bikes and shared six-packs.

Jay Reatard at Bottom Lounge.

Broadzilla burlesque at the Exit, with special Michael Jackson tribute!

Gapers Block get-together @ Clark Street Ale House.

And the feel-good Summer pick of the night: Bird Names, Killer Whales, Golden reBirthday, 2605 W. Iowa

Saturday

Sonic Youth @ the Vic (Sunday too!)

Chicago bike polo: sweat, score and fall down!

photo: kev_walsh

Bike polo is a feel-good summer favorite, 'cause the action is gnarly, anyone can play, and there's plenty time to sit around and drink beers. The players in Chicago are a welcoming group. They'll hand you a mallet, teach you the rules, and even loan a bike if you're concerned about destroying you color-coordinated deep-v rims. After a round of trying to stay on the bike and hit the tiny ball through the cones you can sit down, crack a cold one and watch the next teams duke it out.


photo: Giorgio Vianini

Chicago polo blew up last year because of the NACCCs and various regional tournaments, which sent local players coast-to-coast. Hundreds of mallets were fabricated, goals scored and wheels destroyed. Our home-town kids have made their mark on courts across the nation.


photo: johnwmacdonald

The games in Garfield Park run every Sunday at two and Wednesday at six. Show up or miss out!

Mods vs. Rockers 5: The day in photos.

photo: bobcaroline

Motorcycles are synonymous with boner-inspiring photography, so what better way to celebrate last week's rally than with a Flickr round-up?

• *angelamarie* traveled to MvR from the land of beer and cheese, photographing destinations from Fuel to Delilah's to the Iron Horse Hotel.
• bobcaroline spent a lot of time shooting the stable of pimp Vespas which lined Lincoln Ave.
• adam.mrugacz got up close and personal with some Brit, Jap, and Italian steel.

What a great inspiration to ride this summer! Check out Ton-up, Half-Fast, and ChiVinMoto for upcoming events.

Your dad reads BTSIC for the free drinks.

And because he has discerning tastes. Photo: Sbaush

Thanks for stopping by today. As a small token of gratitude I'm offering some VIP passes to the Thrillist/Canadian Club private whiskey tasting tomorrow night. There are no strings attached- just send an email with your name and something you think is totally sweet.

I'd like to hear how Chicago fosters your rolickingly debaucherous lifestyle. You don't have to feature the fool-hardy consumption of brown liquor, but dish on something that stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain.

The best submissions will have their name-plus-one added to the VIP list and partake in the hosted tasting, as well as Father's Day inspired party afterward.

Direct all entries to: totallyinchicago(at)gmail.com

Good luck!

Weekend break!

Photo: University of Chicago Magazine

No round-up this weekend- I'm on a mini vacation in the South, where I'll be stuffing my face with barbecue and seafood while swilling bourbon drinks and sweating my ass of on the dance floor.

BTSIC will return next week!

Mods vs. Rockers V

Photo by slowerthanstop

Stock up on pomade, cuff your jeans and get ready to do the ton(or maybe 40mhp? This is Chicago, after all)!

If you like vintage motorcycles or scooters, this the weekend to be in Chicago. Ton-up Chicago is sponsoring the fifth annual Mods vs. Rockers rally. I searched Flickr for photos: There are some gorgeous bikes.

[Edit] - Here are the photos from 2009.



Photo by speedpunkfoto

There's a bike and scooter show at Delilah's from 1 to 5pm...


Photo by speedpunkfoto

...Followed by a ride to the Bottom Lounge for a fish and chips dinner and after-party.

Tell me about your favorite Chicago tacos.

El Cid Logan Square, photo by Noel Cornell

Your favorite taco place in Chicago is like the tiny Midwestern town you came from: there are too damn many and everyone thinks theirs is the best.

Rather than call this a "Best Tacos in Chicago" post, I'm declaring Show and Tell time at BTSIC. I'll show you my top taco trifecta and you can respond with your picks and why they stick like hot pork grease.

1. Taco Veloz is my hands-down favorite, but mere words cannot capture the magnitude of its greatness. They serve pickled veggies on the table, done in a spicy style found nowhere else. Leonard Veloz dresses like Elvis and performs stage shows. The food is cheap and done right, and goes down well with a quart-glass of horchata, served by waitresses in color-coordinate outfits, which change by day of week.
2. El Cid in Logan Square is a formidable summer choice. I've contemplated claiming part of the sprawling patio as a sovereign nation and using pitchers of margaritas as currency, save the likelihood of drinking ourselves into deficit and drunken surrender. El Cid was the first place I tried tacos de papa, and has a satisfying variety of menu items.
3. Arturo's provides steadfast support in the early morning hours, while nothing stands between you and a morning of torture except a plate of carnitas tacos. The pleasingly symmetrical interior is open 24 hrs. As a bonus to those who can't do math, checks can be paid individually at the counter, so meet everyone there after the game/club/show/E.R.

Bring on the challengers!


Midnight at Arturo's, by lono1126

The Violet Hour, as taught on LTH Forum.

Contrary to popular belief, magicians sometimes reveal their secrets. Photo: santheo

Toby Maloney, Head Mixologist at The Violet Hour, has engaged the LTH Forum members in a full disclosure of his most-loved drinks. TVH is the front- runner in the Chicago fancy-cocktail movement, founded on the idea that expensive drinks should be worth their price tag, by virtue of precise measurement, homemade spirits, special ice and bartenders nothing short of alchemists.

I've never met Toby but respect(and am amazed by) his "open source" approach to sharing recipes.

"Seeing how other bartenders construct their drinks it can give you ideas of your own, so it makes all bars better. And the more places to get solid cocktails the better. Maybe one day there will be fierce competition amongst high end cocktail lounges, there just aren’t enough of them around to saturate the market." - Toby Maloney, from the LTH Forum thread.

If you've enjoyed the speakeasy-styled lounge in Wicker Park, getting your hands on the recipe list is something like decoding Coca-Cola or finding your Dad's stack of 60s Playboys. For example, the Juliet and Romeo, which recently won third place in GQ's 20 best cocktails:

Juliet & Romeo

• 2 oz Beefeater
• .75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• .75 oz Simple Syrup
• 3 drops Rose Water
• 3 drops Angostura
• 3 slices Cucumber
• 3 sprigs Mint
• Tiny pinch of salt

Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Mint leaf and 1 drop rose water/3 drops of Angostura Bitters.
Ice: None

Muddle cucumber, mint and pinch of salt. Add rest of ingredients. Let sit for 30 seconds (time allowing). Shake. Strain. Garnish with 1 floating mint leaf and 1 drop rose water on top of leaf, and 3 more drops of angostura on the surface of the drink.

You can buy rose water at Sultans Market on North Ave. I would get an eye dropper at the container store as well as a couple of extra drops will make this drink way to much like the jewerly box of a very old southern belle.

The pinch of salt is really, really small. It should be muddled with the cuke to bring out it's freshness.

This is magic, people. Try it at home, post on the thread, and then stop by the Violet Hour and see how you measure up to the pros.

You're missing out if you don't read LTH Forum. Maybe you know this, but it's more than just a foodie message board, it's THE Chicago food-drink-explore-splurge-expound info/gossip source.

Weekend Round-up: Is it summer yet?

Photo by reallyboring.

Good stuff always happens when I leave town. Please go to some of these things and party your ass off so at least one of us is having a sweet Chicago weekend. (I'm a little rushed, so this is essentially a Friday round-up right now.)

Friday:

What's better than beer and BBQ on a Friday evening? How about if Lush was throwing the party and the beer was a special "super-charged mistake batch" of Cane and Ebel from Two Brothers?

If by "Hell" you mean "Awesome"... Frank Kozik will be at Rotofugi signing stuff from 7 to 8:30pm.

I realized a while ago that Devlin & Darko are the thinking man's Girl Talk... which doesn't mean the thinking man is going to miss grinding on a bunch of teenage SAIC students wasted on Colt .45.

Saturday

A naked bike ride seems cool in theory, but the logistics are way too much for me. Thong + bike seat = something like water boarding.

Gah....running out of time! I'll try to finish this post today, but if not, have a fun weekend and I'll see you Monday.

Nightwood: Premature evaluation.

Where the magic happens. Photo: stringbot

I made the embarrassing choice of eating half a chicken before going to Nightwood last weekend so this won't be a proper review. It's a new restaurant in Pilsen, "Lula South" for the hipsters. We couldn't find the door and walked around outside like idiots while the tipsy blonds smoking by the entrance(it's through the patio) paid no attention whatsoever.

Stacks of firewood, though not the centerpiece, give the restaurant a rustic heft which most fine dining lacks. The split rounds were stacked in one of those dark Ikea shelves you'd put a wall of records in, right next to the kitchen. It was the yin to the design-heavy space's yang, and also the theme for our food. The awesome part of the meat came from wood-smoke infusion, making me think about beards, campfires, pig roasts and everything right about the Midwest. All this while seated in chairs invoking white go-go boots and limited edition eyeglasses. I was simultaneously comforted and impressed.

My Nightwood order was tiny pork meatballs with a tongue pleasuring texture and little side of fresh greens, plus some kind of gin gimlet. My single mouthful of pink, smokey meat was from a bite of burger my buddy insisted I try. There were some immorally compelling cheese-drizzled fries involved and mouthfuls of complicated, expensive wine. I'd recommend stopping by for a bite, and if you do, please tell me how the other stuff tastes.

Marquee Moon and the end of analog TV

Photo: BBC Music

Television is Dead - Long Live Television.

In a clever pairing of pop nostalgia, These Infamous Gifts will commemorate the last day of analog television with a performance of Television's proto-punk debut, Marquee Moon. The assemblage of Chicago musicians will play the album from top to bottom as the last waves of electromagnetic broadcast recede forever.

This Thursday at Martyrs, $10, 9pm.

Dutch cargo bikes De Fiet the automobile.

The perfect bike to accessorize your German wood stove? Photo: noneck

Sex on wheels has hit Chicago full force, Euro style. De Fietsfabriek USA proprietor Jon Lind may actually be the pioneer with his franchise of the Dutch bicycle factory, which opened its doors in late 2007. DF is the loungy wood-sided station wagon of commuter bikes. The small Dutch shop builds a sturdy front-loader(Bakfiets) able to carry a months groceries or a linebacker hammered to the gills on Grolsch.

De Fietsfabriek, which you may never spell right, is a premium bicycle. They won't replace the fixed gear hanging in your living room, but it may render your city car obsolete. I've personally seen a two-man Ikea dresser transported for blocks on a DF cantilevered rack. As with most Dutch bikes, the chain case and full fenders will keep your couture clean, allowing for a debonair exchanges with MILFs at Dominick's.


Three decades later, Dutch bikes arrive in Chicago. Better late than never! Photo: Amsterdamize

If your interest has been peaked, get on the mailing list. The shop is rumored to be planning a party soon, so inquire and chance a tipsy test ride.

Weekend Cycle Series Part 2: Indiana Dunes.

Incredibly, this view is a day's ride from Chicago. Photo: lapstrake

Starting location: Chicago

The plan: On Saturday morning, load your touring bike with camping gear. You're going to ride 70 miles of trails through rural Indy, bound for the Dunewood Campground, a secluded National Park site only a few minutes ride from the Lake Michigan shore. On arrival, set up camp in a wooded walk-in campsite then ride down to the sprawling beach. Have some ice cream. Relax. Camp out Saturday night, cook over a fire, drink some whiskey from your flask and fall asleep to coyotes howling along with a distant train whistle. Get up Sunday morning and cycle back to the city.

The route: Fans of decaying mid-century architecture may wish to ride highway 20/12 through Gary and Hammond, but there's a much nicer route, thanks to C4. Similar to last week's ride, these are all repurposed railroad grades and take you through charming, small-town Northern Indiana. First, take a look at this map(pdf). It's a little overwhelming at first, but I'll explain.

• From Chicago, take the Lake Front Path to the Burnham Greenway.
• Navigate streets(consult map) to the Erie-Lackawanna Trail.
• Ride to Griffith and pick up the Oak Savanah Trail.
• Ride to Hobart and take the Prairie Duneland Trail.
• Ride to Porter and meet the Calumet Trail, last leg of the ride.
• Continue to Beverly Shores and the Dunewood Campground.

Photo: lapstrake

Ice cream: The soft-serve variety can be found in Beverly Shores, at the end of your ride. Visit the Dune Mart by the intersection of Dunes Highway 12 and Broadway. They have food, some camping supplies and are within walking distance of your campsite.

Architecture nerds: You probably know Beverly Shores is the location of the 1933 World's Fair Homes of Tomorrow.

BYOF: Not only is beer illegal in National Parks, it's heavy and creates garbage. Bring a flask of your favorite spirit. Recent favorite quote:

"I'm also very fond of carrying an 8oz flask of whiskey, it's plenty of booze and adds little weight (camping on steep bluffs overlooking the river, far away from everyone, sipping Cragganmore 12yr and smoking a Dunhill this weekend was pretty much the highlight of the month for me)." - sassr, posted on chifg.com

The details: It will make a big difference on this ride if you plan in advance. The park doesn't accept reservations, but you can call ahead and find out how busy they are. It's helpful to print a copy of the big map, and the town maps(click names) I linked to above in the route.

This is part two of the BTSIC cycle touring series. For part one, click here.

Weekend round-up: Ain't no party like the Midwest party.

Photo by rebecca anne.

I feel some bikini weather just around the corner, but damned if I didn't pull out a fall sweater last night. Oh well. Beautiful diversity makes Chicago what it is, including the extreme difference of what we think Spring should feel like and what it has for the past week. Boner Party of sunny Los Angeles has a little wisdom for us on the topic.

"nothing beats chicago women in the summertime. nothing. i dont care where you’re from, who you know, any other advice you’ve heard along the way... chicago women in the summer have lived through the winter...you get to sit out on the back porch and drink beers and...chill the fuuuuck ouuuut. you cant do that in LA - nobody really has “porches” so to speak - and you cant do it in New York." -[read the rest at Boner Party]

Keep the faith. You'll be worshiping the AC and only going out at night soon enough.

Friday

Don't forget to pick up your free donuts.

Be slightly in awe of the nerdyness that Matchitehew Assembly promises to be. No clue who will be attending this two day gathering of Noise and Black Metal, but these guys would be right at home. (Friday and Saturday, two day tickets for $40)

Saturday

Team Beer'd presents "Ghetto Cross".

You'll love El Circo Cheapo because they are mindblowingly acrobatic, and frankly, sort of terrifying. There's a guy who puts live scorpions in his pants and topless women who dress as men and hang from a trapeze. Don't miss it.

The Sickest Fucking Stories I've Ever Heard is a comedy show in which the actors play poker, get drunk, and let you pretend you have the most depraved friends on earth without them actually puking in your dryer or having CSI-quality period sex on your bed.

Matchitehew Assembly continues...

Sunday

The LTH Forum is having their fifth anniversary at Weegee's, and they are the illuminati of dining(sort of) so hook it up!

Obligitory bloody marys: surprisingly MyOpenBar and newcomer Chicago Drink Deals have nothing this week, but try the Map Room for $5 bloodies and free barbeque.

B.Y.O.(build your own) bar.

Enjoying the fruits of their labor. Photo: Forkable Blog.

DIY food blogger Andrea of Forkable posted kick-ass photos of a picnic table built by the local Polish neighbors. They love to sit outside, chat, eat some sausages and enjoy a few, ahem, beverages.

Double Trouble Wednesday: Rhubarb and Bike Routes.

Improving your experience one pastry and ride at a time. Photo by ChicagoAtNight

Two badass things in my inbox today.

First, you may remember Kirsten of Glazed catering. With a middle finger raised to the fifty-degree weather, she has planed a summery batch of strawberry rhubarb donuts for the weekend. You heard me right: Rhubarb, the scourge of boring dessert. The fruit comes straight out of Michigan farmer Mick Klug's fields. As always, pick them up at Bite, New Wave or Swim. Three bucks. Mailing list: glazedchicago(at)gmail.com

Second, some of you bike riders are very tough. You no doubt punch out tail lights when suburban drivers cut you off, and run fifty/fifty whiskey and coffee in your Camelback. You may not appreciate how Ride the City has built a brand new website charting the easiest and safest routes around Chicago. The rest of us will find it very helpful for rideing places we don't normally go, or finding routes out of the city to buy suburban things like spraypaint, ammunition and food from Chili's. Read more in this article from TimeOut.

Weekend Cycle Series Part 1: Elroy - Sparta

Photo: carolyn_in_oregon

Spring is the most comfortable time to cycle the Midwest, and most inspiring in the wake of a totalitarian winter.

Over the next few weeks I'll recount various rides around the Chicago area which allow cyclists to leave the urban and ordinary behind for a taste of adventure and independence.

You'll sit atop an elegantly utilitarian machine and cause countryside to wash over you, seemingly endless, by virtue of a single sequence of repetitive movement. Once you have rolled down rural main streets like a two wheeled vagabond and pitched your tent out of panniers in hidden pastures and roadsides, you will be unable to separate yourself from the call of the road. You will forever yearn for meals cooked under the stars and the unexpected kindness of strangers in unknown territory.

Weekend ride #1: Elroy - Sparta State Trail.

Starting location: Elroy, Wisconsin (233 miles from Chicago).


Photo: P-Merge

The plan: Rent a car Friday afternoon and drive to Madison. Buy a day's worth of supplies and have a few boots of beer at the Essen Haus. Wake up early and drive the remaining hour and a half to Elroy(or Reedsburg if you'd like a longer ride). Load your gear and hungover self onto the bike for a lovely day in pastoral Wisconsin.


Photo: P-Merge

The map: The Elroy - Sparta trail is state maintained and has a beautifully detailed map. The trail is an abandoned railroad line and thus runs point-to-point; you will choose a starting location to leave the car and ride out, camp somewhere, then ride back. It is a relaxed ride through rolling farmland and friendly towns. Stop often to eat and drink.


Photo: katanachuck

The tunnels: One of the coolest parts of the route are titanic railroad tunnels which have been mined through the hills. They are blindingly dark, slightly damp, and true feats of engineering. Bring a flashlight.

The caveat: If fat people on Huffys bum you out, take warning. Because the trail runs through many small towns, people of all ages will be enjoying themselves in your path. Please conceal your disdain from the kind, portly Wisconsinites. Remember, their labors provide your beer, cheese and bratwursts.

The day after: Buy a case of New Glarus beer on your way back to Chicago. It's the perfect thing for your aching body and the looming work week.

Get to know your Chicago breweries.

Where can you find piles of hops like this in Chicago? Photo: sequoianorcal

In a post-apocalyptic future, with Chicago barricaded against roving armies of prairie bandits, I rest assured we would not thirst for beer. I toured the Fulton Goose Island Brewery a few months ago and while blissfully blitzed on hoppy ale, began thinking about how many breweries are now operating in the city and how nice it is to have these options.

There are many notable newcomers to Chicago brewing. Metropolitan opened this year and Half Acre is finally moving operations within city limits. I've assembled a list of every brewery and brewpub I could think of in Chicago. There are many fine concocters of craft beer just outside the city as well, but that's a different post. Perhaps we could extend them protection in a Mad Max scenario, in exchange for defending the barley and hops caravans.


Step six: Repeat. Photo: polka dot dress

Goose Island is the largest producer of beer in the city and has the widest distribution. Founded in 1988, they now operate two pubs and a brewery/bottling plant on Fulton. 1800 N Clybourn Ave , 3535 N Clark St.


Most adult-themed beer list in Chicago. Photo: JOE M500

Piece Brewpub opened their doors in 2001 and are now crowed to a density rivaling nuclear reactors on every night of the week. The best pairing of beer and pizza in the city, with growlers to-go. 1927 W North Ave.


Half Acre pints in various stages of undress. Photo: cinnachick

Half Acre began brewing Chicago-themed beer in Wisconsin(Midwest beer holyland) in 2006. Over the winter they began production South of the cheddar curtain and are adding a tasting room and store. They also sponsor a rad cycling team. 4257 N. Lincoln Ave.


Heavy metal at Metropolitan. Photo: Giant Ginko

Metropolitan Brewing is a newcomer as well, distinguished by their production of craft lagers, a relative rarity in the microbrewing scene. Helmed by a husband and wife team, Metro fired up its brew kettles in early in 2009. 5121 N Ravenswood Ave

Revolution Brewing is planning to open their brewpub doors this summer. Proprieter Josh Deth is an ex-Goose Island brewer and part owner of the Handlebar, so I have high hopes for Revolution. Track their progress on the all-inclusive blog. 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Rock Bottom may be a chain, but each location has unique beers in production and the Chicago location holds their own. It's also the only downtown brewpub. 1 W Grand Ave.