Chicago stories: Hopleaf

Perfect on a warm day

Oh, man, the beer selection at Hopleaf was amazing. I can still taste this one now, and not in a bad way.

Our trip had two main purposes: to see the Mets and Cubs upon our arrival and to eat and drink our way around Chicago. The city's got some great restaurants and bars, so in between museums and baseball and sleeping, we hit what we could.

But this one. Woah. It was our destination on this afternoon, a bit out of the way from anywhere else we were that day. And it's not like we went there for a liquid lunch -- it was strictly for the comfort of beer. If it wasn't for our dinner reservations that night, we might have stayed and used the menu as a checklist.

Drunk (and nearly drunken):

1. 3 Floyds Gumballhead, Munster, Indiana
2. Dogfish Head Festina Peche, Lewes, Delaware
3. De Konick, Belgium
4. Lagunitas Sirius Ale, Petaluma, California
5. 3 Floyds Alphoa King Ale

The De Konick was described as an "ale with pilsner malts and Saaz hops brewed over direct flame" -- refreshing!