Beer

Just before I graduated college, my roommate insisted we throw a James Bond-themed party. It was her boyfriend's birthday. She thought her boyfriend looked like Daniel Craig. During the course of the night, I settled into the in-no-way-legal bartending gig in the kitchen that had been making me money at parties for months. Only this time, there were martinis involved - shaken, not stirred. They were about as well-balanced as you'd expect a college house party drink to be, but that wasn't the point.

First, remember vaguely hearing that the brothers Hanson were debuting a beer called "Mmmhops?" Yeah, well they finally released it. I know, right? Well, we decided that Hanson isn't good enough. We want more! Below is a staff-curated list of other '90s pop beers we want to see:     No Doubt Breakfast Stout Milli Vanilla Porter Matchbox 120 minute IPA Lager than Life (Backstreet Boys) Sixpack None The Richer Third Eye Blond Tal Bock-man Beer!

Yes, some fans go to baseball games to watch the on-field action. But I'll attest that a solid 72 percent - a completely unscientific digit I've selected - are there for the sunshine, the nacho helmets and the chance to catch a slingshot tee. Especially when the teams' performances are lackluster, most fans are at a game because Wrigley and The Cell essentially are Chicago's two largest beer gardens. As the Cubs and Sox square off for the Crosstown Classic next week (May 27-30), only one question was on my mind: Which field has the better brews?

An estimated 48,000 homebrewers in Illinois soon could be able to share their beers at competitions and festivals. HB 0630 , a bill that ammends the state's Liquor Control Act, this week passed both chambers of the state legislature. It now heads to Gov. Pat Quinn for a signature. Though amateur Illinois beer makers have for years entered their creations in homebrew competitions, these actions recently were deemed illegal under state laws. Thanks to advocacy by homebrew groups, the bill unanimously passed both the Illinois House and Senate and will be effective immediately following the...

Want to drink like the President of the United States of America? Now you can. Last week, the recipe for the President Obama's White House Honey Ale and White House Honey Porter were released, sending craft brewers all over the country scurrying for just the right ingredients to recreate the Commander in Chief's drink of choice. In Chicago, North Center's Brew Camp has the beer recipe kits available, and brewing demonstration classes are scheduled for Sunday and Sept. 23. "Following the White House's announcement, business at our storefront immediately boomed, making this one of our...

Chicago's hipster alderman is doing something effortlessly cool again - by buying a round of beer for Wicker Park and Bucktown residents. Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno (1st) is hosting his monthly constituent meet-and-greet from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday at sports spot Boundary Tavern and Grille, 1932 W. Division St. Moreno, who has been alderman since March 2010, said he's been hosting these get-togethers since May of last year. "They've been very successful," said Moreno, who has been dubbed the "hipster alderman" because of his love of indie music and bikes.

It's not an iPhone 4, but today we managed to get our hands on the Goose Island 312 can. Because I love you people, I taste-tested this beer (don't check the timestamp on this post) and have a semi-professional review. ( NOTE: I'm not a real professional, but I have had beer in at least six different states.)   Here's the thing: It tastes...different.  Not different like bad, mind you. I mean, it's the 312 flavor you've come to know. Here's the thing: I truly think some beers taste differently in a can vs. in a bottle or in a...

O'Hare on Thanksgiving Eve and I had made it through security in less than 15 minutes. Now was clearly the time to celebrate. I settled into a barstool at a vaguely depressing Chili's, squashed between the luggage of a man who clearly enjoys The Sharper Image catalog and a fellow who had just returned from wandering aroud India. And it was there that it happened: I had my first airport beer. I'm not an infrequent flyer, but the urge has never hit me as I schlup my bags through a terminal to sit down for a drink.

Not to be outdone by neighboring 'hoods Bucktown and Wicker Park, Logan Square now will have its own beer festival as well. The Logan Square Beer Fest , set for Sept. 21 at Logan Square Auditorium , is a new event that organizers Dave Watts and Marcus Osacky said will spotlight 20 breweries, most from the Midwest. "We're looking for each brewery to bring one of their regular seasonal beers and a specialty beer like a collaboration or cask-conditioned or barrel-aged beer, something you could only get at this fest," Watts said.

Rob Garcea already proved he's literally the best in Chicago at holding his liquor. Now he's taking the talent he didn't even know he had to New York. The 30-year-old Roscoe Village resident said he hadn't even heard of a beer stein holding competition--called Masskrugstemmen--when he stumbled into Uberstein after a Cubs game about six weeks ago. But on Friday, he came back a little more prepared, and won a trip to New York to represent Chicago in a national Masskrugstemmen championship.

EAT Burger Day Specials LeaderBar 3000 W. Irving Park Road 773-478-2337 Munch your way into National Burger Day at this Albany Park bar's 75-seat landscaped beer garden with a Leader Burger (Merkts cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, house sauce; regularly $9.95), which is yours for $1 with the purchase of a Three Floyds, Goose Island, Revolution or Half Acre craft beer ($5-$8). Noon-11 p.m. Crosstown Classic Chowdown Poag Mahone's 333 S. Wells St. 312-566-9100 As the Cubs and Sox duke it out, you can show your allegiance with a North Side "Cure for the...

Yes, some fans go to baseball games to watch the on-field action. But I'll attest that a solid 72 percent - a completely unscientific digit I've selected - are there for the sunshine, the nacho helmets and the chance to catch a slingshot tee. Especially when the teams' performances are lackluster, most fans are at a game because Wrigley and The Cell essentially are Chicago's two largest beer gardens. As the Cubs and Sox square off for the Crosstown Classic next week (May 27-30), only one question was on my mind: Which field has the better brews?

No Memorial Day travel plans? No problem. The city's the place to be this weekend, as two perennial summer favorites return with even more entertainment, beer and shopping. On Saturday and Sunday, West Loop vintage mecca Randolph Street Market toasts its 10-year anniversary while Lakeview packs in more cover bands than you ever thought possible during Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest. Bonus: A Monday holiday means you'll have an extra day to recover from the springtime shenanigans. kbernot@tribune.com @redeyeeatdrink ...

As the weather warms up and the Cubs' season rolls on, Wrigleyville residents will want to keep Black Sheep Beer Garden on their radars. The bar, which is located in the space formerly home to The Yard at 3441 N. Sheffield Ave., reopened last weekend after a 7-month hiatus. The 50-person beer garden, complete with TVs and cabana seating for 24, has beefed up its beer list, which now features 11 drafts from within 100 miles of Chicago. More upgrades are planned for the coming months, including a name change, the debut of a whiskey menu and the...

How much does Chicago love its beer? Our craft beer week is 11 days long, if that's any indication. The fourth annual Chicago Craft Beer Week (May 16-26) is busier than past years, with 21 new breweries joining the lineup of tastings, tap takeovers and $4 pint nights. The schedule can seem a bit intimidating to newcomers, so we've mapped out the ultimate calendar for those looking to dip their toes into Chicago's thriving beer world. If you're planning to attend multiple events, download the free Chicago Craft Beer Week app (chibeerweek.com)

Chicago's never seen a block party quite like the West Loop Craft Beer Festival. Set to close out Chicago Craft Beer Week , organizers say the May 25 fest will be the first craft beer fest in the city's history to take place in a public street. The afternoon event will block off Clinton Street between Lake and Washington streets for four hours (five hours for VIP ticket-holders) of beer from local breweries like Solemn Oath, Begyle, Lake Effect and Revolution. Currently, 27 breweries are set to participate.

Details have been scarce about the forthcoming Chicago outpost of Eataly, Mario Batali's sprawling Italian market and restaurant with locations in New York City and Rome, but beer fans will be glad to hear that brewpub planning is underway. Delaware-based brewery Dogfish Head announced that it will continue its partnership with Eataly and will design the menu and oversee the brewing process at the Chicago outpost, which will open this year at 43 E. Ohio St. in the former ESPN Zone space.

It's been an intense month for Madam Secretary Hillary Clinton. After recovering from a fall, the subsequent concussion and a blood clot, Clinton spent six hours Wednesday giving testimony about the terrorist attack in Libya. On behalf of the American people, I would like to treat Clinton to a beer after a doozy of a week. Here are the Top 15 reasons why I want to grab a brew with her. 1. Clinton is the [bleep]. She has been my hero since I was 11. I still remember parts of her 1996 speech at the U.N. Women's Conference in...

Details have been scarce about the forthcoming Chicago outpost of Eataly, Mario Batali's sprawling Italian market and restaurant with locations in New York City and Rome, but beer fans will be glad to hear that brewpub planning is underway. Delaware-based brewery Dogfish Head announced that it will continue its partnership with Eataly and will design the menu and oversee the brewing process at the Chicago outpost, which will open this year at 43 E. Ohio St. in the former ESPN Zone space.

For most 20-somethings, a Berghoff beer is something your dad or even your granddad might have drank. The historic Chicago brand has been making beer since 1887, and after a heyday in the 1990s, it's fallen off most young people's radars. Counterintuitively, owners say that's not necessarily a bad thing. "It's a grandpa-style brand, and there aren't many of these left," said Ben Minkoff, 25, who, along with his family, owns Berghoff Brewing Inc. "It's becoming kind of a hip thing, these grandpa-style brands.