Bait and Switch at Chicago Craft Beer Week

It's always a treat to have somebody do your work for you.  Delegate people.

Thanks to our good friends on Michigan Ave in Chicago - Dumbarton's Official Midwest Correspondents.

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Another week in Chicago, another craft beer event.  After tasting as many new tappings as possible during the fantastic Craft Brewers Conference  in April, the much smaller and lamer Chicago Craft Beer Week  has hit town.  Half of the events take place in the far suburbs which certainly doesn't qualify as "Chicago" and driving an hour just to drink beer is not the best idea (except when you're in San Diego.)


We hit a new brewpub in trendy Wicker Park, Moonshine, which promised a special release for this event - Hymie Weiss.  We love a weiss beer and were looking forward to the festivities and perhaps one of us (the non-married one) meeting a beer-loving man.  Upon arrival at the bar, which is decorated in a cheesy southern-trash theme, the staff knew nothing of the event and no weiss was on tap.  We made the best of it with a lovely amber-colored and malty Longshanks Scotch Style Ale and a similar - just heavier and maltier - Morning Wood Dark Mild.   We then tried their generic Piston Broke Special Pale Ale and after 3 pints and an unfortunate impression of beer week, we decided to head home to watch the Blackhawks rule once again away from home ice.  


Breweries are popping up in Chicago faster than you can drink a 16% Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout and not all are great but we are getting a good buzz checking them out.  We apologize for no accompanying photos as the new Blackberry takes even worse pictures than the old one.  Thank you to the Dumbarton Brewmaster for allowing a Midwest Report from Heidi and Kristen!
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Shotgunning A Keg

According to FOX Chicago, 4 men were arrested in Wisconsin after a Dukes of Hazzard-like chase - except this time Roscoe P. Coltrane actually caught them ole Duke boys. "The Marathon County Sheriff said the chase started after a deputy tried to stop 19-year-old Kolton Kafka for a broken tail light. While cops were in hot pursuit at speeds that reached 120 mph, one of the passengers, 21-year-old Kevin Schleicher, threw a beer keg from the car, according to police. The whole incident was captured on a police dash cam."

Let's go to the video.

Steve Has A Cousin in Illinois

Dennis Cretton had a problem. Due to a previous drunk driving conviction, Mr. Cretton is without a driver's license and he needed a beer. More specifically, Mr. Cretton needed a 12 pack of Milwaukee's Best. What's a man with a thirst to do?

The 49 year old Belleville, IL resident drunkenly hops on his yellow riding lawnnmower and heads to the nearest gas station on a beer run. Authorities tried to stop him when "Bretton drove the mower into his home's front yard, his 12-pack of Milwaukee's Best spilling onto the ground along the way."

Cretton is free on $10,000 bond.

Nazi Death Camp Beer

Sure, American high school kids can't find Iraq - or their home state - on a map but they probably know more than their cousins across the pond. In the United Kingdom history is rarely a priority. Specifically, World War II history. Specifically the Holocaust.

According to our friends at Fox News, a recent study finds that 10 percent of high school students in the UK were not sure what Auschwitz was and 2 percent think it's a beer.
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"We are not surprised by the results, although we are disappointed," said Stephanie Rose, of the London Jewish Cultural Centre, who helped conduct the poll. "If we are not careful, the Holocaust will disappear into the realms of history like the battle of Trafalgar.
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Not surprised by the results? I mean, seriously?