We live in a wonderful city, full of excitement and adventure. One of the best parts about spring and summer in Chicago is exploring all of the different neighborhoods. Each has it’s own unique personality and every year there are new shops, bars, and restaurants popping up begging to be visited. It is with attitude in mind that The Noble Grape is very proud to team up with Ugly Mug Cafe Saturday, April 12, for an evening which will celebrate several local industry newcomers! Join us for a one-of-a-kind tasting experience with an amazing food menu designed by Red Butter and paired with complimentary tastings of locally brewed craft beers from Une Annee Brewery. Coffees prepared by Half Wit Roasters and tasty treats from Tipsycake complete a deliciously fun evening. Mix and mingle with foodie producers from Bucktown to the West Loop in the heart of Noble Square. Visit: http://eatdrinkcelebratelocal.brownpapertickets.com/ today and order your ticket for the event which promises to be the highlight of early spring in our fair city!
We have three killer tastings this week starting with several wines on Wednesday including Hi! Prosecco, Domaine Ballard Chapuis Sancerre, Villa Bel-Air Bordeaux Blanc, and Domaine Magellan Grenache blend. These wines are great for afternoon picnics and evenings barbecuing with friends. Be sure to check out Villa Bel-Air Bordeaux Blanc, it’s ripe and focused, with racy-edged grapefruit, white peach, quinine and straw flavors backed by a deft toasty edge on the finish. Yum.
This Friday, we will have two tastings for your drinking pleasure. In the front of the shop, Brian from Compass Wines will be pouring his portfolio favorites, which are always a treat. Meanwhile, in the back, Rob from Firestone Walker Brewing Company will be sampling out two of their best beers, Easy Jack Session IPA and Opal Farmhouse Ale! Easy Jack Session IPA is the newest passion project from Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. This is the direct result his vision for a different kind of Session IPA, one that would be brewed and dry hopped with a globetrotting selection of new hop varieties from Europe, New Zealand and North America. He foresaw a beer that would deliver massive hop aromas, a signature malt balance and an empty glass before you knew what hit you… and now it is here! Opal Farmhouse Ale is an unfiltered interpretation of the classic saisons that originated from the farmhouses of southern Belgium’s Wallonia region, dating back to the 1700s. In true agrarian beer fashion, Opal is loaded with rustic grains and spicy Belgian yeastiness, with a hazy namesake opalescence in the glass. Into this mix comes a dimension of dry-hopped brightness, layering in notes of fragrant citrus and tropical fruit. Good beers and good times are in store for us Friday night, so swing by and share in the revelry!