After class this morning, I decided to stop at Haymarket Brewing Co. on my way home. In my head, I told myself it was to get the contact information for the Food & Beverage Director so I could ask for advice in preparing a cover letter and résumé for the burgeoning gastro-pub industry. But let me be honest; it's Friday the Thirsteenth ....I mean, THIRTEENTH .... and fresh, home-town brewed beer is awesome no matter what day it is. (Sidebar: they're totally playing Naughty-By-Nature right now - You down wit' O.P.P?) Also, I would have been able to drink all day, but my sister called me around 11:50 and kept me on the phone for twenty minutes thus violating drink-all-day rule #1.
I ordered up a pulled pork sammich and some mac-n-cheese to line my stomach and an Angrier Birds Imperial Belgian Rye I.P.A. for starters. I really like this beer largely because I helped Sean brew a similar beer last year, Northern Brewer's partial mash kit of the Surly Cynic. Haymarket's brew is a great combination of rye along with what would normally be pilsner malts and fermented with a Belgian yeast. Together with my lunch order, I had a ton of flavors fighting for 1st place (p.s. - the beer won).
The next best part about hitting the brewpub early, was that Haymarket Brewer Pete Crowley came in with a growler of IPA from Tighthead Brewing Co, Recently opened in Mundelein IL. I wasn't too sure of the beer's bouquet, but their IRIE IPA didn't disappoint. It was well carbonated with a light body and excellent hop flavor. I'm looking forward to finding out more about these guys in Mundelein.
I didn't have time do drink all day, which by now I couldn't honestly do so, so I finished my visit with Haymarket's The Saison Also Rises. Their take on the traditional Belgian farmhouse ale is very light and incredibly thirst quenching. I feel bad about comparing it to Ommegang's Hennepin, but they're in the same style; it's just that Haymarket's has a much lighter body and you can drink it... all day.
I got a serious treat when I got home! My wife came home shortly after I did and started asking for dinner and stated that she wanted a glass of wine. So I made her a deal - I'd start dinner if he ran over to Binny's and grabbed a bottle of wine and some beer. In response to "What do you want?" I told her to surprise me - and boy did she!! I had been looking for the Lagunitas SUCKS Holiday Ale since October but could only find it on tap at the Maple Tree Inn in Blue Island, IL. (Thanks to Katie, Erich, and Emily for providing such amazing beer availability!) One bottle out of this six pack went into the "the locker" next to my very-first-ever bottle of homebrew.
For those of you who don't go looking for beers like this, the simple review goes like this: It has a nice golden color, is well carbonated, and has a crisp bitter finish. Overall, this cannot be mistaken for anything but a Lagunitas beer. Fans of Lagunitas know what I'm talking about - even though all their beers taste different from each other, each one has that signature Lagunitas taste. Can I type Lagunitas a few more times? Lagunitas.
The most fun thing about last year's seasonal release from Lagunitas is the fact that they ridiculed themselves and slandered their own name - though, I don't think it can be considered slander given how successful the release was. I have a lot of respect for a brewery that will publicly announce how disappointed they are with themselves (yeah, right) in a press release!
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