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I recently had the opportunity to head up to Santa Monica and stopped in at the Library Ale House. Located on Main Street among a few other great bars it stands out as a subdued place to kick back and really enjoy a remarkable beer or two. They feature a fine selection of craft beers on tap including selections from Allagash, Lost Coast, Mad River, Stone, New Belgium, Anderson Valley, Leffe, Chimay, and a few others. They also have a selection of quite a few Belgium bottled beers such as Duvel, Lindemans, Chimay, Pranqster, and a couple others.
 The ambiance of the bar is very dimly lit and a great place to be able to hang out with friends, have a good conversation without shouting over a loud sound system, and enjoy some of these great beers mentioned above. As you walk in you will notice comfortable seating around a bar on your left side, and few more tables with candlelight illumination in the whole place. There is a chalkboard over the bar highlighting some of their current beers.
While we were there we had the opportunity to try a few including the Leffe Blonde, Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout, and the Lost Coast Apricot Wheat. These all happened to be new beers to us that we had never tried, so we really enjoyed doing a few tastings. The Oatmeal Stout was very good, but was lacking a little in the oatmeal flavors I had hoped would be more prevalent. The apricot wheat was a good solid wheat ale with a slight hint of apricot, but depending on your ineterest in fruit flavors could have stood out a little more to my liking.
In all the Library Ale House features 29 different microbrews to date, as well as, some additional imports on draft, and yet another selection of unique bottled beers. They also feature an impressive list of red and white wines. Many from the Southern California region including Santa Ynez, Los Olivosm, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, and others.
The Library Ale House also has one CitySearch Los Angeles awards for Best Beer Choice and Best Conversation Bar. From our experience there, I would have to agree with them about winning each award.
For more information about the Library Ale House visit their website and see the complete list of beers, wines, and foods that they offer.
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 Goose Island Brewery is located in Chicago, IL, and opened its doors on May 13, 1988. John Hall, a beer lover, is the man whom opened Goose Island after extensive travel around the world and wanting to open a good brewery in the Midwest. His son, Greg Hall, is the brewmaster. In 1995, they grew so big that they opened a larger brewery and bottling plant to keep up with demand. Then in 1999, they opened a second Goose Island Brewpub by Wrigley Field called Wrigleyville. Their original brewpub is called Clybourn and is located in Lincoln Park. Check out their website at http://www.gooseisland.com to find out more information about each brewpub. Goose Island brews over 50 craft beers and ships its beers to 15 states and the United Kingdom.
Here are the beers offered by Goose Island:
Urban Ales
- 312 Urban Wheat (fruity wheat ale flavor)
Note: I tried this one the last time I was visiting Chicago, and I liked it, so give it a try when you get a chance.
Classics
- Honker's Ale (English style bitter ale)
- India Pale Ale (English style with a dry malt flavor & a hop finish)
- Nut Brown Ale (slight tastes of chocolate, honey, and tobacco with a nut finish)
- Oatmeal Stout (tastes of oat, chocolate, and roasted malts)
Seasonals
- Mild Winter (caramel and spicy rye flavors)
- Summertime (German style with a light fruity flavor)
- Harvest Ale (American bitter toasty malt ale)
Reserves
- Matilda (Belgian style pale ale that is dry with a spicy yeast flavor)
- Pere Jacques (Belgian style abbey fruity, malty ale)
- Juliet (Beligian style sour ale with wood, tannin, dark fruit, and spice flavors)
- Sofie (Beligian style farmhouse ale with hints of pepper and citrus and a creamy vanilla flavor)
Limited Releases
- Christmas Ale (brown ale that is slightly changed each year)
- Bourbon County Stout (bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with flavors of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, and caramel)
Heritage Collection
- Red Felt (Amerian red ale)
- Demolition (Belgian style golden ale that is dry and smooth)
- Naughty Goose (American brown ale with chocolate and caramel flavors)
Fulton Wood Drafts
- Imperial IPA (heavy hops with hints of apricot & citrus flavors)
- Night Stalker Stout (strong imperial stout)
- Fleur (Belgian style tart and fruity ale)
- Imperial Brown Goose (rich ale with flavors of wood, vanilla, and raisin)
Check out either of their brewpubs in Chicago for some great food and beer the next time you are visiting there. You can also host parties at either place for up to 500 people. So plan your next party at Goose Island Brewpub.
Clybourn Brewpub: 1800 North Clybourn, Chicago, IL 60614
Hours:
Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Wrigleyville Brewpub: 3535 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60657
Hours:
Sunday-Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Thursday: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
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312 Urban Wheat Brewery: Goose Island, Chicago, IL Type: Ale - Hefeweizen % ABV: 4.2 Reviewer: Chell Score: 8 Appearance This wheat beer has a hazy yellow, golden color and should be served in a tall glass. It had a foamy, white head, which lasted several minutes with slight lacing.
Aroma There is a spicy, yet sweet malt aroma in this microbrew.
Mouthfeel It has a medium bodied feel with no aftertaste, but a creamy body.
Taste The taste comes off with a big, sweet, malted wheat flavor with a smooth ending. It has a fruity citrus flavor.
Additional Comments This is a smooth wheat beer you can enjoy more than one in an evening.
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Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant is located in Illinois and can be found in four locations: Orland Park, Burr Ridge, Wheeling, and South Barrington. I along with Mr. Winestein and some friends recently stopped by the Orland Park location during a visit to Illinois. We ate in their resturant and tasted their wine and food, which was excellent. Cooper's Hawk opened in Orland Park (south suburb of Chicago) in 2005.  Cooper's Hawk has four distinct components in one place, which is a modern, casual restaurant, full winery, a tasting room with gift shop, and a full service bar. Each winery has its own layout and its own authentic wine production facility, which makes different styles of wine. You can view the winemaking process in each facility through windows. Rob Warren is the winemaker, whom is from Ontario, Canada. Over 125,000 gallons of wine is produced each year from Cooper's Hawk. Check out their website to learn more at www.coopershawkwinery.com. Cooper's Hawk does not own their own vineyard, but purchases only the finest grapes and fruit from California, Michigan, Washington, Illinois, and other states. They have won numerous wine awards in regional, national, and international competitions. Here are the wines offered by Cooper's Hawk:
Red Wines
- Pinot Noir = currant and cherry flavors with a light strawberry finish
- Sangiovese = blueberry, strawberry, and spice scents and flavors that is medium-bodied
- Malbec = hints of boysenberry and blueberry flavors
- Shiraz = blackberry flavor with a hint of chocolate
- Syrah = black cherry flavor with a vanilla finish
- Cooper's Hawk Red = their special blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah
- Cabernet Sauvignon = cherry, plum, and vanilla scents and flavors that is full-bodied
- Merlot = chocolate, plum, and blackberry flavors with a hint of oak
- Barbera = dark fruit flavors
- Petite Syrah = blackberry and mulberry flavors
- Cabernet Zinfandel = black currant, pepper, and cherry scents and flavors that is full-bodied
- Zinfandel = spicy with a raisin finish
- Lux Cabernet Sauvignon = dark fruit scents and flavor with a smooth finish that is full-bodied
- Lux Merlot = vanilla, pepper, and cocoa scents and flavors
- Lux Meritage = raspberry and strawberry flavors with a hint of cinnamon
Sweet Red Wines
- Romance Red = sweet with grape jam and strawberry flavors
- Sweet Red = sweet with grape jam and strawberry flavors
White Wines
- Sauvignon Blanc = light lemon and gooseberry flavors with a citrus finish
- Pinot Gris = pear, mango, and melon scents and flavors
- Viognier = guava and peach scents and flavors
- Chardonnay = melon, apple, butterscotch, and lime flavors with a citrus finish
- Cooper's Hawk White = pear and apple pie flavors that is sort of dry
- Riesling = pineapple flavor that is medium-bodied
- Gewurztraminer = sweet taste with a ginger finish
Blush Wines
- White Zinfandel = sweet taste with hints of candy apple and citrus
Sparkling Wines
- Blanc De Blanc = hints of green apple, melon, and pear
- Almond Sparkling = almond scent and flavor
- Raspberry Sparkling = raspberry flavor
 Locations:
Orland Park: 15690 South Harlem Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60462
Burr Ridge: 510 Village Center Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Wheeling: 583 North Milwaukee Avenue, Wheeling, IL 60090
South Barrington: 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, IL 60010
Hours:
Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
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