A couple more beers for the 365 beer challenge. As I mentioned, I’m not really going for 365, but for as many different on-tap beers as possible.
I’ve talked about Prairie Moon in Evanston, before, and it’s great that there’s a good beer on tap within walking distance of my house. The Moon has several American micros/macros on tap as well as a tap they change around once in awhile for special stuff. They’ve also got a great bottle selection, with new ones added regularly. And they’ve got really good food – I’m a big fan of their painted soup and shrimp and crawfish po-boy. Here’s a couple of their tap beers, that you don’t see everywhere.
3) North Coast Brewing Pranqster is a Belgian Style Golden Ale made with “antique yeast strains”. It’s tasty, fruity, citrusy, hiding its 7.6% ABV well. Maybe it’s not as complex as the ‘real’ Belgian Goldens, but there’s certainly a lot going on in a goblet of this stuff. It quickly became one of my favorite beers, since it’s both special, and available near by. They sneak up on you, so lingering over just one might be a good idea.
4) Belhaven Scottish Ale I was a little unfamiliar with this style, but it’s a very enjoyable ale. Poured from a nitro tap like a Guinness, it’s creamy with a nice thick foamy head. Notes of honey nutty malt with a watery finish. The brewery lists it as 3.9% ABV, while Beeradvocate lists it as 5.2% (which I think is what my bartender said it was, so it might be the export strength). Here’s a little bit of info on the Scotch and Scottish Ale styles.
I’ll be back to the Moon for a few more, including the awesome Maredsous.