Chicago’s award-winning Koval Distillery takes the term ‘craft‘ quite seriously. A label thrown around so often in this day and age it’s almost become hollow, Robert Birnecker and his wife Sonat are working to restore meaning to the phrase. Witness their line of luscious liqueurs–whole, organic ingredients, macerated on-site and brimming with flavor. The Ginger Liqueur requires 60 pounds of the medicinal root per 10 gallon batch. You can taste the healing properties of this exotic elixir with each mouthful. At 40 proof, it was born to be a digestif, easing your belly after the most menacing of Windy City gorge-fests.

Their delicate mash marinates for 4 days, soaking in all that spicy saturation before undergoing a 3 week long fermentation process. The resulting liqueur can be sipped at room temperature or even topped with just a splash of Fever Tree ginger beer for an added element of effervescence.

The only other product I’ve tasted to even approach the depth of flavor in Koval’s Ginger Liqueur is from New Deal Distillery out of Portland, Oregon. Theirs is slightly spicier and works best when mixed into other spirits. The distiller recommends a jigger of Bourbon for a more potent take on a whiskey ginger. My favorite mixture has been alongside dark, spiced rum. A shot of it mingled with 2 oz. of Siesta Key Spiced Rum, topped with a splash of soda water produces the most alluring, life-affirming Dark and Stormy known to man.

Ginger liqueur is an unexpected enhancement to many a fine libation. But it’s gotta be done right. Artificially-flavored neutral spirits aren’t going to cut it. Stick with these guys and they’ll soon become mainstays of your completed cocktail cabinet.

From the 17th until the 21st of May, the island boasts a cavalcade of tastings, pairings, demos, and informative presentations. What makes MCC so unique is its equal appeal within the industry as well as to the general population. Sure, there’s all sorts of networking going on all around you, but there’s also a bunch of revelers from all over the world enjoying the versatility of quality, craft spirits.

If you’re in the city this afternoon, you can pick yourself up from last night’s festivities by enjoying Coffee and Cocktails. Elad Zbi of The Broken Shaker in Miami has created some custom creations to go along with cold brewed coffees. The event takes place at the SAVEUR Editorial Test Kitchen (15 East 32nd Street).

On Sunday another noteworthy pairing: An Afternoon of Chocolate and Cocktails–a two hour walk-around tasting built around Valrhona Chocolate. It’s a unique opportunity to see how some of Manhattan’s elite mixologist incorporate decadent, sweeter flavors into their concoctions. Head over to the Astor Center (399 Lafayette Street) at 3PM to get a taste of the action. Tickets are still available for purchase here.

The classic comes to a close on Tuesday with the NY Indie Spirits Expo. The Penn Club (30 West 44th Street) in Midtown is the setting for a showcase of some of the world’s craftiest spirit purveyors. Shake hands with distillers and sample an assortment of awesomeness. It’s not often that all these names come together under one roof. So make sure to savor every sip. There are two sessions. The first is from 5-7PM, the second from 7-9PM.

Tonight the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild kicks off Chicago Craft Beer Week in style with their annual event, Beer Under Glass. Held at the Garfield Park Conservatory, the springtime saurez features some of the Chicagolands most beloved brews. If you’re attending, be on the lookout for Solemn Oath Brewery and their floral, funky Whisper Kisses Saison. Another city-based sensation, Atlas Brewing Company will be pouring some of their small batch brews–Obfuscation Imperial Stout is bold and worthy of your time. Attendees will also be treated to great grub from a laundry list of the 312′s classiest cuisine.

Throughout the weekend there’ll be beer festivals–like Half Acre’s 5th Anniversary celebration on Friday night, beer brunches–a Saturday morning Tyranena pairing at the Farmhouse Tavern (228 West Chicago Ave) is a standout, and ‘dinners’–don’t miss the Brewmaster Dinner at Fireside (5739 N. Ravenswood Ave) with the owner of Tighthead Brewing. You’ve got all your meals covered in craft. Then, to top it all off, Beer Week gets into full swing on Sunday with the Goose Island Tap Takeover at Wrigley’s Skybox on Sheffield (3627 N. Sheffield).

But if you need a break from all these sensational suds, don’t forget that Chicago is also home to several noteworthy distilleries. I’m a big fan of Koval, the first boutique producer in this part of the country. Their organic spirits, like the single-grain Lion’s Pride Whiskey should be enjoyed (on the rocks) continually throughout any self-respecting stay in Chicago. Get to the heart of the beast by arranging a tour. They’re offered every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. To bring things full circle, don’t forget to try their unique, specialty Bierbrand. It’s a beer schnapps steeped in heavenly-hopped aromas. That’s my kinda drink.

Getting right down to business, we positioned ourselves in a spacious booth next to the bar. The interior of Cochon evokes bygone industry–this is the Warehouse District, after all. Yet somehow it maintains a cozy and inviting feel. Faded brick facades have a way of doing that. Without hesitation, Stephen ordered The Swinekiller–an appropriate choice considering his restaurant is French for ‘piglet.’ It’s a variation on a gin rickey with an infusion of rhubarb bitters. I’m drawn in by The Honeysuckle Rose–Prosecco, honeysuckle vodka, mixed with grapefruit and homemade peach bitters. How exactly does one turn down homemade peach bitters?

The slightly sweet, country tartness of my cocktail acted as an unexpected counterpoint to  the deep, peppery tones of my wood-fired oysters. Armed with liquid courage, I was ready to venture deeper into the culinary Bayou: fried alligator with garlic aioli and boudin–deep fried croquettes of sausage and rice. Savory pairs with spice and so I called upon the Hey, Jack–tequila immersed in jalapeño puree, with taragon, lime juice and ginger beer in tow. I was proud of my evolving cocktail cavalcade until I looked up and noticed that Stephen was staying true to the Swinekiller.

It felt like as good a time as any to confess my deep-seated penchant for all things pig. Chef responded with a recommendation for the oyster & bacon sandwich. Far from a traditional New Orleans Po’ Boy, this comforting creation is delivered in between toasted white bread. Essentially an upscale BLT with fried oysters added into the fray, I needed a similarly straight-forward libation to match, pound-for-pound. The Orange Whiskey Cocktail was willing and able. Buffalo Trace bourbon–a personal favorite–enhanced with Peychaud’s and a splash of OJ. Some sweet, some starch, a touch of brine and many fine laughs. A recipe beyond food and drink, morphing into transcendent revelry.

Back on planet Earth, Cochon features a noteworthy list of bourbons. Blanton’s and Willett Pot Still Reserve are both well worth the $12 pour, pairing well with any Creole-influenced entreé. Beer drinkers will have no reservations when faced with a diverse list of local craft.

After the dining was done, Stryjewski led me down the street to his brand new Peche (800 Magazine Street), opened with co-chef/impresario/culinary wizard Donald Link. It’s going to do for fish what Cochon does for meat. Namely: blow your frickin’ mind. I hope your sitting down.

Upon first sip, the most provocative tasting note from this buttery-bodied white is complexity. If you’re in the mood for a sweeter, one-dimensional Chardonnay, look elsewhere. The Alexander Chardonnay has a sharp, mineral backbone that carries through into the finish. All along the way you’ll experience apples, pears, orchard fruits rush forward before slowing dissipating. But the tinge of acidity will trudge heroically past all of those short-lived esters.

Serve this wine slightly chilled, on a warm summer’s day. Pair it with lighter meats. Roasted chicken, white-bodied seafood, like a crisp, Dover sole. A fresh garden salad with a lemon vinaigrette. These are the profiles that will dance around this delicate delight.

Personally, I’m much more of a red man. I was persuaded to bring this bottle to a friends house. She preferred Chardonnay to a bold Cabernet. I took a small pour in order to be polite, fully anticipating a lackluster reaction with my palate. How surprised I was to discover that there is something pronouncedly unctuous about this Chardonnay. It stays with you. I was delighted to take another pour and even discovered some flavors that weren’t immediately apparent in the first glass. They must be something in the water up there in Alexander Valley.

Research into the particular vintage reveals that 2011 was a particularly cool growing season, producing some of the stronger flavors that I detected in this bottle. At $18, it’s well worth the price of admission.

You can purchase the 2011 Estate Chardonnay along with other Alexander Valley wines from their website.

Photo Credit: Miquel Solorzano

Marvin Allen has seen it all. As head bartender at one of the premiere bars in the French Quarter, can you imagine the stories he has to tell? If you want elaboration, you’ll have to make your way to the Carousel Bar (214 Royal St) in New Orleans’ historic Hotel Monteleone. As for now, I’ll just tell you about the cocktails.

Frequently regarded as one of the elite mixologists in a town known for its booze, Marvin does not mess around. He has to assemble intricate drinks for a circus  of customers literally rotating around him while he remains stationary at the center. The 25 seat carousel that gives the bar its name rests on 2000 steel rollers. It’s over 60 years old and takes roughly 15 minutes to make one revolution –or as Marvin points out: about a cocktail’s length of time.

If that seems like a long time to ‘nurse‘ a cocktail, consider the meticulous care and quality ingredients going into each drink. Order the Pierre’s Sazerac and you get a high octane variation on the New Orleans classic, doctored up with absinthe and champagne cognac. Its a curious melding of flavors that deserves careful contemplation. And Marvin is happy to feed you some added food for thought, sharing the sordid history of absinthe as you sip.

The Vieux Carré is one of the city’s signature cocktails. It was invented right here in 1938 by Walter Bergeron. Today, Marvin guards that provincial pedigree by whipping up the best in town. The floral essence of Benedectine pops from the nose, fading into the background as you encounter the slightly sweet, subtly herbaceous notes of rye, cognac and Peychaud’s. As Marvin explains, the drink was invented as an embodiment of the diverse cultures colliding in the Crescent City: Italian vermouth, Caribbean bitters, French cognac, Dixieland Rye.

It’s not many places where you get to enjoy history while drinking it. Belly up to the Carousel Bar and Marvin Allen will school you so well your head will spin. Or is that just the bar?

It all began last week with two separate events taking place on opposite ends of the Golden State.

Down in Southern California, on a typically sunny afternoon, Los Angeles played host to the Vegan Beer Fest. In a spacious Hollywood lot across the street from the Roxy music venue, dozens of west coast microbreweries showed up to pour their craft to the masses. Hundreds of healthful connoisseurs lined up to taste beer from local favorites like El Segundo and Golden Road. But there was plenty of opportunity to expand beyond LA beer with well-known breweries such as Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, Bison Brewing, Anchor, Dog Fish Head and more. Alongside all that tasty beer was live music from half a dozen artists throughout the day–and, the star of the show, vegan cuisine from a medley of meatless purveyors.

The entire afternoon was sponsored, in part, by Burbank’s vegan-friendly bar, Tony’s Darts Away (1710 W. Magnolia Blvd)–a wonderful spot to catch the Beer Fest spirit throughout the remaining 364 days of the year.

Another popular beer on tap was Anderson Valley Brewing Company. They had a super busy weekend considering that some 500 miles up the California coast, they were also hosting the 17th Annual Boonville Beer Festival on a scorching hot Saturday at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds. Widely-lauded as the premiere beer festival in the country, the event attracts upwards of 8,000 revelers–drinkers and brewers alike. The fest itself lasts only 4 hours, but the fun is all in the camping, as most attendees set up tents within a mile radius of the venue. It’s a raucous yet respectful affair–all that beer flowing in the middle of the woods and nobody ever gets out of hand. Best of all: the proceeds benefit local charities. As they scuttle back to the city, many festival-goers lament that there’s 364 days until the next Boonville. It was held a week early this year, so technically it will be a 371 day break until Boonville 2014.

If you don’t have the patience to wait that long, fret not: it’s American Craft Beer Week. New York is hosting a craft event called Savor this weekend. In Chicago, you can catch the Half Acre 5th Anniversary Festival on Friday. At the end of May, Harpoon hosts the American Craft Beer Fest in Boston. Then in August the Pacific Northwest is treated to the Olympia Brew Fest.

There’s always some reason to celebrate suds!

Distiller Duncan Holaday

Great rum is born of sunny origins. It’s supposed to be a Caribbean spirit.  Transported by peg-legged pirates aboard their wooden square-riggers, jolly rogers flapping violently upon the masts. But forget what it ought to be. Dunc’s Mill Artisan Rums–handmade in Vermont, of all places–shows us what great rum actually is.

Smooth, impossibly-light in body and preciously subtle in its aroma, their Elderflower Rum is unlike any other spirit I’ve ever tasted. The originality owes itself to a list of ingredients that encompass the globe: the floral essence of Vermont botanicals, the unmistakeable sweetness of Caribbean cane sugar and the unique old-world splender of Elder essence from Austria. Such a mellifluous melding of nose and body, it deserves to be consumed solo–either on the rocks or neat, depending only on the climate.

At 30% alcohol, it’s also not incredibly overwhelming. You can afford to sip on a glass of the clear, fragrant spirit without feeling three sheets to the wind. If you feel compelled to add something, however, I found success with a topping of Fever Tree Ginger Ale. Served on the rocks in a tumbler, it was a soothing libation that I dubbed a Light & Lovely. Nothing dark nor stormy about it.

For some added oomph, Dunc’s Mill offers their Backwoods Reserve. It’s a darker, 80 proof rum that hints at oak, thanks to a small batch maturation process. As with the Elderflower, the body is smooth as silk, slick as butter. The finish is thinly-veiled molasses prevailing over a distant spice. Take a sip, neat, slightly warm. If its anywhere near as meaningful to your palate as it is to mine, you need not camouflage it in a blizzard of sweet juice drinks.

And what would a Vermont-made rum be without a maple infused variety? Distiller Duncan Holaday wouldn’t dare forget his roots. A taste of the Maple Rum will zap you straight to the Northeast Kingdom. The nose immediately suggests the sappy goodness to come. I could pour this stuff on my pancakes for the ultimate boozy breakfast. But I’d much rather let it wash over ice, sit upon my tongue and set sail for somewhere between Vermont and the Virgin Island’s in my mind’s eye.

When the Chicago Cubs take on the New York Mets at 1:20PM, Goose Island Brewing–and their catering crew–will host a special party for the folks at the Skybox. This luxury rooftop offers 3 tiers of viewing platforms with seats peering directly down right field towards home plate. There’s never a bad day to take in a Cubbies game from this vantage point, but Sunday is particularly special. For an all-inclusive price you get to watch the game in style while you drink unlimited local craft brews and chow down on ballpark-style grub (burgers with bacon aioli, anyone?).

Each tier has its own bar featuring a particular genre of beer. For example, on the first level you’ll have access to the ‘refreshing,’ more traditional styles. The Skybox White, for example, is a Belgian-style wit brewed specifically for the Skybox. It’s light and crisp with a touch of citrus zest. Cubby Blue is a golden ale with real blueberries added after fermentation. Smooth and easy-to-drink, it’s a fine session for a 3 hour sports spectacle.

On the next floor up you move to the hoppy beers. Here you’ll find heavier IPAs such as Silver Jubilee and Upstream. These beers are bigger in flavor with weightier ABVs. Not for beginners.

The top tier is designed for the beer geeks. Reserve beers with intense aromas and funky yeasts. I’ll be seeking out the Brett Barrel Saison–aged with Brett in oak barrels for 2 years. If you don’t know what Brett is, you probably don’t even want to try it.

I’m getting a bit tipsy just looking at this list.

There’s a lot going on in Chicago over the next few days, but if you’re into beer and baseball this is the can’t-miss event of Craft Beer Week.

Tickets and the full beer menu are available here. Use the promotion code, “GooseMe“, for a special discounted rate of $99.

Play ball!

I’ve long been a furious fan of Lagunitas beer dinners. Their wide variety of full-flavored brews blend effortlessly with all sorts of savory, sweet, and salty dishes. If you’re dining on something light they make a gentle, Czech-style Pils to cradle your greens or seafood in refreshing crispness. When it’s time for dessert, their audacious Cappuccino Stout has no problems going toe-to-toe with some of the deepest, darkest chocolate sauces ladled atop devilish desserts.

And then there’s everything in between.

Lagunitas Brewing is about to open up a brewing facility in the Chicagoland later this year. So it was only natural for Gregory Ellis to pair his seasonally-minded cuisine alongside treasures from his newest neighbor. The 2 Sparrows chef de cuisine crafted a 5 course menu with ingredients highlighting two of my favorite things: beer and spring. Here is a brief rundown…

Spinach, strawberries, almond, feta, lemon vinaigrette
Lagunitas IPA

Seared scallop, spring peas, blueberries, ramps and balsamic
The Censored Rich Copper Ale

Roasted beets, mushroom and goat cheese duxelle, rosemary beurre blanc
Hop Stoopid Ale

Lamb, romesco sauce, whipped potatoes, spring vegetables
Imperial Stout

Rhubarb, lemon, ginger, thyme
Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

Reservations for this $60/person tasting can be made by calling the restaurant at (773) 234-2320. The dinner starts promptly at 7PM on Friday, May 17th.