Month: July 2018

Grill Master: 3 New Creations To Try This Summer

There’s always a place in our hearts (and stomachs) for a snappy hot dog and simple cheeseburger fresh from the flames, but sometimes you gotta mix things up, so we turned to Chef Brad for some new grill creations to add to our rotation, and (spoiler) he did not disappoint.

With creations like prosciutto brie burgers, chicken elote guac sammies, and saucy bratwurst, these are guaranteed to get you grill master status the rest of the summer. Ready to fire things up? Let’s grill 🔥:


Prosciutto Brie Burger

Pinkies up for this gourmet-style prime beef burger topped with prosciutto, gooey creme brie and fresh, spiced arugula.

  • Purely Beef Burger Patties
  • Sliced Prosciutto
  • Marin Triple French Crème Brie
  • Baby Arugula
  • Brioche Bun

Brad’s tips:
Let meat sit room temperature for 10 minutes. No need for special seasonings – salt and pepper will do, and will allow the true flavors to take hold. Turn up the grill to high setting for best searing results. Cook burger patties to desired level and fold slices of prosciutto to place on top. Cut brie into a long, single slice and melt over the top. Mix arugula with olive oil, salt and pepper to top it off. Build onto bun and enjoy! If you’re about that sauce life, add a smear of your favorite whole grain mustard or homemade jam. 

Beer pairing: Whiner Le Tub
Wine pairing: No Fine Print Wine

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The Dirty Bird

Smothered with everyone’s favorite elote guac, this juicy grilled chicken sandwich is the definition of addicting. You’ve been warned.

  • Chicken Breast
  • Uncured Bacon
  • Elote Guacamole
  • Dirty Chips – Sea Salt
  • Brioche Bun

Brad’s tips:
Pre-cook bacon on stovetop. Season chicken breast as desired and grill thoroughly. Add bacon and your favorite slice of cheese before taking off grill – cheddar or pepper jack are recommended. Take the top brioche bun and flip over to spread a generous amount of elote guac on top. Crush potato chips and sprinkle over guac (it’ll keep those crushed chips in place). Place grilled chicken breast on bottom bun and smash that sammie together. If you’re looking to get your daily servings of veggies in, top with tomato and shredded lettuce – either way, you’ll want extra napkins on hand for this one. 

Beer pairing: Half Acre Vallejo
Wine pairing: Una Lou Rosé Can

Shop this sandwich ➡

The Spicy Brat

That special sauce ain’t just for burgers – for a twist on the traditional bratwurst, top jalapeño cheddar brats with Sir Kensington’s Special Sauce and roasted red bell peppers.

  • Chef Martin Jalapeño Cheddar Bratwurst
  • Red Bell Peppers
  • Sir Kensington’s Special Sauce
  • Hot Dog Buns

Brad’s tips:
Grill the Jalapeño Cheddar Bratwurst until outside is slightly charred. Grill full red peppers, remove and slice into strips. Add done brat and spread desired amount of Sir Kensington Special Sauce. Top off with grilled peppers!

Beer pairing: Virtue Michigan Brut Hard Cider
Wine pairing: L’Oliveto Chardonnay

Shop this bratwurst ➡

Until next time! 👋

The Beer Drop: Around The Bend Maui Gold

Just in case that gray, rainy weather last weekend planted the ‘winter is coming’ seed in your mind, this week’s Beer Drop should get us all back on the right track – Around The Bend‘s sunny Maui Gold! A hint of pineapple makes this session IPA a fresh, crushable option to toss in the cooler for the rest of the summer. 

I recently had the chance to catch up with Dan Schedler, Around the Bend’s Founder/Head Brewer/Chief Bottle Washer, to talk all things Maui Gold, ATB, the worst brew day of his life (don’t worry, it all turned out okay), and what’s next for the brewery as they continue to carve their niche in Chicago and beyond. Read on for our full conversation!

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The Beer Drop: Collective Arts Liquid Art Fest

O Canada! We’re heading north for this week’s Beer Drop to Hamilton, Ontario, home to Collective Arts Brewing.

While they’ve only been available in Chicago since late 2017, five-year-old Collective Arts has already developed a fantastic reputation amongst the city’s craft beer drinkers thanks to their focus on the fusion of creative brewing + the talents of emerging artists and musicians…and the beer is pretty tasty, too.

I was able to catch up with CAB’s Illinois Sales & Marketing Manager, Tom White, to learn more about this week’s featured beer (a unique Milkshake IPA brewed with lactose and fruit puree), the brewery, their artists and more. And if Tom’s name sounds familiar, you may know him from his other gig at beer site The Hop Review.

Alright let’s get to it! Cheers 🍻

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The Beer Drop: 4 Hands Rubus Flux

Boysenberry. Hops. Brettanomyces (x2). Brew all that together for a different kind of purple drank – the Rubus Flux! a.k.a this week’s Beer Drop feature from 4 Hands Brewing Co. out of St. Louis.

This very limited production Boysenberry IPA also happens to be a collaboration with Chicago’s own Marz Community Brewing – what could be more Midwestern than a beer brewed by two of its best and brightest cities? We had the chance to catch up with Ian Penrose from 4 Hands this week to learn more about the brewery, their focus on family and community, Rubus Flux’s unique, berry funk flavor profile, and Ripple, a 4 Hands staple we’ve also added to our lineup just in time for those peak summer temps.

Order up and read on – cheers!

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