|
STORIES
BARS + CLUBS
Chicago Bars
Chicago Nightclubs
|  |
 |
 |
|
Subscribe in your favorite reader using the links below. To learn more about feeds and RSS, click here.
 | |||||
|
Articles
Sections
>>
>
|
|||||
|
Quantity Trumps Quality in Round One
Monday Oct 30, 2006.
By Dana Kavan
|
|||||
| |||||
 photo: Dana Kavan The damage: $5 for 32 ounces of Miller Lite, PBR or Coors Light, on special from $7. A Schooner on any other night costs twice as much as a pint of your choice beer. Thousands of bars in Chicago, why this one? In many life situations, from friendships to food, I find that quality wins out over quantity. But whoever invented boxed wine understands that bulk booze is the exception when you want to get sauced on the cheap. With 23 beers on tap, Lottie's Pub offers plenty of quality brews, including Boddington's and Hacker Pschorr, but why go for a more sophisticated selection when you can swig economical pilsner out of a three-pound goblet? How it went down: Years ago, my friend owned a glass that looked exactly like Lottie's Schooner. He called it the "class glass." Though gas station breakfast burritos with a side of mac and cheese often filled his dinner plate, when he topped off his "class glass" with Dr. Pepper, he felt like a king. Even Coors Light became a special treat when sipped from a glass that looks like the Holy Grail, and I had a suspicion that Lottie's glass could have the same effect on me. Served icy cold, the beer quenched my thirst as I washed down a plate of delicious chili-drenched nachos. As far as domestic light beers go, I've always enjoyed Coors Light. Not only because it takes me back to my summer living in the Rockies, but also because it's almost flavorless. Don't get me wrong; I love the taste of beer. But Coors Light's smooth and subtle flavor works well when you're draining a quart of beer per round. Would I want to become a regular? This corner pub swarms with regulars, and I'd be happy to pull up a black leather bar stool next to any one of them. Groups of young Bucktown neighbors, who looked like they just returned from the softball field, gathered around pitchers to watch a baseball game. Other locals seemed to have frequented Lottie's since the mid-1900s, when the buzz about mobster activity was as palpable as the buzz you can now get from ordering off the Bombs Away shot menu. The brick walls and low timber ceiling draped in icicle Christmas lights has a cozy appeal heightened by the glow of neon beer lights. Lotties makes everyone feel like they're hanging out at a friend's house stocked with Golden Tee and Silver Strike machines. Our waitress commented on how slowly patrons drink their first Schooner, but how their second and third go down faster than you can say, "Take me drunk I'm home." I heeded her warning. Quality prevailed once again, and I picked a pint of Newcastle for round two. Dana Kavan scours the city for drink deals so good you'll offer to buy a round and creative libations that outshine your average on-the-rocks concoctions. Want to give Dana tips on where to rack up a bar tab? Share your finds before her next night out.
|
|||||
| |||||
