Month: November 2017

The Beer Drop: Goose Island Bourbon County

Ah, Bourbon County season. It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year. Where the faithful cross the Midwest and line up in droves to get their hands on some of the elusive, barrel-aged juice coming out of Chicago’s very own Goose Island Brewery, who also happen to be our West Loop/Fulton Market neighbors.

Bourbon County and Foxtrot have what I would like to consider a pretty storied past. Our first line out the door a few years back was on Bourbon County Day. I often tell people with pride that we were the first delivery service to sell BCS through an app in Chicago*, and I’ve had this date circled on my calendar for a Beer Drop feature since we kicked this off back in April.

A few weeks ago we stopped by the Goose Island Barrel Warehouse where we got a behind-the-scenes tour of the intense craft that goes into barrel aging beer. A.J. Platt, GI Barrel Brewer, showed us around that day, and I recently caught up with him again to talk through this year’s batch. These babies are going to go quickly, so get ’em while you can!

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Wine About It: Beaujolais Nouveau

We know, we know. We’re a little tardy on our November feature, but for good reason – 1. we’re law abiding citizens and 2. knew this one would be worth the wait.

If you’re not familiar with the hype, the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau is no joke – by law, a drop of it can’t be sold until the third Thursday of November, and it was even stricter back in the day…the wine couldn’t even leave Beaujolais until the day of, so there was a frantic rush after midnight to get everyone their wine in time for breakfast. Serious business. 

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But don’t take our word for it – our friend and knower-of-all-things wine from Heritage Wine Cellars, Ethan Brown, lays it out short and sweet:

Each year, Beaujolais Nouveau is released to eager fans who appreciate its lively, slightly tart taste with grilled or roasted meats.

Perfect for your Thanksgiving feast, it provides a preview of the year’s harvest from France’s Beaujolais region.

With soft tannins and youthful, fruity aromas, Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be enjoyed right away, with great food and company.

Join the celebration and snag your bottle(s) here for your Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, or just a Monday night in. Cheers!

The Beer Drop: Bell’s Black Note Stout

I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but…this week we’re heading back to Michigan for The Beer Drop to feature the Great Lakes State’s OG of craft, Bell’s Brewery out of Kalamazoo.

At Foxtrot, we’ve sold various options from Bell’s since our inception, from Two Hearted to Oberon to Best Brown Ale to Winter White Ale. These often imitated, never duplicated takes on various craft styles are mainstays in any Midwestern beer snob’s arsenal, but this week we’re stepping it up a notch after securing a handful of bottles of their exclusive Black Note Stout.

To put into context how big of a deal it is to get your hands on Black Note Stout as a retailer, we had to start the conversation with Bell’s and our distributors way back in May. This stuff is a whale in any craft beer arsenal and when you eventually crack it open – after a lengthy aging process of course – you’ll understand why.

I had the pleasure of briefly catching up with Laura Bell, CEO of Bell’s, about what’s so special about this beer in particular and a little background info on the brewery and its origins. Enjoy, and grab some Black Note Stout while you can!

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The Beer Drop: 3 Floyds Moloko & Broo Doo

This week’s Beer Drop doesn’t really need an introduction – but bear with me while I get my weekly writing fix in. 

You’d be hard-pressed to travel to beer-loving circles around the globe to find a hophead who isn’t familiar with the work of 3 Floyds Brewing Co. out of Munster, Indiana. Producing “Not Normal” beers since their founding in 1996, the company has pulled off the delicate balance of renown, exclusivity, and craft.

I cheered the day we were first able to start selling their juice on Foxtrot, and cheered again when I heard brewmaster Chris Boggess was down for an interview AND we’d be featuring Moloko and Broo Doo this week. As a beer fan, the conversation didn’t disappoint – I’ll end my weekly writing fix here so we can get to Chris! Let’s do this:  

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Harvest Cocktails

Fall cocktails just might be one of our favorites, because fresh apple cider. You’re getting your daily serving of fruit (#health), and it’s one you can warm up on those chillier, winter is definitely coming days – to get you started, we’ve whipped up a few classics with a splash of cider that you can enjoy all day, from brunch to happy hour to that evening nightcap.

…we may have also snuck a maple old fashioned in here, because 🍂 – cheers!

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Apple Cider Mimosa

  • Prosecco
  • Fresh Apple Cider

You know the drill here – just swap that OJ for a splash of apple cider 🍎

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Harvest Margarita

  • 2 cups Apple Cider
  • 1/2 cup Tequila
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
  • Apple for garnish

In a pitcher, combine apple cider, tequila and fresh lemon juice. Rim glasses with salt, fill ’em up and garnish with an apple slice.

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Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned

  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • 2 tsp Maple Syrup
  • 1 tsp Water
  • Dash of bitters
  • Orange for garnish

Combine maple syrup, water and a dash of bitters in a glass, stir until blended. Add bourbon and ice, garnish with a fresh orange peel.

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Apple Cider Whiskey Warmer

  • Leopold Brothers Apple Whiskey
  • Fresh Apple Cider

In a rocks glass, combine 2 parts apple whiskey with 2 parts warmed apple cider, garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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The Beer Drop: Crazy Mountain Tequila Barrel Aged Double Wit & Lava Lake Wit

We’re heading out to the Wild West for this week’s edition of The Beer Drop, featuring Crazy Mountain Brewing from Edwards, Colorado!

We were originally introduced to the people at Crazy Mountain because one of this week’s featured beers, Lava Lake Wit, has a wily and indomitable fox/osprey/trout hybrid by the name of Byamba on the can. If there’s one thing that will always catch our eye, it’s things with foxes on ’em. When we were able to get our hands on some stock of their incredibly interesting and tasty Local’s Stash Tequila Barrel Aged Double Wit, the deal was sealed. 

Byamba wasn’t able to join us when we caught up with Kevin Selvey, Crazy Mountain’s founder and CEO, but as luck would have it, Crazy Mountain’s oldest resident, Sheamus – an outspoken owl/mule deer/bobcat creature – was more than happy to chime in. Read on for the Q&A and a portrait of Sheamus, because we know you’re all wondering what this guy looks like. Let’s go!

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November Coffee Special

Get salty with this month’s coffee bar special, the Salted Caramel Mocha!

Our unique Sleep Thief Espresso (roasted by our friends at Metric Coffee) gets steamed to perfection with delightful caramel and rich chocolate for the coziest way to ward off these dropping temps. Pairs well with your chunkiest pair of socks and a warm Little Goat scone. Enjoy one all month long at our in-house coffee bar! We’ll see you soon ☕️