Chicago celebrates St. Patrick's Day by turning it's river green, boasts hundreds of bars (such as The Map Room, which BeerAdvocate.com says is the No. 5 spot on a list of 50 bars in the U.S. to enjoy a beer), and was the inspiration for Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play.
Breweries abound in this city, and while there aren't many brewpubs, it's worth visiting them.
Goose Island has two brewpubs -- the original is on North Clybourn (northwest of the downtown area) and a second is near the ballpark in Wrigleyville. The beers ranged from the 312 wheat ale -- which our server Mary says most beer aficionados are not fans of -- to the Mild Winter seasonal brew, Christmas ale, the extra pale ale, a nut brown ale and the oatmeal stout (her personal favourite).
The food is exactly what you want while sampling beer. While the nachos are good, go for the pub chips. They're made in-house, are cheaper than the nachos and are delicious.
Although not a Chicago original, the Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery on West Grand Ave. is also a must-stop for beer lovers. The flavours in these beers are more muted than other craft brewers, but this can make for easy drinking and ensuring everyone in your group will find a beer they enjoy.
And now, Josh Deth is preparing to open Revolution Brewery in Logan Square later this month. It will have eight house brews and eight guest tapes, along with "the best brewpub food in the city," Deth says.
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