The Map Room -- All Points Lead to Beer.

I went to a German Restaurant last night. I love food smothered in gravy sometimes. I guess it speaks to my Eastern European Backgroundness... Anyway, I ordered this beer that I never heard of and didn't know what it was... I drank a sip. It was a Pilsner. I could tell. I asked, "Pilsner?" I was right. That's what my hobby is doing to me. I can start telling the styles by a mere sip without knowing what they are beforehand.... I don't know if I should be proud or scared that I have started to develop this talent.... My stomach? Not so happy. My mouth? Happy! My wallet? Not so happy. My brain? Happy for a bit until the day after, then not so happy. Anyhoo, I have started that endless quest to try different styles of beers. In the works are several brewery trips that will take me to such exotic locations as Milwaukee, WI and Munster, IN. My own personal beer search has led me to a small bar in Wicker Park that has differnt styles of beer on tap that you can't get in trendy bars because trendy people drink only crap that you have to put fruit in to make it taste good (Blue Moon, Corona) or because it has been mass marketed soooo much, most consumers believe it to be good (Any Budwieser or Miller product and again the barnyard taste of Corona). I can think of only one trendy beer that is mass marketed that is actually good.. That being Guinness. I have a special place in my heart for Guinness... Why? It is my gateway beer. When I was one of those stupid college kids that drank cheap shit thinking I was cool, I found Guinness one day... Or maybe it found me, I don't know. I had my first Guinness at bar called Bubs. Suddenly a new world of beer was opened to me! (I remember studying the Guinness on the table. I had never seen anything so dark before. I do recall somebody saying, "I can't see through it! It's trapping the light!" The thing about Guinness, it is actually lighter then most beers and damn tasty to boot!) No longer was I a mixed drink drinker... No longer did I consider joining the upper crust and their fancy wine affixatiation (I do like wine, but well... I have it now and then). The choice was clear! I became that beer man morphing into the beer snob I am today... Anyway, last night I ventured to this Map Room not knowing what kind of beer bar this would be... I have been to some others. One was called the Bodega in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. They specialize in bottled beer. Sadly, being near a college campus they have to also cater to the less sophisticates. Sadly, the tap selection reflects this. Another is in Champaign, IL. It's called the Blind Pig (if all goes according to plan, that's where I shall be next Saturday night...). They have a good bottle selection, and a good tap selection. The Map Room is similar, BUT they have stuff the Blind Pig can't get because they are in Wicker Park and therefore nearer the beer distributors making it easier to get good choice beers. It was small - good. It was dark - good. It has 20 or so hard to get beers on tap - wonderful!!! So, my friend Paul and I headed to the Map Room and drank some lovely pints of stout and bock beer. Yummmm!!!! It was perfect, though I think I have to get there earlier in order to belly up to the bar to talk with the bartendars. These beer type bartenders usually have some good insight into the stuff they hawk. I had a Bell's Rye Stout. Strong start, lousy finish. I had Blackout Stout from Great Lakes (one brewery no the radar for a visit) which was high in ABV and high flavor -- perhaps the best I had that night... Umm, my coaster with notes is still in my jacket... Anyway, this entry is not all that interesting, sorry. But, I just wanted to plug a great beer bar because I like beer. I also can't think of anything exciting to write... I had a tremdously lousy day yesterday that started in the wee hours of the morning, took me to Milwaukee, and from there... Well, let's just say I have to start looking at some different career options... I... It... I heard comments like this, "We have a limited amount of positions, and I have to tell you, on paper you look just like everybody else..." FUCK! Anyway, maybe my recent calling? I should've considered to be a wrong number. ... Sigh.