Ben Stange hosts Beer Buzz live every Sunday on the Bud Light TAG Radio Block — Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL (99.9 FM/1060 AM/tagsgf.com/Radio Springfield App).

Chef Marty joins host Ben Stange to plan a four-course meal pairing food with Goose Island’s Vintage Series. Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday at 4 p.m. during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Course No. 1

Sweet and Sour Ham Balls paired with Matilda

Course No. 2

Lobster Bisque paired with Sophie

Course No. 3

Grilled Beef Ribeye, Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Romaine Salad with Herb Vinaigrette with Pepe Nero

Course No. 4

Assorted Fruits, Cheeses, Chocolates paired with Pere Jacques

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF

By Ben Stange, host of Beer Buzz (Sundays at 4 p.m. on TAG Radio, KBFL 99.9 FM, 1060 AM)

Are you an American? Do you love Craft Beer? Well, then have I got good news for you.
This week is American Craft Beer Week. Exciting, huh? Anyway, we’re working on compiling a list of local and regional events for Craft Beer Week so you can get out and celebrate the Craft Beer Revolution.
Do you know of a great event that’s happening in or around Springfield? Drop us a line and let us know. We will add it to the list as quickly as we can and hopefully have a pretty full list on here this week. If you’re a bar or restaurant owner and plan on hosting a craft-beer related event, feel free to tell us about it in full. We’ll be happy to tell the rest of the world for you.

Here’s our list so far:

Thursday (5/17)

Brown Derby “Extreme Beer” Tasting at Brown Derby International Wine Center
The Wine Beer Center will host a tasting of some of the biggest beers around. From Big Hop-Bombs to Oak aged snow monsters, they’ll have you covered with samples and discussion. This will include Deschutes Hop Henge and Great Divide’s Oak-aged Chocolate Yeti Stout among some other beer which push the envelope. Don’t miss your chance to sample some of the beers which hang out on the fringe.

Friday (5/18)

Brown Derby Missouri Craft Beer Movement Tasting (4-7 p.m.)
For their complementary tasting this Friday from 4-7 p.m., the Wine Center will be featuring beers from the burgeoning craft beer movement here in Missouri. Waiting for your taste buds will be beers from Piney River Brewing Company, 2nd Shift Brewing Company, and Perennial Artisan Ales. I wouldn’t be too surprised if you found out that there are more great craft beers from Missouri than you thought.

Saturday (5/19)

Brown Derby’s Ode to Mother’s Day
A pre-party for the 2nd Ever Mother’s Day Festival – You thought you’d have to wait until 2 p.m. to celebrate your Mother’s birthday. Nope. Brown Derby gets it started a bit earlier and gets you warmed up by featuring some of your favorite Mother’s Beers. Meet here at noon, get warmed up, and head on over to Mother’s Brewing Company to celebrate in style.

Second-Ever Mother’s Day Festival at Mother’s Brewing Company (2-8 p.m.)
For Springfield, this will likely be the peak of American Craft Beer Week. It runs from 2pm to 8pm, but gates open at 1:30. It costs $5 per person to get in and anyone 15 and under gets in free. If you buy a beer at the event, you get a souvenir pint glass (and a dollar off subsequent beers), or so I’m told. It’s a family event featuring local beer, local food, local music, and local art, and it’s always a good time. It’ll be held rain or shine, so go ahead and make plans to be there. I’ll see you there.

Mother’s Day after-party at Patton Alley Pub
If you’ve not had enough fun when 8 pm comes, jet on over to Patton Alley Pub for a little more craft beer and local music. Speakeasy will be playing, and Mother’s will be having a tap takeover event, assuming control of at least 8 of Patton’s many taps. There is a cover charge of $7, but if you’re still wearing your Mother’s Day wristband, you get $2 off the cover. By the way, did we mention the beers on tap will include some rarities such as Trouble Maker (Double IPA), Peach Fuzz (wheat ale with peaches), Imperial Three Blind Mice, and Hole Mole’. They’ll also probably bring one or two other off-the-wall ales. Oh, and did I mention SPEAKEASY IS PLAYING? ‘nuff said.

Sunday (5/20)

Beer Buzz on TAG Radio (KBFL 99.9 FM | 1060 AM)
Yeah, I’m putting this on the list. Tune in on Sunday for a great episode put together specifically as an end-cap to your Craft Beer Week. We’ll be inspiring you to put together your own beer dinner by having a very special guest on the show. Chef Marty will join us to discuss how to create a beer dinner. Also, we’ll be giving away a ticket to Wakarusa music festival, courtesy of Hellbender Meadery.

[[Show as slideshow]]
Got foodie news or events? Email brett@tagsgf.com
Dairy Queen in downtown SGF has been a landmark since 1968, but will close at the week’s end. Personally I will always remember it as an elementary school field trip stop. I find it crazy that in elementary school, students from the city would field trip to downtown Springfield, but looking back they were some of the most impactful. But I digress. There are only three days left to get a Blizzard or a dip cone (my DQ favorite); the shop’s owners, Les and Julie Rohr, told the News-Leader (subscription required) the decision to retire had been looming, but was ultimately made this week. The store closes at 5 p.m. Friday (5/18).
Hours: Wednesday, Thursday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Ben Stange hosts Beer Buzz live every Sunday on the Bud Light TAG Radio Block — Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL (99.9 FM/1060 AM/tagsgf.com/Radio Springfield App).

Happy American Craft Beer Week! Beer Buzz host Ben Stange talks about the history of the annual celebration. Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday at 4 p.m. during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF

Ben Stange hosts Beer Buzz live every Sunday on the Bud Light TAG Radio Block — Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL (99.9 FM/1060 AM/tagsgf.com/Radio Springfield App).

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange is joined by Holly from Mother’s Brewing Company. Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday at 4 p.m. during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF

I did a show a few weeks ago about technology and beer and how they can be great partners.  After all, we have computer geeks and beer geeks, and we’re all nerds, right?

Anyway, I thought I’d follow up that show (a little belatedly) with a post of several links to the things we discussed and what is cool about them.  This is a rundown of great craft beer websites, and is not exhaustive by any stretch.  It’s just a few of the good ones.

Craft Beer Websites:

Stlhops.com – St. Louis and beer. That’s it.  This is your ultimate guide to drinking in St. Louis.  Go ahead and bookmark it in your phone.  Next time you’re visiting up there, check it out.  You’ll thank me later.

Ratebeer.com – This site is a catalogue of beer, bars, beer stores, and ratings of each.  Overall, this site is a great resource for reading about beers before you try them or for cataloguing beers you’ve tried and what you thought of them.  They have an incredibly impressive database of beer and beer rankings, and they use a complicated and very effective statistical method to ensure you get a good idea of how good that beer is.  A great resource if you’re looking for some new and interesting beers to try or if you’re trying to do a little research before travelling to a new area, etc.

Beeradvocate.com – They follow a similar model to ratebeer, except they also have a print and online magazine that accompanies their data.  There is a lot of discussion in the beer geek universe over which site is actually better, but the truth is they excel at different things.  Beer Advocate has great content and articles about beer, and is a great place to get information about current trends in beer.  Ratebeer has the single most extensive beer database in the world, and they use that database very effectively.

Beermapping.com – This is an interesting project in which they are attempting to map beers all over the world by crowd sourcing.  Unfortunately, crowd sourcing always has one gigantic hurdle, and that is that it really isn’t effective unless you have a crowd.  For instance, this site probably works great in cities like New York and LA, but not so much in Springfield, where it’s harder to get the word of mouth out about this kind of project.

Untappd.com (and the Untappd app) – this is one of my favorites.  It combines the concept of rating a beer with the concept of social media.  You use Untappd when out and about sampling beers, and you “check in” to your brew from wherever you are drinking it.  Rate the beer, give a tweet-sized review, maybe snap a pic, and you send it into the ether.  Untappd plugs directly into your social media identities, so you can simultaneously post to Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare where you are, what you’re drinking, and what you thought of it.  It’s a fun way to make drinking alone more social.

BeerForum.com – From the creator of HomeBrewTalk.com (one of the single best homebrew forums in existence, by the way) comes BeerForum.com.  It’s a simple concept – create a place where people can go and talk about craft beer.  It’s in its early launching stage, but it’s a great place to go and anonymously ask ridiculous or ridiculously nerdy questions about beer.

These are some pretty good resources for craft beer fans on the web.  Next week, I’ll write about the best beer apps for iPhone that I know of.  Have any recommendations?  Let me know by emailing me at sgfbeerbuzz@gmail.com or find me on twitter (@sgfbeerbuzz) or on Facebook (Beer Buzz Radio).

Ben Stange hosts Beer Buzz live every Sunday on the Bud Light TAG Radio Block — Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL (99.9 FM/1060 AM/tagsgf.com/Radio Springfield App).

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange gets nerdy again … this time to talk yeast. Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday at 4 p.m. during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF

Ebbets Field South has closed according to the Springfield Business Journal.

As the odd news of the Swisshelm Group’s bankruptcy continues, there are local sports ties when it comes to one of SGF’s indelible sports brands — Ebbets Field.

The Springfield Business Journal reported today that Ebbets Field on South Glenstone Avenue closed on April 24 after Ebbets Field LLC reported average monthly net losses of $10,610. So why are we reporting on this, besides the fact we love Ebbets Field (especially Da Sandy)? Because of this nugget:

The East Walnut Street Ebbets Field restaurant, which employs 35, remains open under Pub Management LLC, which took over April 13 under the terms of a restaurant management agreement cited in bankruptcy court records. Pub Management is jointly owned by Ron Baird, an attorney with Baird, Lightner, Millsap and Harpool PC, and Lynn and Terry Allen, who is the head football coach at Missouri State University.

Baird and the Allen family also own the building.

Allen was an investor in Rivals, a sports bar and grill, that closed in mid-2010.

Baird said the newly-formed LLC intends to keep the Walnut location open.

“We’re going to keep Ebbets Field on Walnut open and continue to operate that landmark restaurant that has been here for more than 30 years,” Baird said, noting he and the Allens also own the building.

Ben Stange hosts Beer Buzz live every Sunday on the Bud Light TAG Radio Block — Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL (99.9 FM/1060 AM/tagsgf.com/Radio Springfield App).

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange discusses the greenest ways to brew and consume beer; locally. Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday at 4 p.m. during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF

By Ben Stange
Listen to Beer Buzz Sundays at 4 p.m. on TAG Radio (KBFL 99.9 FM / 1060 AM)

You’ve undoubtedly noticed I talk a lot about the Homebrewery in Ozark. It’s our local home brew shop, or LHBS to those of you who like acronyms. I think it’s important to not underestimate the importance of having a home brew supplier close to home.

I spend a gratuitous and sometimes even obscene amount of time online researching home brewing, craft beer, and beer in general. I know. I lead a hard life. In my research, I’ve come across a few interesting things that make me particularly grateful for having a very good local shop.

For starters, it’ll save you a fortune on shipping. While plenty of home brew shops online offer flat rate shipping, which is nice, you really can’t beat free. OK, so it costs you the gas to go and get it, but that sure beats paying to ship 15 pounds of ingredients across the country.

The ingredients are fresher. While this is depends a great deal on who runs your LHBS, I’ve been shopping at The Homebrewery since I brewed my first batch over 11 years ago, and I’ve never had a bad experience with their ingredients. Todd Frye, the owner, does an excellent job of rotating his stock and making sure they forecast demand as well as possible. The result is that you make better and more consistent beer. Get to know the practices of your local shop, and ask the owner how they maintain their inventory. If they do a good job, they’ll tell you all about how they manage it. If they refuse to tell you anything about it, you might be careful.

It’s an instant knowledge base. Call, email, or visit, and they can give you advice. Not all employees of the homebrew shop are expert brewers, but The Homebrewery crew will give you sound advice or honestly tell you if they’re not sure. I can’t tell you how important this is. I’ve heard horror stories of people asking their LHBS a question and getting tragically misinformed answers. If you aren’t sure of the reliability of the answers you are getting, try asking someone else there, or check out some online resources, like homebrewtalk.com.

It saves you an incredible amount of time. Here is that shipping again. No matter how fast you can get it from that online store, you can get it faster from your local shop. If you call your order in ahead of time and go pick it up? Even faster. This is great for those days you catch yourself thinking, “What am I going to do today?”

It’s greener. In order for that online order to get to you, it has first been shipped from the distributor to the retailer. Then it goes from them to you. This adds a lot of miles in that truck.

You’ll meet fellow brewers. This is very important. For a long time, I tried to operate in a kind of brewing bubble, where I did my own research and learned as much as I could from the web and books. This is exceptionally useful, but having others to bounce your ideas off of in person can be incredibly helpful. This is also how I found the homebrew club of which I am a longtime member, The Zymurgists of the Ozarks.

Overall, it’s important to support your local homebrew shop because they support you. As a brewer, they are there with that part or ingredient or hose that you didn’t know you needed until you got stuck without it. They help you make better beer because they honestly want you to make better beer. It’s good for business when their customers love making beer.

Ben Stange hosts Beer Buzz live every Sunday on the Bud Light TAG Radio Block — Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL (99.9 FM/1060 AM/tagsgf.com/Radio Springfield App).

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange returns for his first show at the new TAG HQ. Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF

[[Show as slideshow]]
When Kai After Dark (306 S Campbell Ave) landed downtown, it came with a qualification of being an extension to Haruno, which was well-established on the southside. It was only natural as the restaurants shared the same ownership, and with the reputation of Haruno, a high standard was set for Kai.
At first I though the name Kai After Dark referred to the business hours. After a round of flaming sushi, yakisoba and chilled sake for lunch (don’t judge), I realized that the name refers more to the experience. The interior of Kai is dark and sleek with a long, full-service bar immediately following the hostess stand. There is a second floor with additional table seating, but for this trip a co-worker (Mark) and I just needed to belly up. We arrived just before the end of lunch (2 p.m.) — so late we felt rude, but the bartender insisted we stay. We were the only guests when we arrived so we had our choice of seating.
Immediately I was surprised by the size of the lunch menu. It is loaded with sushi platters, yakisoba options and specialty plates. Eating for under $10 at lunch could be a breeze. Unfortunately for the personal lunch budget, the morning had been long so I craved sake and an Oh My God roll.
I ordered a small house sake, hot. Mark had been to one of their recent sake tastings (the third Thursday of every month) and ordered a premium sake they don’t usually carry, Superior. The liquid from that chilled blue bottle was sweet smooth. It was my first cold sake experience. The flavor and body are entirely different based on temperature — at least from what I could tell in this one experience. The hot sake seemed to finish a lot more dry than the cold.
The Oh My God roll is a carry-over from Haruno. It’s served on fire and filled with crab and shrimp tempura (& more), wrapped in avocado (& more), and piped with Sriracha (& more). Clearly, those are poor ingredient estimates, but you get the idea. It’s amazing. It’s name is “Oh My God”, what did you expect? This is a must try (at either location) if you haven’t before. Mark had the Tuna Avocado roll which is simply that.
For my “meal”, I ordered the veggie yakisoba which could (read: should) have served as my entire meal. The healthy portion of noodles came drenched in a sweet (oyster?) sauce tossed with a variety of vegetables (carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, keel — I think, onions, etc.). It doesn’t necessarily stand out from similar dishes at other restaurants, but it’s certainly not a slouch.
Mark ordered a lunch menu exclusive, the Kai’s Crystal Shrimp. Several large shrimp circled a mound of steamed white rice. The shrimp, bathing in a sweet, creamy sauce were tender and plump. I managed to steal a prawn to see for myself, his ravings were spot on. While the shrimp version of the dish is only available for lunch, there is an option with lobster for dinner.
I could have been full for less than $10, but splurged for the extras with a $26 tab plus deserving tip for our friendly bartender. The service was quick, but there was only one other party during our visit, so it’s hard to compare.

Kevin Friday, SGF musician and IPA fan, fills in for Ben Stange to talk baseball, beer, barbecue and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Ben Stange, host of TAG Radio's Beer Buzz

I was having a beer with a good friend of mine last night and we got onto the topic of water composition in beer. This kind of nerdy beer talk happens to my friends often, so I’m pretty sure he wasn’t offended. At least, he said as much.

Anyway, he was asking about the idea of terroir in wine and how that would relate to beer. Terroir is the “local quality” of a wine. It’s the flavor given to the wine by the earth and water used to grow the grapes. Each subtle difference in the soil and the water can have a lasting effect on the flavor of the wine.

This is one of the most significant differences in wine and beer making. In wine, you have limited ability to affect the results. You can do a lot to ensure that you make high quality wines, and vintners work very hard to influence what they can, but terroir is always a significant player, and there are only so many factors you can influence.

Beer makers are not as limited. Brewers can do a lot to eliminate or reduce the effects of terroir. In fact, there are several brewers out there who are trying to introduce the concept of terroir into their beer. For instance, Lakefront Brewery in Wisconsin is teaming with Northern Brewer homebrew shops to experiment with making a locally-sourced beer. The idea is to use all local ingredients. They are planning on using locally grown and malted grain, locally grown hops, and local wild yeast. Yes. Local wild yeast. To see what that part alone entails, you should watch this episode of brewing TV by Northern Brewer.

And now I want a coolship.

Anyway, we were talking about this concept, and I told him water was the single most important ingredient in beer.

You see, water makes up over 90% of almost every beer you drink (any beer that is less than 10% ABV, really), and it contains a lot of salts and minerals which can drastically affect your perception of the beer. It can also affect important things like mash acidity, hop utilization, mash efficiency, and about a million other variables which can change the batch of beer. That’s why commercial brewing operations do everything they can to make sure the water they use is the same every time. It makes the beer they make far more consistent.

As an example, Mother’s Brewing Company uses a very high-grade filter to take out the chorine and any other unwanted stuff in the water before they brew. Unfortunately, their water comes from two sources, as they are in the middle of town. As a result, they take additional measures to ensure that the water they use is consistent and that they make the same high-quality beer for you every time.

Springfield Brewing Company takes it a step farther. They use a process called Reverse Osmosis to clean their water, which takes EVERYTHING but the water out of their water. They then add the minerals and salts they want to have back into the water. This ensures their water is exactly the same every time. It also eliminates any concept of terroir in their water. This is the process used by gigantic breweries to ensure that their beer is exactly as you expect it to be whether it is brewed in Missouri or Zimbabwe.

So water’s really important. Here’s a quick trick you can use to prove it, too:

Order a beer and ask for it to be served in two glasses. I ordered a Mother’s Li’l Helper at Old Chicago last night for this very same trick and they were good enough to serve it in two glasses for me. Take the table salt, which is a common salt found in water, and sprinkle a VERY little bit into the beer. Not enough to add a salty flavor, just a little. Give both glasses a gentle stir so the carbonation is still the same, then taste the beers.

Pretty amazing, right? That’s the experiment. When you do this, you’ll find that the flavor profile of the beer is different. It make a larger difference in more delicate beers (my choice of Li’l Helper was based on what I actually wanted to drink rather than the best beer for the experiment), but you should detect more sweet flavors and a less pronounced hop bitterness. For best results, I recommend trying this with a pale ale or a lighter beer. For a really dramatic effect, try it on an American Lager.

Let me know how it goes in the comments section below. If you do, I might just tell you how to bend a cigarette in half without breaking it.

Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

The glorious beers of Deschutes are finally available in SGF. Master Brewer Brian Faivre joined host Ben Stange on Sunday’s episode of Beer Buzz. Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Tune in to Beer Buzz live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Photos from Deschutes VIP Roll Out at Dynamic Earth

For SGF beer lovers, this is the week of Deschutes. The Bend, Oregon, brewery is a top five craft brewer in the U.S. (no. 11 overall), and boasts an incredible beer roster. Deschutes midwest zone manager Dave Espe described the brewery and how beer-crazy Oregon is to me during the VIP Roll Out Monday night at Dynamic Earth. Bend is a town of 30,000 people with more than a dozen thriving breweries. SGF is more than five times larger and supports two. As Deschutes introduces its balanced lineup further east, the home base itself is expanding — something they hope will ease their brewers’ minds. Espe says the process to begin distributing in Springfield was slower than hoped as they dumped a 30-barrel batch due to sub-standard malt — a measure of chasing perfectly consistent beer. A sample of the malt is taken from each batch. In this case, a delivery driver brought a sample which was different from the rest of the batch. “Needless to say, now we go straight to the fields and select the malt ourselves,” Espe says. Initially Deschutes and Wil Fischer Distributing anticipated a 2011 release, but the brewery had no interest in selling an imperfect version of its beer to anybody, let alone introducing it to a new market. While dumping beer is never cause for celebration, losing a batch that size won’t be seen as such a large setback in the near future. Deschutes produced 205,000 barrels in 2010, and the expansion, targeted for mid-May, is expected to increase annual capacity by 100,000.

The official public kickoff is tonight at Patton Alley Pub, where they will have the permanent beers available along with single kegs of a few reserve series (Stoic, Abyss, and Black Butte XXIII). Those kegs are exclusive to Patton Alley tonight. Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. The event begins at 6 p.m.

Deschutes SGF Lineup:
Black Butte Porter; RateBeer.com Rating: 97
Red Chair NWPA; RateBeer.com Rating: 96
Inversion IPA; RateBeer.com Rating: 95
Mirror Pond Pale Ale; RateBeer.com Rating: 91

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange talks Mead (and the excitement for Deschutes coming to town). Tune in live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange discusses tips on growing hops and uses aside from beer. Tune in live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

[[Show as slideshow]]

By Ben Stange, host of Beer Buzz

This week, I thought I’d give you a visual aid to go along with the podcast from Sunday’s show. Our guest in the studio was Matt Loll, the self-proclaimed Beer Artist. I had to ask, “What’s a beer artist?”

“I do etching and painting on bottles, both empty and full, along with large USA-made beer mugs,” Loll wrote in our recent email exchange. “They’re great for gifts and occasions.”

No doubt. It would make one Helluva groomsman gif to have your own custom-painted bottle of custom-crafted homebrew, don’t you think?

“I started out as an airbrusher, thinking it was easy,” he wrote.

He found out early on it was a lot harder then it looked. “Some things you never master. This is one of those things. That led me into vinyl sign-making, [which was] an offshoot of my airbrush interest.”

He progressed into pinstriping and a love for craft beer. Eventually, he wanted a way to combine his passions.

“I have a desire to combine all of the different arts that I do whenever I can, so one evening while having a few beers, that moment came. I got into creating one-of-a-kind beer mugs.”

He says he originally did it on an impulse when he left his beer glass out.

“I leave stuff around all over, and when I was striping one evening I grabbed a glass and gave it a go.”

While he loves to play around with different mediums, he has had some difficulty adapting his artistic styles to working on glass.

“Glass etching is permanent, dishwasher safe, and will last until the glass is broken. Pin striping on glass is a bit more sensitive, and requires gentle care, but the impact pin striping can have against a wonderfully dark beer is FANTASTIC,” he writes. “I’m still working on how to airbrush on glass and have it be fairly durable, so that may never be in the cards.”

Loll prides himself on his unique designs, and says he never duplicates a design.

“Each one is an original piece of artwork. When etching, I will duplicate in part, but never 100% of it [is duplicated].”

To check out more of Matt’s work, find him on Facebook.

Tune in live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange has a “little bit for the home brewers, a little bit for the craft beer fans, and a little bit for the home brewers who love craft beer.” Tune in live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

By Ben Stange of Beer Buzz, Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM | 1060 AM

Just a quick note today to let you guys know that the Bull Creek Brown Ale from Springfield Brewing Company is back. This beer, which won the Bronze Medal at the 2003 Great American Beer Festival, is available on tap at the brewery. It’s a great excuse to go visit your local brewpub.

What you can expect: It’s a nice, dark ale with a thick white head. It has chocolate and roasty notes in the aroma, along with a little bit of toasted bread. The flavor is roasty with a little bit of sweet cocoa and caramel. The hops are earthy and nice, but not overdone. Overall, it’s an excellent brown ale. Make sure you buy your pint and let it warm in the glass a bit, as it will bring out the complexity of this well-balanced beer.

A beer for St. Valentine.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I felt it would be appropriate to write a little about beers for the occasion. Typically, you might think wine is a more romantic beverage, but there are some pretty amazing beers out there that can help set the romantic mood, as well.

Consider chocolate for a moment. Traditionally known as an aphrodisiac and as a traditional gift to give on Valentine’s Day, it is also a handy ingredient in several remarkable beers. Here is a quick rundown of several great beers which use chocolate as a featured ingredient:

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout – 5.2% ABV – A perennial favorite among chocolate fans, this beer is probably the best-known example of a great chocolate ale. When served only slightly chilled, this beer’s aroma is full of rich cocoa and sweet hints of milk chocolate. You may also detect a little coconut in the aroma. The flavor is dark chocolate and mocha coffee with a little bit of vanilla and oats. A nearly perfect dessert beer. If you’re having chocolate, tiramisu, or even a raspberry tart for dessert, this beer will go nicely with it.

Rogue Chocolate Stout – 6.3% ABV – This beer has a sweet chocolate aroma, but the flavor leans more towards the roasted stout flavors than the cocoa flavors found in some other chocolate stouts. The chocolate is definitely present in this beer, but they are a lot more subtle than in it’s big brother, Rogue Double Chocolate Stout.

Rogue Double Chocolate Stout – 8.7% ABV – OK, tell me you saw that coming. I mention the big brother, and then I have to talk about him, right? Right. This beer is the much bigger brother to the Rogue Chocolate Stout. Bigger in alcohol, bigger in flavor, and bigger in chocolate. The aroma has a lot of chocolate, but also some roasted marshmallow. Flavor is chocolate, cocoa, and more chocolate. It has a very creamy, full body and delicious finish.

Southern Tier Choklat – 11% ABV – Easily one of the best chocolate beers on the market. Southern Tier has a way with making amazingly bold flavors come through in their beer. This is no exception. It’s rich and bold all the way from the aroma to the finish, and the ABV isn’t messing around at 11% ABV, either. The alcohol doesn’t show in the flavor too much, though, which is pretty amazing. This beer is definitely one for sharing, as it is one strong ale.

In addition to chocolate beers, you may be in the market for something with a little fruit with it. Here are some top-notch suggestions along that front:

Perennial Artisan Ales Strawberry Rhubarb Tart – 5% ABV – It’s definitely an unusual beer, but in an excellent way. Perennial is quickly developing a reputation for unapologetically making beers for beer geeks. This beer won’t be for everybody, but you should give it a try. It pours a hazy golden color and has a brilliant aroma of strawberry with a little bit of coriander and bread. The flavor is delicately sweet, with bread and yeast notes which are balanced by the strawberry. Overall, a light, refreshing beer.

Lindeman’s Framboise – 2.5% ABV – Raspberries, raspberries, raspberries. Oh, and bubbles. Lots of bubbles. That’s about what you need to know. Also, they also make one in cherry (Kriek), Apple (Pomme), Peach (Peche), and Black Currants (Cassis). These beers are all very powerfully flavored, but they definitely have their place. If you find them to be a bit too much for you, mix them with a good Saison or your favorite wheat beer. Doing this will impress your date.

Thomas Creek Banana Split Chocolate Stout – Yeah, you read that right. Fruit AND chocolate. The chocolate and roasted barley aroma is permeated with banana notes. The flavor is a bit roasty and maybe a little smokey, nut has a lot of chocolate and banana along with caramel and coffee. It’s a bit sweet, but not too sweet, and the banana is ever-present without being overpowering. Overall, a really unique beer.

Finally, I have one last recommendation for you. It doesn’t really fit into any of the above groups, so it’s down here all alone:

Ommegang Seduction – 6.8% ABV – I’m convinced Ommegang doesn’t make a bad beer. I’ve not tried them all, but they have a great selection. This is brewed specially for Valentine’s Day, and is only available for a very limited time. It’s a Belgian-style porter full of roasty notes blended with a little bit of Liefman’s Cuvee Brut. The Cuvee Brut is a cherry sour ale (a kriekbier) which adds some great cherry and sour notes to an already delicious porter. This beer is like a chocolate-covered-cherry, but tart instead of sweet. It’s cocoa and chocolate up front with a tart cherry finish that leaves you wanting more. A brilliantly crafted beer.

If you want to try the Seduction, Strawberry Rhubarb Tart, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, or Lindeman’s Kriek, just go by the Brown Derby Wine Center on Friday. These will be the featured beers at their complimentary tasting from 4-7 pm. While you’re there, have Eric mix the Double Chocolate Stout and Kriek for you. You’ll dig it.

Special thanks to Eric Carter at The Brown Derby International Wine Center for his help compiling this list.

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange was live at Harbell’s before the Super Bowl to talk about what makes a killer sports bar (and more). Tune in live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Beer Buzz host Ben Stange discusses good regional beers to pair with popular Super Bowl party foods on the Jan. 29 episode. Tune in live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

Beer Buzz Sponsors

What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Deschutes will be in SGF next month.

Thought I would make this week’s write-up about a specific brewery because, well, I’m pretty geeked about them coming to Springfield in February. The brewery is Deschutes Brewery, and they are out of Bend, Oregon. They are quickly becoming known as one of the better craft breweries in the states, which is saying something now that the number of craft breweries in the states is approaching two thousand.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of their beers and what to expect. I think you’ll agree that it’s something to look forward to.

• Black Butte Porter – 5.2% ABV, 30 IBU – There are several reasons you should be excited about this brewery, but my favorite reason is the Black Butte Porter. It’s a 5.2% ABV 30 IBU Porter, and it’s their flagship brand. There aren’t a lot of breweries who can get away with a beer this dark as their flagship, but this beer is a very exceptional porter. It has all the rich chocolate and roasted flavors you’d expect in a porter, but has a bit of hop bitterness up front that sets it apart. What makes it truly great, however, is how the creamy mouthfeel works with the flavors of the beer. It’s a complex, delicious porter that will make you remember why you love dark beer so much.
• Mirror Pond Pale Ale – 5% ABV, 40 IBU – It’s not what you’d expect from a west coast brewery, but I like that about it. It’s an English-style pale ale, which means the hop profile will be a bit earthier and spicier, and it won’t have all the crazy citrus. Also, the malt will be more on the cracker and bread-flavored side rather than being sweet. Expect a well-balanced, sharply carbonated pale ale with a clean finish.
• Inversion IPA – 6.8% ABV, 80 IBU – Big. Hops. I’m not kidding. Expect to think you’ve done what these guys did in a hop warehouse. It’s not out-of-balance, though, thanks to judicious use of Crystal and Carastan hops. Overall, you can expect that if you like IPA’s, you love this beer.
• Obsidian Stout – 6.4% ABV, 55 IBU – An excellent stout. It has notes of espresso, chocolate, roasted malt, and the less bitter black barley. It’s not a sweet stout, but what sweetness there is is cut with just enough hops to do the job. Overall, the beer is very robust and delicious.
• Red Chair NWPA – 6.2% ABV, 60 IBU – An interesting hybrid, this will have the aroma of an IPA without all the big body and bitterness. It has seven different malts in there to balance out the big hop aroma. This is their January through May seasonal, so you’ll only have a little while to pick it up and try it or you’ll be waiting until next year.

That sounds like a pretty exciting roundup, and those are just the basics. If you want a more in-depth look including some homebrew recipes to clone them or some recipes in which the beers can be used, check out the Deschutes homepage. They have a ton of great info for fans of their beer. If nothing else, their website will show you how geared they are towards making beer geeks like us happy.

Topic: Beer Forecast
Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

What to pair with a dish of Springfield-style Cashew Chicken? Try a malty porter.

Earlier this week, I posted a call on our Facebook wall and our Twitter feed to find out what foods you felt were unique or special to Springfield. We got a lot of great responses, from the always-included Springfield Cashew Chicken to the wheat crust of McSalty’s Pizza. So, I thought I would take a little time and do some pairing ideas for you to try the next time you got to sample some Springfield Cuisine.

Here’s the rundown:

Springfield Cashew Chicken – This unique flavor is as varied within the city as it is misunderstood outside of SGF. So, in order to make a pairing, the hardest part will be to find a harmony in the flavors. My first inclination was to go for an American Pale Ale, but I think that, for the best match, you’d have to dial back the hops a bit. So, a good malty Pale Ale such as Boulevard’s would be about as hoppy as I’d like to go. Mother’s Brewing’s Three Blind Mice would be a great match, too. If you’re less into hops, you might try a nice malty Porter or Stout, too. A classic Guinness would go well. My favorite match for this, though, would probably be Boulevard’s Bully! Porter.

McSalty’s Pizza – The richness of the cheese and the sweetness of the wheat crust lends itself very well to pairing with an IPA, such as Mother’s Brewing Company’s Li’l Helper or O’Fallon Brewing Company’s Five Day IPA. If you like jalapenos on your pizza, though, I recommend going with a brown ale or porter to help cut some of the spiciness.

Crosstown Barbecue – I was amazed that this one didn’t cross my mind right away. It was submitted via twitter by @bgrafft, and he was dead on. While BBQ is not “unique” to SGF, Crosstown most certainly is. My favorite out there is the brisket. For this, I highly recommend a porter, especially a smoked one. The O’Fallon “Smoke” porter is perfect for the job. Too much smoke for you? Try a Double IPA, and Altbier, or a Belgian Dubbel. They will all work well with the strong, rich flavors of this slow-roasted masterpiece. You can also go with an Aventinus weizenbock if you’re up to it. For the hot links (a personal favorite of mine), you should avoid anything too hoppy or acidic unless you want the food to seem even spicier (and those links don’t need it). You can play it safe with a Trippel or Maibock or you can take a big risk and see what a double IPA will do with them, but watch out for those hops.

Hot & Spicy chicken from Chinese Chef – I was hesitant at first to include this, but @jbags5 on twitter seemed insistent. For this, I recommend anything good for the Cashew Chicken, but advise you to be very cautious about how hoppy and carbonated your beer is. If this chicken’s hot, these traits will only make it hotter, and that will drown out all the other flavors of the food and the beer. No one wants that.

That pretty much sums up those mentioned to me. Do you have a different food which should be included on this list? Know a beer that goes perfectly with any of the foods mentioned? Let us know. We’re listening.

Most things in restaurants are measurable as a consumer. It’s easy to compare and evaluate the quality of food and service, the menu, cleanliness, etc. The one thing impossible to quantify is atmosphere.

Atmosphere is what separates restaurants with good food from good restaurants, and the difference is effort. A lot of restaurant owners decide what they want your dining experience to be like and try to push an experience in your face, forcefully mashing the menu’s genre with associated stereotypes. It never works, because it’s not authentic.

Grad School sits in a cozy downtown SGF spot with ambiance pouring onto South Jefferson from its front door on 434 S Jefferson, all without trying to fit any sort of mold. The cozy diner has bar seating and several two-tops right when you walk in. Immediately to the right of the front door is the bar separating guests from the grill. Greeted by sounds and smells of a sizzling grill, and music, handpicked by the staff which you probably won’t hear on a top-40 mix. Your server likely has tattoos and/or a beard. You might even recognize staffers from performing on SGF stages.

While the atmosphere is the first thing you notice, the food is what will bring you back. The menu features a strong rotation of burgers, salads, pastas, specialty pressed sandwiches, appetizers and more. The “starters” include Ali Baba, fresh in-house hummus, and Stuff Mush, sauteéd mushrooms stuffed with mashed potatoes and facon, It’s just one-and-a high chair on this trip, so I go for solo go-to … Cezna’s Wangs. The Cezna’s sauce is a mix of their tradiitonal wing sauce and a sweet & spicy sauce. I’m generally not a fan of sweet wings, but the spice balances it perfectly. Orders of 6 and 12 available.

I used to exclusively order the Rasta Pasta for my entreé until one time I challenged the chef to make it so hot I would cry. To this day I don’t know why I did that. I didn’t cry, though, at least not for a day or so. All dishes are served with no stars, but can be made as hot as you want on request. Since that fateful dinner I have tried a couple of different menus, from The Full Ride burger (double patty, bacon, dress, soft sharp cheddar) to the Mushroom “Steak”, a portabello steak pressed in French bread with bell peppers, onions, avocado, sprouts and provolone. On this trip, however, I go for The Cuban — a glorious pressed sandwich to be sure.

The French Bread is freshly baked and houses an insanely thick slice of house-baked ham, chorizo, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and soft sharp cheddar. It’s a sandwich so large that it should be at least two meals. Toss in a big side of fries and the Cezna’s and I would feel a lot better about myself if I had the self discipline to ask for a to-go box. The total came to $17.50 for the Wangs and The Cuban, which is well North of what I typically spend on lunch, but 1) it was meant to be two meals; 2) I over-ordered for the sake of this review; and 3) the atmosphere makes it worth it every time: Good people, good food, good vibes.

Topics: New Beers Resolutions, Beer Cocktails
Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

In case you’ve missed it this week, our friends at Mother’s Brewing Company — proud sponsors of Beer Buzz with Ben Stange, SGF’s only talk show that focuses on beer – released a promotional video spoofing Laverne and Shirley.

Local media members were quick to call it a viral sensation, but it may have received its largest boost to date, getting picked up by the Wall Street Journal. Enjoy.

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Home brew talk as Todd Frye of The Home Brewery joined Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Best in Beer Survey

Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Best in Beer Survey

Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Best in Beer Survey

The cool thing about downtown SGF is the nice blend of established restaurants and new places that fly under the radar. When trying to go out and celebrate my wife’s birthday with another couple, we were looking for something new. My wife had a business lunch at Aviary Cafe and Creperie, 400 E. Walnut, a while ago, but decided it was time to investigate the cocktail/wine/dinner menu.

The end result? Let’s just say when you mix twice-fried french fries, soup, wine and shrimp-and-cheese crepes, it was the best meal I’ve had at an SGF restaurant in months, and instantly became a new favorite.

The first impression about The Aviary, which is known as the only creperie in SGF, was the decor. It is a perfect fit for any artwalk, or the downtown artwalk mindset. It’s not perfectly painted, but it’s part of the charm. Add in a nicely dressed wait staff, framed inspirational sayings and stuffed birds (yes, there was a stuffed bird that at certain angles, looked like it was resting on my friend’s shoulder), it had a comfortable feel.

Pommes Frites

And then there was the food. Our group started out with some wine, and I had the Camelot Cabernet Sauvignon (for only $5). I’m not a wine expert, but it was better than an expensive bottle of wine we recently split at a local place known for its great wine selection. It was extra spicy, which I like. Four of us then split a plate of Pommes Frites, described by their menu as “fresh cut and crispy, double fried potatoes drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Served with garlic aioli.” After we all took our first horn from the plate, we all looked at each other, trying to figure out how many bites were left. They were that good, especially with the aioli dip.

While sweet potatoes aren’t normally my favorite choice, I went with the sweet potato chipotle soup, a part of the Chef’s Call, an opportunity for a seasonal soup ($3.99). It was the best part of the meal, and I would eat it for the main course the next time. Unlike most potato soups, it didn’t have chunks of sweet potato in it. But rather, whether it was puree or cream of SP, it was a thick broth. And like the Cab earlier, it was spicy without an overpowering sweet potato flavor. It was outstanding.

Shrimp and Cheddar Grits crepe

Finally, the main course came — Shrimp & Cheddar Grits ($9.49): “Southern style grits, Tillamook cheddar, shallots and tender shimp.” While it was good, it ranked third behind the double-barrelled first course. Honestly, if I had room to eat it all, I would have. The cheese was great, but masked the shrimp taste, which is what I was hoping for. And maybe that’s the point. I was, however, thankful for the thin crepe and not a doughy tortilla or even sandwich bread/bun. To be honest, the meal was still above average, but it didn’t live up to the A-plus-plus of the appetizer and soup.

The service was tremendous, even with our questions about their extensive cocktail and wine menu, and our ignorance to some of the french-titled menu items. Overall, with tip, my wife and I spent just more than $50, which is ridiculous for the amount of food, drink and fun we had.

(And, I hate to ruin the surprise, but the stuffed taxidermy in the men’s room was weird. I’m not sayin’, just sayin’. You’ll have to see for yourself, because the food is worth a nice scare.)

Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Best in Beer Survey

Taste of Springfield 2011

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Among the motivations for TAG Media is to eradicate the general disdain for SGF. Even the townies seem to talk down on their city. You’ve heard the complaints of how there’s “nothing to do,” but if you’re reading this magazine you already know that is untrue. Even for a group of firm believers in SGF, sometimes it’s just nice to see the potential of SGFers. The 2011 Taste of Springfield proved just that. In years past, the event has drawn crowds, but … whoa. The first idea of how well-attended the streets would be was the packed parking garage. Even on a busy First Friday Art Walk night, parking is still available. It says something when the only spots we could track down were on the roof of the College Station parking garage.

Taste of Springfield is a personal favorite when it comes to local events because of the copious amount of food to sample and variety therein. Dozens of the best local restaurants featuring portions of menu favorites. Besides, it’s good to get out and see people. It’s also good to eat. Previous events have seen participating restaurants run out of samples early, but if you showed late to this edition, the supply was seriously in jeopardy. Chefs and owners were shrugging off lines of people and apologizing early in the day. Danny Schlink, owner of J.O.B. Public House, said he served more than 1,200 sandwiches in the first two hours. Sure I was disappointed to miss out on tacos from Tortilleria Perches and fried lasagna from Nonna’s (a couple 2010 faves), it was still encouraging.

That said, there were some incredible bites that we were able to taste. Gem of India’s Chicken Tikka Marsala was among my favorite non-typical entreés. The chicken was tender and the red sauce looked far more intimidating than it actually was. I tried a handful of burgers, but the mini slider from PriceCutter Bistro Market was the top offering. Mille’s slayed the appetizer game, with an incredibly fresh lettuce wrap, and a huge buzz (and line) for its Sweet Potato Soup — very unexpected. Of course, the official winners were voted on by the masses.

Of course, beer doesn’t hurt either. It’s hard to say if the elbow-to-elbow crowd stretching from South Ave. and McDaniel to Park Central East and Jefferson was entirely boosted by Oktoberfest Village. Open containers were allowed on the streets for the first time in recent (ever?!?) memory. City officials showed the open mind to clear the red tape it has previously resisted. It seems antiquated considering how common events like this are in other cities, but no less exciting. Security was substantial, but there were no incidents to speak of. Adults behaved as adults and treated the liberties responsibly.

The celebration atmosphere reminded me of larger cities’ versions of Mardi Gras or St. Patrick’s Day festivals. The only real difference being the number of city blocks it covered. Lederhosen, live music, giant beer stein hats, costumes and world-class boxing contenders (BJ Flores) mingling with fans. It was good to see and hopefully it’s a sign of more to come.

You came, you ate (and drank, thanks to Oktoberfest Village), you conquered this year’s Taste of Springfield downtown last Saturday to the tune of 26 locally owned and operated restaurants putting their best in your belly. Sweet, sweet victory. So which ones did you, the discerning foodies of SGF, say were the best? Event attendees were asked to cast their votes in four categories to decide which eateries brought their “A” game for the day. Here’s how the results panned out:

Best Appetizer: The Peppadews from Fedora Social House

Best Entrée: The Cottage Pie from Dublin’s Pass Irish Pub

Best Dessert: The Pumpkin Cakewich from The Cup

Best Booth: Dublin’s Pass Irish Pub

Congrats to all the winners, and way to go Dublin’s Pass for locking down two of the four categories in its first year. You have moved the 2012 betting line in your favor.

Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

How’s this for cryptic: Late last night, staffers for downtown-area burger, bar and music joint Harlow’s (637 S. Kimbrough Ave.) posted the following message to its Facebook page:

“Harlow’s is closed due to circumstances beyond our control – until further notice.”

The mind reels at the possibilities there. It would be more than 12 hours before an explanation was posted, but in the meantime I drove straight to the bar this morning to find a Tom’s Electric Service truck parked in front and a sign on the door saying the bar had suffered “technical difficulties” and would reopen today. Indeed, the bar’s now-explained electrical problems that fried equipment behind the bar has been fixed and Harlow’s is now open again with any scheduled music shows resuming as listed, too. Crisis averted. We barely had time to panic!

Beer Buzz, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Host Ben Stange got distracted by the history of American beer (fascinating stuff, really) and Beer Buzz finished taking nominations for best craft beer venues in SGF (bar/restaurant/store), the polls will open soon. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

One of the best annual local food events is back. Taste of Springfield, a chance to sample foods from around 30 SGF restaurants (and dessert specialists) around town. As always it will be in the heart of downtown on the square and feature live music (Gas Pump Talent, 65 South, and The Airwalks will be on hand). The 2011 edition will also include OktoberFest Village, a beer sampling “village” with more than 60 beers from around the world to sample. There will also be cooking demonstrations.

Admission is free, food tickets are $10 for a sheet of 10 and beer sampling tickets are $1/each.

New restaurants for 2011: Dublin’s Pass Irish Pub, The Flying Tomato, Elle’s Patisserie, The J.O.B. Public House, and Boca Mocha

Last year’s event:

• 2010 Restaurants
• 2010 winners (and losers) **Not the technical winners/losers … TAG’s winners/losers