Zak Stambor – Page 4 –

Sam Adams bringing mentor program to Chicago, releases beers from participating brewers

May 2, 2019 at 2:09 p.m.

A few months before Chris Spinelli was ready to open the doors to Roc Brewing Co. in April 2011, the former financial advisor faced a conundrum: He didn't have the...

Beans are cooked with garlic, tomatoes, corn and chile powder, all of it doused with a generous pour of a malty beer. (Food styling by Lisa Schumacher.)

Vegetarian dishes leave you wanting more? Beer is the flavor you’re missing

July 1, 2019 at 1:59 a.m.

Vegetarian food gets a bum rap. Even as vegetable-centric restaurants like Bad Hunter and Clever Rabbit have shone a new light on cooking without meat or seafood at the center...

Kusanya Cafe is the kind of place where you can get a cup of coffee, check out the community board, print a school paper or simply jump on the internet. You'll see people huddled together over papers strewn across the wood tables or someone walking in simply to say hello to the small staff. Because the nonprofit cafe roasts its own coffee on-site in small batches, don't hesitate to order that lavender iced latte ($3.49) or a plain cup of coffee. The breakfast and lunch menu is lush with references to famous musicians, like the Lupe Tabasco breakfast sandwich ($2.29). It features a thin egg patty, with melted cheese and Sriracha on ciabatta, and you can add sausage, spinach and tomato for an extra charge. The cozy and brightly lit environment is exactly where you want to catch up on some work or meet up with friends. 825 W. 69th St., 773-675-4758, <a href="http://www.kusanyacafe.org/">kusanyacafe.org</a> — Grace Wong

When creating a new whiskey, Angel’s path a good one to follow

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Boondocks Whiskey is a brand developed in part by a whiskey world giant using sourced whiskey. If the story sounds familiar, that's because it is. Boondocks is pulling a page...

Double brown ales coming out from under IPA/barrel aging/sours shadow

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

There's an old media axiom that three make a trend. By that standard, it's safe to say that double brown ales are a trend. But amid a craft beer landscape...

Booker’s Bourbon Tommy’s Batch, the latest release, is a big, bold henna-hued bourbon that features rich tobacco, oak and vanilla notes that meld with dried spice notes.

Booker’s Bourbon: Don’t just throw it back

June 5, 2018 at 12:29 a.m.

Booker's Bourbon is uncut and unfiltered. Or, as Booker Noe II — the legendary master distiller of Jim Beam who is the bourbon's namesake — put it, it's bourbon "straight...

Chicago’s craft distillery revolution: From none to 17 in 14 years

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

Depending on whom you talk to, craft distilling is either in the midst of a bubble or a renaissance. The industry's growth is making it easier than ever for drinkers...

New Sam Adams Rebel IPA juicier and brighter than old formula

July 2, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.

It isn't that Rebel IPA, Samuel Adams' first flagship IPA, was a bad beer — it wasn't — but it's never been particularly interesting. To me, Rebel IPA has always...

Six wild Burgundian snails are the star of the wood-grilled escargot ($12) at Le Sud. The Roscoe Village restaurant's version of this dish is not hiding in a pool of garlic butter or served in a scalding hot dish. Presented on a skewer, the mollusks are brushed with olive oil infused with herbs de provence before they're grilled, absorbing a delicate smoky flavor that lingers in your mouth. Tender and buttery, the snails are served with a few generous pats of herb butter that melt, adding another layer of fragrance and lusciousness. A side of green salad dressed with olive oil, lemon and salt provides a bright contrast to the skewer and a hearty country bread serves as a foundation for assembling a makeshift toast point. The portion is small, so make your dining companions order their own. $12. 2301 W. Roscoe St., 773-857-1985, <a href="https://lesudchicago.com/">lesudchicago.com</a> — Grace Wong

What’s inside a craft brewer’s beer fridge? Answer might surprise you

May 2, 2019 at 2:08 p.m.

I'm what you might call a snob. One might even venture to refer to me as an obnoxious snob. Before I go out to dinner, I study the drink list....

Great Divide Brewing's Fresh Hop Pale Ale, left, and Off Color Brewing's Aqua Predator, use fresh hops instead of dried, which requires changes in logistics to get the ingredient to the breweries soon after harvest.

Fresh-hop beer category grows, and so do logistical challenges

June 8, 2018 at 9:35 p.m.

It's a pain brewing a beer with fresh, rather than kiln-dried, hops. After all, farmers have a limited window to pick hops at their peak — three or four days...

Gin maker Boodles has released a spirit that changes the fruit in a sloe gin fizz. Mulberry Gin makes for a brighter tasting cocktail with the flavor of ripe raspberries.

Sloe gin gets a cousin in the Boodles Mulberry

June 9, 2018 at 11:51 a.m.

Until I Googled "mulberry" a few minutes ago, I actually didn't know what a mulberry was. And, to be frank, after a few minutes puzzling through the various black, red...

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