Last Wednesday, Noam and I attended our first class at Beer School. As much as it sounds like some screwball college comedy from the 80s, this is a real class that meets weekly at Cicero's, a restaurant/bar in the Loop. We signed in, received our four mini plastic cups, and went on in. Beer School takes place in the music venue at Cicero's, which also happens to be the site of
the very first Wilco show. So I felt the appropriate amount of reverence upon entering this hallowed ground. The place is actually smaller than I had imagined. I would think that seeing a show there would be a pretty intimate experience.
Anyway, the place was set up with tables and chairs, and even though we were early the place was already pretty packed. We sat on stools along the wall. Conveniently enough, a student in the class that Noam is TAing for happened to sit next to him. What are the chances?
Eventually, class was in session. After some preliminary stuff, the speaker of the day began. He was from the New Belgium Brewing Company, from Fort Collins, Colorado, which makes Fat Tire, among other products. Leavy, you are no doubt pretty familiar with them, after living in Fort Collins. We heard about how the company began, why it's called Fat Tire, and about a bunch of their other products. During the presentation, we got to sample four of their beers. At the end, there was a spirited question-and-answer session where people won beer glasses. Neither of us were nearly quick enough on the uptake to even think about raising our hands. We also hadn't taken notes, which other people diligently had. There's something to watch for next time.
On a different note, I was sad to see that Cicero's had gotten rid of the old hockey game with the big plastic bubble over it. You know, the ones that are controlled with poles like foosball. Canada vs. USA. What's better than that? Maybe I can find one for the apartment.
