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Drink Wed Sep 29 2010
Feeling Crafty
When I moved to Chicago three years ago I was introduced to the world of craft beer. Living in Minneapolis I didn't have the interest, or funds, to drink good beer and I didn't realize what I had been missing until I moved to Chicago.
Last weekend I went to the Chicago Food Film Festival and watched a great documentary called "Beer Wars." The movie opened my eyes to the struggles that craft breweries experience. In 2005 the big three breweries (Anheuser Busch, Miller and Coors) controlled 85 percent of the market share, leaving the nearly 1,400 craft breweries to compete for the remaining 15 percent.
I always love to see the little guys succeed and during the movie I found myself cheering for the craft breweries throughout the country. I left the festival thinking of all the great places to get craft beer in Chicago and immediately made a list of my favorites.
In an effort to help the little guys come ahead and, hopefully someday, take over the big guys, I'm going to share my favorite places to go for delicious craft beer.
DMK: Last spring, my boyfriend and I started a tradition called DMK Sundays. It's exactly what it sounds like - on Sunday afternoons we head over to DMK, eat amazing burgers and drink a couple of local beers. My favorite is Domain DuPage by Two Brothers. Even better is DMK's 365 Days of Giving program.
Sheffield's: Sheffield's is my neighborhood joint - just around the corner from my apartment I find myself there frequently. Not only do they have excellent beer, but they have a beer school where you can learn more about the beers they serve. An added bonus, Sheffield's has an amazing patio.
Quencher's Saloon: This is one of my all-time favorites places to go for excellent beer. The beer menu is on a chalk board and beers are organized by country. Choose one of the craft beers from the tap, or from one of the more 200 bottle varieties from around the world.
Jake's Pub: Jake's is very dear to my heart - it has everything I want out of a bar, great service, good music, friendly customers and fantastic beer.
*Photo by Apolinar Fonseca
