Downtown Chicago next week (1/13 and 1/14)

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cosmicevan

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As mentioned in the FIB war room a few weeks back...I'll be downtown next Monday (1/13) and Tuesday (1/14) staying in the Hilton on S Michigan Ave.

Very down to meet up with other TB'ers at a bar or brewery to share pints and laughs or if anyone wants to bottleshare or IP swap, I can certainly host and I can travel assuming I can manage my way through the transit system.

If you are into it, feel free to post here or ping me with a message. some interest already expressed by cfrances33 Sean9689 kevanb Treebs iadler but nothing locked down yet.

Haven't had a chance to hang in downtown chicago with any kind of freedom in a while. Any suggestions on must visit bottleshops, bars, breweries, meaderies, restaraunts (i'm not into anything too exotic)?

As for IP swaps, NY didn't get any FW17 and I'd love to work something out for a bottle or 2. Also interested in Pipeworks and Half Acre stuff that isn't on the shelf while I'm in town and would love to check out CW scotch ale...and pretty much anything interesting that I can't get in NY and won't be on the shelf for me to buy while in town (if you have 4elf or winter solstice stuff to swap, paint me interested!!!).

Side note - just found out that I'll be back in town (staying in the NW burbs) the week of March 17th if anyone wants to meet at FFF or just hang out to celebrate the hopeful exit of cold weather.
 
Down for a pint. Allegedly there's a spot with XVII on the shelves still. Could be true, since they had Sucaba as late as June this year. If no one else can help, I'll investigate
 
I've got a FW 17 that I'm not planning to drink anytime soon and I work a few blocks from there, if you haven't locked down a bottle yet.
 
Sorry havent reached out yet, been slammed with real life but lets pin it down!

So are preferences for a bottle share or pints at a pub? I am down to hang both mon and tues. Any pub recommendations? I would love to check out one of the GI brew pubs (which is better to go to?)

I will reply about swaps later today
 
Sorry havent reached out yet, been slammed with real life but lets pin it down!

So are preferences for a bottle share or pints at a pub? I am down to hang both mon and tues. Any pub recommendations? I would love to check out one of the GI brew pubs (which is better to go to?)

I will reply about swaps later today

Clybourn brewpub is the one you want to go to if you're itching for a GI pub.
 
thanks guys...i don't know how you guys (and gals?) got that FIB ******** tied to you. looks like i'm all set on FW 17. apparently some guys in my local group stumbled across bottles so i'm gonna pass on the swapping, but if anyone is looking for anything east coast, i definitely don't mind bringing you whatever i can get (or have) - i can usually get away with about 200oz in my bag and keeping it under weight.

for hanging who is available on what day? some stuff is starting to come together, but haven't solidified what is happening on what days. if you are around and want to hang, please post (or converse with me - with the option to add people to the convo) what days you are available and if you have a preference for a bottle share or just grabbing pints/grub whatnot around town and we can connect people with similar availability/wants - i wouldn't mind facilitating a other TB'ers in meeting up if they are looking to meet for a pint if the masses want to do something different.
 
Hey Evan.

I'll probably be in your area on Tuesday next week. Are you available for lunch on tues?

Otherwise March for sure since you'll be in my backyard and I should finally be around this time. I think we have opposite travel schedules.
 
I'm going to head down to GI Clybourn on Monday around lunchtime if you are free. I'll probably head back to the burbs sometime before rush hour(s).
 
Hey Evan.

I'll probably be in your area on Tuesday next week. Are you available for lunch on tues?

Otherwise March for sure since you'll be in my backyard and I should finally be around this time. I think we have opposite travel schedules.

lunch will be a working lunch with co-workers. tuesday after work though, definitely down to hang. and march for certain (probably do a FFF trip too).

I'm going to head down to GI Clybourn on Monday around lunchtime if you are free. I'll probably head back to the burbs sometime before rush hour(s).

my flight lands at ohare around 630, then gotta get downtown...so my monday will be evening activity. tuesday i'll be working until about 5 and then hopefully get together with a few heads.

right now, thinking about hitting up GI Clybourn or a bar on monday night. Any recommendations?

since it seems like no one is jumping up and down to bottleshare, tuesday i would love to hit up half acre, pipeworks, or a solid pub...any recommendations?

also, for picking up bottles/cans in the area i'll be...any suggestions?
 
What, no bottleshare? Nothing says business trip like getting drunk on BCBS variants before destroying a hotel room charged to someone else.

Seriously though, I'm free either night. Half Acre's a great spot, though may be a bit crowded depending on the weather. Haymarket's in the west loop, a bit pricier. Local Option, AliveOne (great tap deal on Tuesdays)
Basically, I'd think of what beers you want to drink, then search for them on beermenus

As for local shops, going from closest to furthest, I'd try Printer's Row (http://www.beermenus.com/places/2669-printers-row-wine-shop) then the Whole Foods on Roosevelt (~10 blocks) and Binny's South Loop (about 2 blocks beyond Whole Foods).
 
...since it seems like no one is jumping up and down to bottleshare, tuesday i would love to hit up half acre, pipeworks, or a solid pub...any recommendations?

also, for picking up bottles/cans in the area i'll be...any suggestions?
RE Pipeworks, they don't have a store/taproom/bar/brewpub/anything so there's nothing really to "hit up". Just an FYI, is all. There are maybe 6 bars that might get a keg of PW stuff from time to time but it's tough to say if any of those bars will have any of those kegs next week.

As for other places, other folks have provided some good ideas. It really just comes down to how long you want to spend riding a CTA train (or sitting in a taxi). Hell, I think the Lincoln Park Whole Foods (not far from Goose Island on Clybourn) is a great place to drink beer -- between their 1550 bar and the Red Star bar upstairs, you get a lot of taps at decent prices and the food is relatively cheap. Apparently, they can what will be on tap -- who can top that?!
http://www.beermenus.com/places/12664-red-star-bar-whole-foods-lincoln-park
 
I thought of rec: WholeFoods too. As a chain, it is less "Chicago-y." It's a great spot though. $2 specials, craftier selections. They've got "Lunch" too, apparently.
 
I thought of rec: WholeFoods too. As a chain, it is less "Chicago-y." It's a great spot though. $2 specials, craftier selections. They've got "Lunch" too, apparently.
No, completely agree. If you're coming in from out of town, is this where you would want to go? Eh... maybe? But probably not?

But... the tap list is pretty great! Hell, it's also within stumbling distance to my apartment, which is why it's often on my radar.
 
right now, thinking about hitting up GI Clybourn or a bar on monday night. Any recommendations?

since it seems like no one is jumping up and down to bottleshare, tuesday i would love to hit up half acre, pipeworks, or a solid pub...any recommendations?

also, for picking up bottles/cans in the area i'll be...any suggestions?
If you're looking for a bar pretty close to your hotel that wouldn't require public transit, Monks Pub is the best (and just about the only) place to get good craft beer in the Loop.
 
I would consider swinging downtown on Monday night, depending on weather. Once a place is determined, either message me or post it here.
 
As of now, thinking of doing GI clybourn on monday night and meeting up with as many people as possible, perhaps even going to a few spots? since that is the night i can go later into the wee hours and maybe a low key dinner on tuesday at a cool pub? so pretty much whichever place that the most people want to go to on monday will be the spot...if there is no consensus, i'll head over to clybourn for anyone who wants to meet up.

Great recs so far though! thanks!!!
 
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land at about 630p then go check in at my hotel and head over to clybourn tonight (hoping to be there before 8)...probably stay til close which looks to be 10p on monday. After that, probably head to Monk's Pub on my way back towards my hotel...or if folks have other recommendations, i'm flexible.
 
awesome time in chicago thanks to all who hung out...here was the kill shot on tuesday (missing the 04 1.5 liter of 3F OG and a few other bottles...but this was what things looked like at around 2am ish)

d24c6d807da411e3a15c1286ca82223f_8.jpg
 

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