Michel's parents came for the weekend, and we visited several of our old favorites, including the Art Institute, the U-Boat at the Museum of Science and Industry, and Marmalade. However, the weekend included two new activities, both involving bourbon.
On Saturday, we headed up to Evanston to check out FEW Distillery. It took us a while to find it as it is located behind a street-facing building at the back of an alley. FEW Distillery is named after noted temperance crusader, Frances Elizabeth Willard, and is the first legal distillery in the formerly dry Evanston. Mrs. Willard's house is located nearby, and apparently it caught fire the day the distillery opened. The distillery staff considers that a good sign for their success.
Elizabeth: Next we headed into the distillery itself. Unlike Koval, where the tour takes place in the old distillery rather than the current working one, FEW's tour takes you right into where the distillation process is currently happening. While I would say that overall Koval's tour is more comprehensive in exploring the distillation process and their role in the American craft distillery movement, it is pretty cool to see a giant blue tank of mash fermenting away at FEW.
The barrels are color coded based on what type of alcohol they contain. The stills look like bassoons, and that big blue tank on the right is the mash.
Michel: The mash smells like a boozy bread bakery.
Elizabeth: The bottle art is definitely my favorite part! And after we learned about the bottle art, we got to taste their product.
Timi and I did not care for the gin.
Michel: My dad and I liked pretty much all of it. My favorites were the rye and the bourbon.
Elizabeth: I think overall I prefer Koval, but it was really fun to see a working distillery.
Michel: I agree. Koval has a greater variety of liquors and it's our neighborhood distillery, but there is an old-timey kind of fun about FEW.
Timi and Ian flew home early Sunday, which happened to be Michel's actual birthday. So Ben and I had plotted to have a fun surprise for him on the day. Our favorite pub, Fountainhead, was having a Bourbon Brunch, and Ben and I got Michel tickets. Unfortunately Ben was not in Chicago to go with us, but a little before noon, we headed down the street to Fountainhead for a 3 course brunch with bourbon pairings and a lecture by noted bourbon expert, Michael Veach.
The Menu
We were seated at communal tables with strangers. Our tablemates were very friendly, and one had moved to Chicago from Austin to be an old-school restaurant captain. It was pretty cool.
Michel: This is Michael Veach. Imagine if Garrison Keillor was less energetic and exciting and was an expert on bourbon. That's this guy.
Elizabeth: The birth of the bourbon industry is full of scandal, trickery, outlaws, and other exciting things. However, I can't really give you more details because his delivery was so dry that I glazed over. The food was delicious, though.
Michel: Shockingly, at a bourbon brunch, Elizabeth enjoyed 2/3 of the drinks served!
Elizabeth: It was as big a shock to me as it is to the rest of the world. I particularly liked the first cocktail, but that's probably because it has maple syrup in it. As everyone knows, maple syrup is a food group to me, and I will eat it on or in anything. A-ny-thing.
Michel: Her maple asparagus is a little disappointing.
Elizabeth: Don't lie. You love it.
The first course: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cheddar Cheese Fritatta with Caramelized Onion Jam, paired with the above cocktail, The Arlington.
Elizabeth: It was...tasty? Interesting? Unique? I enjoyed it, but the best part was clearly the caramelized onion jam. Amazing.
Michel: I thought it was very good. Probably would have been better without the Brussels sprouts portion.
The second course: Late Summer Vegetable Salad with Cornbread Croutons and a Sriracha Sherry Vinaigrette paired with a Fig Infused FEW Bourbon (hey, we were just there!)
Elizabeth: I really liked this salad, especially the cornbread croutons. And though I still won't be sipping straight bourbon anytime soon, the fig infused bourbon was nice enough.
Michel: The cornbread croutons were the best part of this very good salad. The fig flavor paired nicely with the sweetness of the bourbon without ever becoming cloying.
The final course: Chicken and Waffles!
Michel: Well, it wasn't just chicken and waffles, it was whiskey bacon waffles and fried chicken liver, which was the best part of the meal.
Elizabeth: And rosemary maple syrup. So, yum. The waffle was ok, the chicken livers were surprisingly tasty, though pretty rich, and the bourbon was undrinkable.
Michel: False. The bourbon was spectacular. It was a small batch 10 year old Henry McKenna, and it was great.
Michel, the happy birthday boy, in need of a haircut. (Michel's commentary.)
Elizabeth: I'm not entirely sure the lecture part was worth it, and I really don't think very many people stayed for the industry round table discussion with Mr. Veach after the meal (we didn't), but it was a really fun way to try some new beverages and celebrate Michel's birthday.
Michel: It was a great birthday weekend filled with good food, booze, and family.
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