Homemade stumpkin? Bronx forces happy accident.

Bronx NY-

For Halloween I thought it might be fun to attempt a recreation of Heartland Brewery's Stumpkin ale. Stumpkin is a mixture of Heartland's Smiling Pumpkin ale and their delicious Farmer Jon's Oatmeal Stout. So I set out to gather a pumpkin ale and an oatmeal stout. Most of the Bronx woefully lacks the necessary variety for beer enthusiasts. Stores are dominated by Modelo and Budweiser.

In the Belmont neighborhood the best selection can be found at "Beer City." The store had neither pumpkin ale nor oatmeal stout. I ended up using an old Post Road pumpkin ale and Guinness. The result was not exactly what I thought of, but still delicious. Give it a try.

-Giancarlo

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Risk and Corsendonk

Bethel NY-

Corsendonk brown ale was a perfect complement to an afternoon struggle for world domination on the risk board. Too bad we didn't have more appropriate goblets.

-Giancarlo

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A good end to a great night

After the belgian beer fest, we first stopped by Pour House to capitalize on "burgermania" (1/2 price burgers). Now we are finishing at Bukowski-she's having a Gritty McDuff's Black Fly Stout and I'm having a Cisco Whale's Tale Pale Ale, a hoppy britishy American pale ale. Has more of a malty base than other pale ales. Very yummy.







- Mike

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Last Call

The crowd moans begrudgendly.


- Mike

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The Fun Begins

The scene.




Haverhill "Brumaire" very good stout with Belgian yeast. Smells and looks stoutish but has a Belgian bite. A+


- Mike

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Pregaming with PB&J

A good start for a night to remember.

-Mike

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Belgian Beer Fest Part 1

May I say that this is my first post to BeerUnion and also my first blog post ever. In minutes I and my lovely girlfriend Ashley will be heading off to Belgian Beer Fest (Session 2) put on by BeerAdvocate.com down at the Cyclorama in Boston. I am very excited. Dozen of breweries, presenting hundreds of fine belgian beers will be attending. Some of which you cannot regularly purchase here in the USA- some breweries are here as special guests. Unlimited (albeit regulated) 2oz. pours served in, I hope, cute little belgian beer glasses. I will attempt to update BeerUnion from within the bowels of the Cyclorama, however I may be distracted/inebriated, as this is my first beer festival and I am not sure that I have the willpower to control my need to try EVERY beer they are serving (hundreds of beers x 2oz = A LOT OF PINTS). Wish us luck. -Mike

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Map Room: Local Bar with Large Selection and Attitude

Corner of N. Hoyne and Armitage, Chicago IL—

Map Room offers a wide and in some cases obscure selection of brews. The bar carries one beer on beer engine in addition to a large number on tap. The most common order on this lazy Sunday afternoon was the Strongbow Cider but a slightly too cold and quickly poured Charles Wells Bombardier English bitter also fit the bill (after a few minutes to warm).

Map Room takes its name from the maps covering the majority of the walls. The maps combined with tables decorated with foreign currency and shelves of National Geographic magazines make the bar a fun one to examine. The worn feel and the offering of small free afternoon buffet makes it an attractive destination for the fall. The buffet consisted of ribs and sausage smothered in barbecue sauce, fried chicken, etc. The bar also makes coffee available from a local roaster. The bar was dominated by locals so don't be surprised if you receive more than a few stares, especially if you are in a group larger than three.
For those looking for a bit of beer education, Map Room hosts Beer School once a month for $25 with Greg Browne the Brewmaster from Mickey Finn's Brewery.

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Goose Island: Standard Brewpub with Stong Selection

Clark St., Chicago IL —

The Goose Island Wrigleyville brewpub supplies a similar atmosphere to other urban brewpubs like Heartland in New York. The selection and quality of beer raises the experience. The seasonal Harvest Ale was the surprise of the bunch with a well balanced hoppiness that was not over powering. The Pivo faithfully made the Czech style available from a local source. The oatmeal stout was forgettable and noticeably lacked a roasted flavor.

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