| The Arrival
Easy to find and just a few blocks from the ESPN Zone.
The Beer These guys take dry-hopping seriously...It'll either make or break your experience here.
Line Drive Light Lager -
Emphase on the light. A good start for a cross-over lite beer-drinker.
Reviewer's Rating: 3 - Equal to most macrobrews. Not too bad; nothing special.
Chicago Gold -
Another good cross-over beer with a bit more hop than the Line Drive.
Reviewer's Rating: 3 - Equal to most macrobrews. Not too bad; nothing special.
Erik the Red -
Dry Hopping really hits you on this one. An excellent red!
Reviewer's Rating: 4 - A decent beer. Slightly above average.
Brown Bear Brown -
A mild Brown Ale with a subtle roasty character and hints of chocolate.
Reviewer's Rating: 3 - Equal to most macrobrews. Not too bad; nothing special.
Terminal Stout -
Nitrogen keeps this stout creamy and very smooth. Slightly more roasty than the Brown Ale, but the vinous mouthfeel really warms you up.
Reviewer's Rating: 3 - Equal to most macrobrews. Not too bad; nothing special.
Discussion with Peter L. Crowley
Pete was out at the time of my visit but I talked with his assistant Mike Barker to great extent. I'm sure you'll be seeing Mike Barker heading-up his own Rock Bottowm brewery in the near future, talk with him if you get the chance.
The Atmosphere
Awesome. The place is big enough that even though the hous was packed there was plenty of room to move about. The billiards room was quite the pleasent site to see also, again plenty of room compared to most places you visit with multiple tables. I would come back again for the food alone. I had the Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic and to sum it up in one word GODDAMNTHATSAGREATSTEAK. Their one downfall is that the restrooms are on the second floor, seemingly the longest elevator ride of my life.
Afterthoughts
While none of the beers jumped out and really grabbed my attention, there also wasn't a bad one in the bunch. Mike told me of an experimental brew they were working on that I wouldn't mind going back and trying. The food and atmosphere alone would make this place a revisit my next time in Chicago.
Visit Rock Bottom Brewery - Chicago Website
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