Rides

The weather forecast gets worse and worse... between likely rain by 2:00 pm and predicted steady 25+ mph winds from the northwest, with gusts in excess of 40 mph, I have enough common sense to realize that postponing the final Biweekly Brewpub ride until Friday the 23rd is the proper thing to do.

Given the 10 day forecast shows an appreciably nicer day on the 23rd, we'll have a lot more fun if we wait. So...

Amusingly, this puts the ride back onto a biweekly schedule.  I'll post a reminder next week.

That's the bad news, but here is the good; we have an opportunity to try the recently opened (or better, repurposed) brewery in Evanston, St. Errant, which took over the old Temperance Brewing space at 2000 Dempster Street.  There is ample parking, and a very well appointed taproom.

I am declaring a "zero mile" ride to St. Errant Brewing on this Friday, October 16, at noon.  They have snacks, but no formal food menu, the beer and snack menu is here: Taproom Menu — Saint Errant Brewing

You are welcome to bring your own lunch.  I recommend picking up an Italian sub or pizza from Panino's, located right around the corner at 1968 Dempster St.

As for the beers, while they still brew one or two of Temperance's old recipes, they have a wide assortment of new beers. Tom Witt and I tasted a fair proportion of them about a month ago.   Highlights included a series of West Coast and hazy IPAs; these are hop forward beers, and use a well chosen assortment of craft hops (yes, you will find Citra, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin).  

There is also a very clean Czech pilsner (think Pilsner Urquell with American bittering hops) which I liked, an Oktoberfest, and the beer that I consider the real star of the taproom, Batty Fang, which they call a dark mild, but is essentially a session brown ale.  At only 3.2% alcohol, it's great for hot days when you want more than one, but unlike most 3.2 beers, it actually tastes like beer!  It is fully malted and in no way does it taste diluted.  Batty Fang is on my short list for the best new beer I've tasted this year.

I'll be there by noon, and I hope to see a few of you there.

Ron